Monash University Handbook 2011 Postgraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Synopsis

• The Australian patent system.
• History and rationale of the patent system.
• The concept of invention; the requirements for patentability; patent application procedure.
• The drafting of claims; the enforcement, maintenance and exploitation of patents, and the international patent system.
• The relationship between patent and trade secrets protection, and the relationship between patent and plant breeders' rights protection.

Objectives

Students who successfully complete this unit should:

1. have an enhanced appreciation of the policies and objectives underlying the laws of patents and confidential information
2. be in a position to comment critically on those policies and objectives and to relate them to current proposals for law reform
3. have developed a detailed 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 detailed and comprehensive advice to inventors, enterprises and other persons engaged in the process of innovation on their rights and liabilities under these laws
5. have a sound understanding of the operation and application of the rules governing the international protection of patents for inventions and allied rights
6. meet the requirements of the Professional Standards Board for Patent and Trade Marks Attorneys in relation to Patent Law (topic group E).

Assessment

Research assignment (3,750 words): 50%
Take-home exam (3,750 words): 50%
OR
Take-home exam (7,500 words): 100%

Chief examiner(s)

Professor Ann Monotti

Contact hours

24 contact hours per semester (either intensive, semi-intensive or semester long, depending on the Faculty resources, timetabling and requirements)