Course Title: Intellectual property and business law

Part A: Course Overview

Program: C6106 Advanced Diploma of Legal Practice

Course Title: Intellectual property and business law

Portfolio: BUS Portfolio Office

Nominal Hours: 51

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
LAW5199	City Campus	TAFE	650T Vocational Business Education	Distance / Correspondence or Face-to-Face or Internet or Workplace	Term2 2012, Term2 2013, Term2 2014, Term1 2015, Term2 2015, Term1 2016

Course Contact: Doug Gourlay

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 5944

Course Contact Email: doug.gourlay@rmit.edu.au

Course Description

The purpose of this module is to provide detailed skills and knowledge in particular areas of intellectual property and business law relevant for a person engaged in the operation of a legal office, private or public sector organisation or other area requiring a specialised knowledge of business and intellectual property law principles.

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

Pre-requisites:  VU20111 Legal Process and VU20108 Law of Contract

National Competency Codes and Titles

National Element Code & Title:	VU20123 Intellectual property and business law
Elements:	N/A

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:

Learning Outcome 1 - Describe the main features of the basic Common Law and Legislative controls in the law of insurance.
Assessment criteria
1.1 Define an Insurance contract, and distinguish between a contract of insurance and a contract of assurance.
1.2 Illustrate and detail by use of examples or case studies, the formation of an insurance contract.
1.3 Identify and evaluate the general principles of insurance law.
1.4 Distinguish between the types of insurance that exist and assess each in relation to the law.
1.5 Evaluate the contractual considerations required in the law of insurance and apply these to a specific example.
1.6 Evaluate the effects of legislation upon insurance law by use of a relevant example or case study analysis.

Learning Outcome 2 - Using a case study, evaluate the essential characteristics of the law in relation to Negotiable Instruments.
Assessment criteria
2.1 Define the terms ‘negotiable instrument’ and ‘negotiability’.
2.2 Distinguish between bills of exchange and cheques
2.3 Investigate the bank-customer relationship and analyse with reference to a specific example.
2.4 Compare and contrast the types of cheques.
2.5 Analyse and evaluate the effects of crossing a cheque with reference to general crossings, not negotiable crossing by use of case example analysis.
2.6 Analyse and evaluate the position of both the bank and customer if there are irregularities in respect to a cheque. Apply to a specific example.
2.7 Analyse and demonstrate by example, the circumstances where a bank’s authority to pay on a cheque is revoked.

Learning Outcome 3 - Evaluate the nature and meaning of the legislative controls against engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct, and false and misleading representations.
Assessment criteria
3.1 Define misleading and deceptive conduct and investigate the legal considerations that apply.
3.2 Interpret and analyse a relevant case study with reference to the meaning of misleading and deceptive conduct, standard of determining whether conduct is misleading and relevant section of the public likely to be misled.
3.3 Define ‘false or misleading representation’, and determine the legal consequences that apply with reference to meaning of representation and types of representation prohibited.
3.4 Analyse and evaluate the various penalties imposed and remedies available under the legislation. Analyse and compare a specific remedy penalty to a relevant case example.

Learning Outcome 4 - Evaluate the nature of intellectual property rights and their function within the Australian legal system.
Assessment criteria
4.1 Evaluate intellectual property rights at common law.
4.2 Evaluate the development of intellectual property laws in Australia.

