Objectives:
This unit will examine intellectual property law from an international perspective, ranging from current international policy debates on biotechnology, genetic resources and electronic commerce, to international dispute settlement under the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. It is expected that students will have on completion of the unit:

• An understanding of the history and comparative roles of the various elements of the international system which deal with intellectual property law
• A capacity to analyse international policy issues concerning intellectual property, and the manner in which various international negotiations and institutions deal with these issues
• An understanding of the interaction between intellectual property law and legal mechanisms on trade, environment, and human rights
• A practical grasp of the jurisprudence and procedure of the application of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism to intellectual property disputes
• Familiarity with emerging issues and issues under negotiation, including those concerned with biotechnology, harmonisation of law and administration, traditional knowledge, and IP in the digital environment.
  

Content:
This course will cover the principal international institutions dealing with substantive IP law, current international debates, and the practice of WTO dispute settlement. Topics include:

• The international framework for intellectual property law
• Background to WIPO and the WTO TRIPS Agreement
• Intellectual property as an international issue in relation to trade, development, technology transfer, the environment, and human rights
• The law and practice of the WTO TRIPS Agreement
• Current international responses to intellectual property issues
• Harmonisation and diversity in national intellectual property law
  

Students must rely on the Approved Assessment which will be posted to the course homepage on the ANU Law website, prior to the commencement of the course.

26 Contact Hours (Intensive Delivery)

Introduction to Legal Reasoning and Research (non-lawyers); Principles of Intellectual Property Law.