Postgraduate - UnitLAW7433 - Patenting for commercialisation

This unit is introductory in nature and is intended to provide sufficient knowledge about patent law, and intellectual property in general, for those who are involved in or seek involvement in the commercialisation of research. The unit will consider the creation of patentable inventions in a university or other research intensive environment and will consider the special issues that arise in collaborative research. The unit is particularly directed to the researchers themselves, but is also valuable for those who want to understand more about the connection between research, patents and commercialisation. It is suited to both lawyers who have little or no understanding of patent law and to non-lawyers who have some background in science or technology.

Topics covered include a brief overview of the sources of Australian law for non-lawyers, an overview of the different forms of intellectual property, the history and rationale of the patent system, the concept of invention and the notion of inventorship, the requirements for patentability and the pitfalls for inventors, the differences between standard and innovation patents, patent application procedure, an understanding of the role of specifications and claims, the rights granted by a patent, ownership and dealings with patents, enforcement and exploitation of patents, and the international patent system.