Description
The course discusses the major issues of patent law. It focuses on the European Patent Convention and follows an approach which is both theoretical and practical, with emphasis on case law from various jurisdictions and the Technical Boards of Appeal of the European Patent Office. The course makes good use of study materials developed by the European Patent Office. It also discusses the major judgments on patent law of the US Supreme Court and concentrates on comparative aspects of European and US patent law.
Students attending this course may also be interested in the courses on “Law of Trademarks and Distinctive Signs”.
Objectives
Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:
Contents
Topics discussed comprise the following: (a) Historical, philosophical and economic aspects of patents. (b) Patentability; what can and what cannot be registered as a patent. (c) Substantive pre-requisites for patent registration; Novelty, Inventive step and Industrial application. (d) Procedural aspects of patent registration. (e) Patent infringement and scope of patent protection. (f) Defenses against patent infringement. (g) Remedies for patent infringement. (h) Priority in patent law. (i) Opposition, Limitation and Revocation in patent law. (j) Assignment and licensing of patents. (k) The European Patent Office and national jurisdictions. (l) International conventions on patent law: The Paris Convention. The TRIPS Agreement.
Academic Requirements
There are no academic prerequisites or previous knowledge requirements to attend the course.
Teaching method
The course will run under both seminar and workshop format, which requires a high degree of student activity. Much of the course emphasizes on case law from various jurisdictions. Students are expected to constantly read court judgments and write short critical papers.
Lecturers
The course is taught by Assistant Professor Christos S. Chrissanthis.
Assessment and testing