LAW-20047 - Module Specification
School of Law
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme/Approved Electives for 2021/22

Available as a Free Standing Elective

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

None

Barred Combinations

None

Description for 2021/22

Intellectual property law provides property rights in creations. These rights, by their very nature, are exclusionary - they allow the right holder to prevent others from enjoying their creation without the requisite permission. Over the past decades, these rights have expanded around the globe, where they have clashed with the desire to deliver social goods, particularly in developing countries. Intellectual property rights have the potential to limit access to medicines, prevent public health restrictions on tobacco and alcohol, and limit access to educational resources. This module explores the impact of the intellectual property system on these social goods.

Students who select this module will be introduced to the key aspects of intellectual property rights, and the global context in which they exist. Included within this will be discussions around the themes of: social goods; public health; the open science movement; access to education; Free Trade Agreements; the role of the international intellectual property system in governing trade.

This module aims to introduce students to the notion of intellectual property: the theories underpinning its existence; the international IP system; and the rights it guarantees, in conjunction with critically examining the impact these rights can have on delivering social goods in developing (and increasingly developed) countries.

Intended Learning Outcomes

1
1
1
1

Study hours

12 x 2 hour workshops = 24 hours
Seminar preparation = 30 hours
Private study = 46 hours
Essay research and writing = 50 hours
TOTAL = 150 hours

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment