| Unit name | Intellectual Property |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LAWDM0022 |
| Credit points | 30 |
| Level of study | M/7 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
| Unit director | Miss. Ring |
| 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 an umbrella term for different areas of law, including but not limited to copyright law, trade mark law and patent law. It is concerned with protecting and enforcing rights over intellectual creations. As such, IP touches on a variety of issues relevant to innovation and the legal regulation of emerging technologies and creations including novels, songs, films, computer programs, fashion, pharmaceuticals, AI-generated outputs, and brand symbols, for example, the Nike ‘swoosh’ logo. While IP rights encourage creativity and innovation, these rights can also restrict access to knowledge and technology to those most in need, or in lower-income nations. A key balancing act in IP involves resolving conflicts between the creators and the users of intellectual creations and determining the appropriate scope of protection over intellectual creations.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study?
This unit offers foundational knowledge on intellectual property law, a key legal subject governing emerging technologies, and innovation in areas such as brands, the creative sector, digital markets, and high-technology firms. Studying this subject will offer students a broad coverage of issues relating to innovation and technology, developing skills to examine new and emerging legal challenges. This unit is a key component of the Law, Innovation and Technology LLM programme and is optional for all other programmes.
An Overview of Content
This unit provides an overview and critical assessment of the following aspects of IP law:
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit?
You will develop a sound understanding and knowledge of how copyright, trade mark and patent laws operate and apply through an in-depth discussion and analysis of relevant legislation and case-law. You will become aware of the nuanced debates which surround competing claims to IP rights and how IP rights are managed in today’s digital world. At the end of the unit, you will develop a greater appreciation of the role that IP laws play in addressing wider issues of inequality in relation to access to essential goods and information. The unit will assist in laying the foundational knowledge necessary for an eventual career involving intellectual property or related areas such as media law and IT law, either in practice or in-house at media, entertainment or technology companies.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this unit a successful student will be able to:
Apart from the formative assessment activities already highlighted above, the unit will utilise a wide variety of different teaching and learning methods, ranging from asynchronous activities e.g. suggested reading, online interactive MCQs etc, to group work, mock trade mark opposition hearings, class presentations as well as more traditional lectures/discussions during lectures and seminar sessions. The wide variety will cater to different learning styles and will also provide students with a taste of legal practice in IP law.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
There will be one formative assessment (not more than 500 words) that will not count against the final unit mark. This coursework will require students to write a skeleton argument (an answer plan) to an IP legal problem, for example, a trade mark opposition hearing. This formative exercise will help students prepare for the summative assessment as it will teach them how to develop their ability to identify legal issues in factual problems and apply the law. Students will receive individual and general feedback, and may involve peer feedback.
Moreover, during the lectures and seminars there will be other types of tasks that will help them prepare for summative assessment such as preparing for seminar questions before each session and group activities in both lectures and seminars.
All of these will be for students to help prepare for the summative assessments and they will not count against the unit mark.
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
This unit will be assessed by one piece of coursework (4,000 words). This coursework will require students to write two answers, at least one of which is a problem question, from a choice of essay and problem questions, with 2,000 words per answer. This assessment covers 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. LAWDM0022).
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.
