RE6012 THE LAW OF OBLIGATIONS & INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

The Law of Obligations and Intellectual Property is a course that comprises two parts. In its first part, the course seeks to instill an understanding and appreciation of the key legal principles and concepts that underpin the law relating to contracts and negligence, both of which could be regarded as fundamental aspects of the law and are described as the Law of Obligations. Students will be introduced to common law, equitable and statutory principles pertaining to the formation, contents, validity, termination and breach of contracts, as well as the various remedies available to contracting parties. Students will also have the opportunity to appreciate and apply common law and statutory principles that relate to negligent conduct. The second part of the course will be focused on the legal treatment of intellectual property (IP), which could be (albeit vaguely) described as creations of the human mind. Students will be introduced to three key types of IP, ie trademarks, copyright and patents, and will investigate how the law seeks to protect the rights of those who own IP and the limitations to such protection. In addition, students will have the opportunity of considering some of the current issues and emerging debates surrounding the protection of IP.