LAW5146 - Intellectual property I: copyright, designs and confidential information 506

Leader: Semester Two: David Lindsay

Offered

Clayton Second semester 2007 (Day)

Synopsis

Topics include: the rationale and scope of intellectual property protection; copyright and neighbouring rights (including performers' rights and databases); technological convergence and the development of the information superhighway; registered designs and the protection of industrial design, trade secrets and confidential information; comparative and international perspectives; the relationship between these rights and other parts of intellectual property law and competition law.

Objectives

Upon completion of this unit students should

1. have an appreciation of the policies and objectives underlying the regimes of intellectual property protection studied;
2. be in a position to comment critically on those policies and objectives and to relate them to proposals for law reform;
3. have acquired a sound knowledge of the subject matter that is eligible for protection under these laws, the requirements for obtaining such protection and its scope, once obtained;
4. be in a position to provide basic advice to authors, designers and other creators, as well as users of material created by such persons, on their rights and liabilities under the laws of copyright, designs and breach of confidence;
5. have an appreciation of the basic features of the international rules governing the protection of copyright and designs, circuit layouts and performers;
6. have an appreciation of the impact of technological change on the formulation and protection of the rights studied; and
7. should have enhanced their skills of case analysis and statutory interpretation.

Assessment

Assignment (2400 words): 30%
Examination (2 hours writing time plus 30 minutes reading time): 70% OR Examination (3 hours writing time plus 30 minutes reading time): 100%

Contact hours

Three hours of lectures per week

Prerequisites

LAW3400 or LAW3401 and LAW3402