| Unit name | Advanced Intellectual Property Law |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0165 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 2 (weeks 13 - 24) |
| Unit director | Dr. Janeckova |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None. |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None. |
| School/department | University of Bristol Law School |
| Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
Why is this unit important?
Intellectual property law is one of the most dynamic and challenging areas of law. New kinds of creative and innovative intangible objects, new processes of their creation and new means of their dissemination emerge almost on daily basis. Together with property expansionism this creates a need for lawyers equipped with advanced knowledge of the relevant law and policies. To follow these real life trends, this unit offers you to deep dive into some of the most intriguing issues in intellectual property law. Topics to be covered are selected for their societal importance, their position at the cutting-edge of innovation and creativity, and their relevance for legal practice and industry. This unit is research-led as it builds on original Bristol Law School research and gives students an opportunity to learn from experts in the respective areas of law and members of the University of Bristol’s Centre of Global Law and Innovation.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit is primarily designed for students reading for an LLM in Law, Innovation and Technology. It allows them to gain a deeper understanding of the subject and further knowledge of intellectual property law. Students taking this unit will typically have had some exposure to the basics of intellectual property law, be it thanks to taking LAWDM0022 Intellectual Property, previous studies, work experience, or strong interest in the field. This unit contributes to the programme’s mission by enhancing students’ knowledge and understanding of the legal issues at the heart of creativity, innovation and technology.
An overview of content
This unit focuses on issues arising from innovation in high-tech and creative industries as well as wider socio-legal contexts. Hence its content goes above and beyond of what may be perceived as traditional intellectual property law and is not confined to the law of one jurisdiction. Indicative themes likely to be covered in the unit include:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will become self-confident to handle a range of issues concerning legal protection of intellectual property and other intangible assets. Thanks to acquiring readily applicable knowledge and skills, you will be able to offer a unique business value to the industry and you will thus gain a competitive edge in the legal job market. You will grow intellectually and personally through actively taking part in discussions with your teachers, peer-to-peer discussions and group exercises. Equally, you will enhance your ability to see the bigger picture and connect the dots between the property-oriented law and other societal interests at play.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the unit, you will be able to:
The unit will include lectures, large group sessions and seminars. These activities will typically take place on campus. The unit will also require directed and self-directed learning, which will include activities such as reading materials included in the unit’s reading list, watching videos, accessing web-based supplementary materials, and performing tasks for seminar discussion. Teaching is student-centred, and you will be expected to contribute to seminar discussion and to engage in peer-to-peer learning.
Indicative resource list
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
The main formative task will be a group work during which students will analyse a current IP policy issue, draft a policy response to it and present a summary of the response, including a short written sample (of the response) (1,000 words max.). General and individual feedback on the formative presentations and written samples will be provided before summative assessments are assigned. Other formative tasks will include discussions in the seminars and group exercises. These activities should contribute to constant training of students’ thinking, analytical, argumentative and communication skills and work with legal sources and literature.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
The summative task will take form of a research essay (4,000 words). This assessment will cover all Intended Learning Outcomes for this unit.
When assessment does not go to plan:
When a student fails the unit and is eligible to resubmit, the unit will be reassessed on a like-for-like basis with new assessment questions.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LAWDM0165).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