Learning Outcome 5 - Evaluate the main legislative provisions giving copyright protection, materials which may be the subject of a copyright, and remedies for a breach.
Assessment criteria
5.1 Define the term ‘copyright’. Determine the provisions of the Copyright Act and apply to a specific example.
5.2 Evaluate the International Convention on Copyright Law.
5.3 Specify the areas in which copyright protection may exist, and apply an example of each. Distinguish between:
• Literacy, dramatic, musical and artistic works
• Sound recordings, films, broadcasts and published editions
• Computer programs
5.4 Evaluate mechanics of obtaining copyright protection by application to a relevant example with reference to the meaning of substantial adaptation and proof of ownership or creation.
5.5 Identify works eligible for copyright protection.
5.6 Analyse the duration of copyright in works, and apply examples in relation to:
• From date of publication
• From date of death
• Other considerations
5.7 Determine and assess the nature of infringements in relation to copyright with reference to a specific example.
5.8 Identify and provide examples of acts not constituting copyright infringement.
5.9 Determine the various remedies available when copyright is infringed. Apply and analyse the remedies to a particular situation and relevant case study.

Learning Outcome 6 - Evaluate the main provisions of the Trade Marks Act, the system of registration and breaches of the Trade Marks Act.
Assessment criteria
6.1 Define the term ‘trade mark’. Evaluate the provisions of the Trade Marks Act and apply to a specific example.
6.2 Identify the process of registration required under the Act and apply these to a specific example. Examine the effects of registration on creation of monopoly rights in holder and actions the holder may take for infringment.
6.3 Analyse the characteristic marks capable of registration under the Act. Analyse with reference to a specific example.
6.4 Analyse the grounds for the rejection of a mark by the Registrar and grounds for opposition to a mark with reference to specific case studies.
6.5 Analyse the law relating to breaches of the Trade Marks Acts with reference to specific case studies.
6.6 Distinguish the various remedies available for breaches of the Trade Marks Acts.

Learning Outcome 7 - Evaluate the main provisions of the Designs Act, the system of registration, the types of designs that may be subject to registration and the protection afforded by registration.
Assessment criteria
7.1 Analyse and evaluate the provisions of the Designs Act and apply to a specific example.
7.2 Identify the process of registration required under the Act and apply these to a specific example. Examine the effects of registration in relation to the creation of exclusive rights of the owner and owner may take action.
7.3 Analyse the designs capable of registration under the Act. Analyse with reference to a specific example.
7.4 Analyse breaches of the Designs Act with reference to specific case studies.
7.5 Analyse the overlap between the provisions of the Designs Act and the Copyright Act.
7.6 Distinguish the various remedies available for breaches of the Designs Acts.

Learning Outcome 8 - Evaluate the nature and characteristics of both passing off and confidential information.
Assessment criteria
8.1 Define the term ‘passing off’. Examine and evaluate the tort and apply to a specific example.
8.2 Investigate the expansion of the tort by analysing relevant case examples. Include actions over get up and character merchandising.
8.3 Define the main remedies for passing off, and examine with a specific example.
8.4 Compare and contrast actions based on S 52 of the Trade Practices Act with passing off and infringements of trade Marks.
8.5 Define the term ‘confidential information’, examine and evaluate this common law duty and apply to a specific example.
8.6 Assess the requirements for proving a breach of confidentiality.
8.7 Define the remedies for breach of confidentiality, and apply a specific remedy to a relevant case study.

Learning Outcome 9 - Evaluate the main provisions of the Patents Act, the system of registration, the types of inventions that may be subject to registration and the protection afforded by registration.
Assessment criteria
9.1 Analyse and evaluate the provisions of the Patents Act and apply to a specific example.
9.2 Compare and contrast the standard and Innovation patent.
9.3 Outline the characteristics of the system of registration under the Patents Act.
9.4 Identify and distinguish the types of inventions that may be the subject of a patent by reference to specific examples.
9.5 Use a specific example to analyse and evaluate protection given by registration.
9.6 Evaluate the remedies and defences relating to breaches of the Patents Act and apply to a specific example.

Overview of Assessment

Assessment methods have been designed to measure achievement of the requirements in a flexible manner over a range of assessment tasks, for example: 

• Case study analysis
• Short answers questions
• Written assignment/reports
• Oral presentations
• Project (s)

Students are advised that they are likely to be asked to personally demonstrate their assessment work to their teacher to ensure that the relevant competency standards are being met.