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Course

Innovation Law and Policy - GENL2456

Faculty: Faculty of Law

School: Faculty of Law

Course Outline: See below

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Units of Credit: 6

EFTSL: 0.12500 (more info)

Indicative Contact Hours per Week: 3

CSS Contribution Charge: 1 (more info)

Tuition Fee: See Tuition Fee Schedule

Further Information: See Class Timetable

Available for General Education: Yes (more info)

View course information for previous years.

Description

This course provides a practically-oriented overview of the legal regulation of Australian innovation. Its primary focus is on the role of intellectual property law – in particular, the laws of copyright, designs, patents, trade marks and related rights – in rewarding and protecting Australian innovations in function and in product appearance, both domestically and overseas. It also situates this discussion of legal regulation within a broader framework of government policy and innovation strategy. It will be of particular interest to those with an interest in the workings of the cultural, scientific and technology industries.

Recommended Prior Knowledge

None

Course Objectives

The aim of this course is for students to consider the interrelationship between law and innovation in the 21st-century. No prior legal knowledge is required as students will learn the basics of intellectual property law, for example, copyright and trade marks. Although classes will be based around these specific legal topics, students will engage with contemporary case studies, providing a broader appreciation of innovation issues today.

Main Topics

Regulation of copyright, trade marks, patents, designs and confidential information; role of law in innovation; innovation strategies.

Assessment

Reflective journal x 2 entries (1000 words total) – 30%

Group presentation & poster – 30%

Final examination (multiple-choice and short answer) – 40%

Course Texts

Prescribed

No set text; required readings will be provided in a set of course materials that will be available for purchase from the UNSW bookshop

Recommended

W. van Caenegem, Intellectual Property Law and Innovation (Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 2007)
K Bowrey, M Handler and D Nicol Australian Intellectual Property Law: Commentary, Law and Practice (Oxford Univerity Press, 2011)
A Stewart, P Griffith and J Bannister Intellectual Property in Australia (4th ed LexisNexis, 2010)
M. Davison, A. Monotti and L. Wiseman, Australian Intellectual Property Law (Melbourne: Cambridge University Press, 2008)
S. Ricketson, M. Richardson and M. Davison, Intellectual Property: Cases, Materials and Commentary (4th ed) (Sydney: LexisNexis Butterworths, 2008)
M. Leiboff, Creative Practice and the Law (Sydney: Thomson Lawbook Co, 2007)

Resources

Refer to the course outline which will be provided by the lecturer at the beginning of the relevant semester.
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Study Levels

Undergraduate Study Postgraudate Study Postgraduate Research Study Non-Award Study

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