Integrating IP Teaching inLaw Curricula

Dr Duncan MatthewsQueen Mary University of London

The undergraduate curriculum in the UK

• Teaching resources and student interest in UK universities are focused on exemption subjects such as contract or property law

• IP law is not an exemption subject for professional examinations of the Law Society (solicitors) or the Bar (barristers) in the UK

• IP law is therefore relatively absent from the undergraduate law curriculum in the UK

• Undergraduates in science and engineering more likely to encounter IP than law students in the UK

• IP law is nevertheless taught as an optional undergraduate module at Queen Mary University of London

IP Law at Queen Mary University of London

• 30 years of IP expertise at Queen Mary University of London

• 10 IP specialist members of faculty

• Dedicated IP Library for staff and postgraduate students

• One of the top research-led universities in UK

• Delivering research-led teaching and learning experiences to students of IP law

The postgraduate curriculum

• LLM in IP Law at Queen Mary University of London

• Certificate in Intellectual Property Law

• MSc in Management of Intellectual Property

• European Qualifying Examination

• PhD in Intellectual Property Law

LLM in IP Law at Queen MaryUniversity of London

• 12 month Programme

• 65 postgraduate students per year

• Most are international rather than home students

• Entry requirement of good undergraduate degree (normally in law)

• Language requirement IELTS score of 7.0

• Students choose 3 of 10 available assessed modules

• Students also complete a 15,000 word dissertation

LLM in IP Law Modules

• International and Comparative Law of Patents, Trade Marks and Related Rights

• International and Comparative Law of Copyright and Related Rights

• International and Comparative Law of Trademarks, Design and Unfair Competition

• Intellectual Property Law

• Global Policy and Economics of Intellectual Property Law

• IP Transactions

• International Trade and Intellectual Property Law

• Traditional Knowledge of Genetic Resources

• Intellectual Property Aspects of Medicine

• Intellectual Property in the Digital Millennium

Certificate in IP Law at Queen Mary University of London

• 13 week Programme

• 65 students per year

• Most are home rather than international students

• Entry requirement of good undergraduate degree (normally in science or engineering subject) and at least 6 months office practice and training in a firm of patent or trademark attorneys or in-house in a patent or trademark department

• On completion of compulsory assessed modules, exemption from foundation level qualifying examinations of the UK Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and the Institute of Trademark Attorneys (ITMA)

Certificate in IP Law Modules

• Basic Principles of English Law, Practice and Procedure

• Patent Law

• Trademark law

• Copyright Law

• Competition Law

Links with IP practitioners

• Judges, barristers, solicitors, patent and trademark attorneys, patent and trademark examiners as guest lecturers on Queen Mary University of London IP Programmes

• Queen Mary University of London represented on Education Committees of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) and the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (ITMA)

• Links with the UK Intellectual Property Office and the EPO

• Links with World Intellectual Property Organisation and other international organisations

Challenges

• Accommodating IP law into the existing curriculum

• Finding suitably qualified teaching staff

• Motivating students

• Accessing IP law teaching and learning resources

Opportunities

• High-level commitment to IP education

• Links with IP practitioners

• Integrating IP law into existing courses, e.g. commercial law

• Facilitating IP law teaching and learning activities through new online resources, e.g. EPO Teaching Kit Law Module

European Intellectual Property Teachers’ Network

• Bringing together individuals from across Europe to exchange ideas on best practice and innovation in IP-related teaching and learning activities in a multidisciplinary forum

• Supported by the European Patent Academy of the EPO

• Third annual meeting took place at Queen Mary University of London on 20-21 July 2009

• Fourth annual meeting will take place at University of Alcalá (Madrid) on 24-25 June 2010

Further information about the European Intellectual Property Teachers’ Network

• Subscribe to mailing list: enquiries@eiptn.org

• Visit website: www.eiptn.org

• Contact the network co-ordinator: d.n.matthews@qmul.ac.uk