Lectures: 3 h - Practical sessions: 7 h

Objectives

The objectives of the course completed by the practical sessions are:

• Understand what IP Rights are appropriate to protect your innovations;
  
• Identify innovations that may be patentable;
  
• Analyze a patent, understand the main information, and get an idea of its potential legal scope;
  
• Interpret a discussion with an IP expert to make a business decision!

Syllabus

This course aims at giving concrete knowledge regarding IP Rights, and more especially patents. Topics which are covered include:

• description of IP Rights (trademarks, patents, patent designs, copyright) that an entrepreneur may use to protect its innovation and their specificities
  
• Choice of keeping secret or publishing vs. taking patents; what is an exclusive right (and what it is not);
  
• How to enforce IP rights (through licensing or litigation);
  
• What innovation may be patented (patentability law will be approached mainly through examples);
  
• Who is entitled to obtain patents (employees' inventions);
  
• The patent document and the different types of patents.

Practical sessions

Practical work through free access databases and a role play will enable to make concepts discussed during the lecture more concrete.

Evaluation mechanism : 45 minutes written test.

Last Modification : Tuesday 28 February 2017