3000 word assignment, which will assess Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7 & 8 (50%)

Unseen 2 hour examination, which will assess Learning Outcomes 3-8 (50%)

To pass this module, students must obtain an overall mark of at least 40%. Students must obtain at least 25% in both the coursework and examination elements of the module.

¿ Appropriate texts, legislation and case law
¿ Module Study Guide
¿ Computing facilities to access resources available on the web and on-line databases
¿ Specialist software: Westlaw/Lexis Nexis/Lawtel

WIPO Publication, WIPO Intellectual Property Handbook: Policy, Law and Use (2nd ed., WIPO 2004, Reprinted 2008)

Helfer, LR & Austin, GW, Human Rights and Intellectual Property: Mapping the Global Interface (Cambridge University Press 2011)

Bently, L & Sherman, B, Intellectual Property Law (3rd ed., OUP, 2008)

Cabral, H., Intellectual Property Law of Sri Lanka: The Act No 36 of 2003, the TRIPS Agreement and Case Digest (Harsha Cabral, 2004)

Karunaratna, D.M. Elements of the Law of Intellectual Property in Sri Lanka (Sarasavi Publishers, 2010)

Intellectual Property Law represents attempts to balance the rights of inventors of products, processes or original work with the demands from society at large to have access to such products or works. A monopoly is granted in respect of a patentable product, for example, in return for making public the invention. Others may then be able to use the knowledge to develop further. One of the themes of the course is evaluation of the extent to which the law achieves a reasonable compromise between these competing interests.

In semester 1 you will study the following, with a particular emphasis on developing countries¿ perspectives:

¿ The concept of intellectual property, including trademarks, patents, copyright;
¿ Key organisations and instruments relating to intellectual property at the international level, especially the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (`TRIPS¿)
¿ Topical issues in intellectual property such as traditional knowledge, agriculture, bio-piracy and geographical indications.

In semester 2 you will study the Sri Lankan legal framework in relation to intellectual property rights, with comparisons to other regional legal frameworks. Areas covered will include:

¿ Copyright
¿ Industrial Designs
¿ Patents
¿ Trademarks

Whole Group Sessions: These will provide an overview of the topics and outline the learning strategies to be used. In semester 1, following overview of topics, students will be required to read a considerable amount of material and participate in informed discussion and debates in a subsequent whole group session.
2 hours per week for 22 weeks = 44 hours

Small Group Sessions: These will be used to explore aspects of the topic in greater depth using a variety of strategies including problem-solving and pyramiding.
1 hour tutorial fortnightly = 10 hours

Directed Study and Independent Learning: Students will be required to carry out a substantial amount of independent reading and research in preparation for tutorials. Detailed indicative reading lists are provided in the Study Guide. Students will be expected to make regular use of electronic legal databases as an independent research tool. Those students who make regular and appropriate use of this research tool will develop their skills in IT and independent research. In addition such students should be able to make a more meaningful contribution to tutorial discussions, and assessment performance will benefit.
246 hours
Total = 300 hours