The aim of this course is to develop themes and explore issues concerning the protection of ideas, business reputation or innovations and commercialising and trading in such matter. The course assumes in the student an understanding of intellectual property law. General principles will not be covered, rather, specific topics. International, policy and theoretical aspects may be addressed. Typically, the topics may include: global information policy and the role of copyright in a technological society; digital piracy and copyright control mechanisms; developments in moral rights; protection of cultural property; patenting of biotechnological inventions; biopiracy; global protection of trade marks; the interface of IP law and competition law; current law reform initiatives and other topical issues.