2023/24 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

LAW5686M Trade Marks, Geographical Indications, Designs and Trade Secrets

15 creditsClass Size: 60

Module manager: Dr Cesar Ramirez-Montes
Email: C.J.Ramirez-Montes@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2023/24

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in the law of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets. It will cover the key principles of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets, and certain major cases that helped to shape the modern law of these intellectual property rights and their convergence towards harmonised international standards of protection. It also considers the economic and philosophical rationales and explains why these rights are so controversial in today's globalised economy.

Objectives

This module aims to provide students with a thorough grounding in the law of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets. It will cover the key principles of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets, and certain major cases that helped to shape the modern law of these intellectual property rights and their convergence towards harmonised international standards of protection.

In order to solidify students' understanding of patents and copyright and their role in the modern globalised economy, we will consider the evolving economic and philosophical rationales for these rights and investigate how far these rationales reflect present-day realities.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module students will:
- be familiar with the literature relating to the field of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets;
- be able to assess the reasons informing and the implications of the growing internationalisation of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets;
- be able to appreciate the theoretical and policy context (particularly with regard to notions of globalisation) underpinning many of the debates concerning the internationalisation of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets and also the contemporary policy relevance of such inquiries;
- be capable of assessing the strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to the study of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets law and the analysis of comparative policy convergence;
- have developed the ability to research, analyse and communicate in an informed and critical way theoretical accounts and empirical studies within the field of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets;
- be able to relate the issues in the literature to their understanding of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets law policy developments within their own and a variety of other countries.

Skills outcomes
The student will:
- develop an understanding of how to study trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets from an international and comparative perspective
- be cognisant of the critical issues relating to trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets
- be able to organise their research endeavours productively
- be able to write cogently about trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets.

Syllabus

The course will cover the following subjects:
- Origins of trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets
- Towards the modern era in trade marks, geographical indications, designs and trade secrets
- Internationalisation and standardisation
- Economic rationales and critiques
- Other justifications
- Key principles.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Seminar	10	1.50	15.00
Private study hours			135.00
Total Contact hours			15.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			150.00

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

A formative assessment opportunity will be provided.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay	1 x 3,000 words	100.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 14/09/2023 12:56:42

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