International Intellectual Property Law

This Diploma teaches the fundamentals and structure of International Intellectual Property by reference to the law and practice of England and Wales with comparisons and references to differing approaches taken by other jurisdictions.

Introduction to Intellectual Property 
• What is intellectual property? 
• What types of intellectual property are there? 
• Summary of IP rights 

Trade Marks 
• Functions of a trade mark 
• Why register? 
• How to register and the problems that arise 
• Absolute grounds for refusal 
• Evidence of use to overcome absolute grounds 
• Relative grounds for refusal of an application 
• Publication of the application 
• Protecting the mark once registered
• Infringement of a registered trade mark 
• 'Well-known' foreign trade marks
• Defences to infringement 
• Collective trade marks 
• Infringement 
• International trade marks

Passing off 
• Introduction 
• The three elements of passing off 
• Remedies for passing off 
• Enforcement in UK of international goodwill
• Protection of goodwill worldwide 

Copyright 
• What is copyright? 
• Literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works 
• Entrepreneurial copyrights 
• Infringement of copyright 
• Databases 
• Copyright and IT 
• Public performances - the collecting societies 
• Developments in the law of copyright
• Protections of copyright internationally 

Database right 
• Background 
• Definition of a database 
• Qualifications for the database right 
• Ownership of the database right 
• Duration of database protection 
• Infringement of the database right 
• Exceptions from the database right 
• Application of the database right
• Protection of databases internationally 

Design rights 
• What is design right? 
• Registered design right 
• Unregistered design right 
• Registered and unregistered design rights
• Protection of design rights internationally 

Patents 
• Introduction 
• Obtaining a patent 
• Patentability 
• The patent specification 
• Who is entitled to grant of a patent? 
• Infringement 
• Infringers 
• Defences 
• Remedies
• European patent
• Patents in other jurisdictions

Basics of the law of confidential information 
• The law of confidential information 
• The elements of confidentiality 
• Remedies 
• A right of privacy?
• Protection of confidential information internationally

EC Law and intellectual property rights
• Introduction 
• Attempting to resolve the conflict 
• Article 81 EC and the exploitation of intellectual property rights
• Patent licensing agreements and competition law 
• Article 82 EC and intellectual property rights 
• Articles 28 EC-30 EC and intellectual property rights 
• Article 28 EC and Articles 81 EC-82 EC: relationship 
• EC competition law and franchising agreements