Turin University (Italy)

Module I

Introduction to Intellectual Property (Weeks 1 and 2)

• Basic Concept & Overview - The Dichotomy Between Industrial Property and Copyright and Related Rights
• IPR in the Global Economy
• IP, Monopoly & Competition
• The Theory of Price under Competition, Oligopoly and Monopoly
• Allocative Efficiency, Pareto-Optimality and the Pricing Mechanism
• Economic Analysis of Law and IPRs
• IPR and Rival Economic Paradigms
• The Role of International Organizations in the Shaping of IPRs
• • WIPO
  • WTO
• Regional Institutions
• • The European Union
  • APEC, NAFTA, Mercosur etc
• Sources and Principles of International IPR
• Territoriality, Reciprocity, National Treatment, Most Favored Nation principles in the International IPR Conventions
• The Legal Status of International IPR Conventions
• The Doctrine of Direct Effect
• Private International Law Issues in Intellectual Property Contracts
• Multilateral Organizations

Module II

Patents (Weeks 3 and 4)

• History, Philosophy, and Economics of Patent Law
• The Patent Application
• Process of Obtaining Patent Rights
• Proprietary Scope of the Patent Right
• Disclosure Requirements
• Novelty
• Inventive Step or Non-Obviousness
• Utility
• Patentable Subject Matter
• Scope of Exclusive Rights
• Enforcement of the Patent Right
• Term of Protection
• Trade Secrets

• The option between Patenting and Trade Secret Protection: A Case Study

• Defenses to Claim of Infringement
• Some Controversial Issues
• The Role of Patent Agents and Attorneys
• Patents and Utility Models
• Plant Varieties
• • Protection of New Plant Varieties
  • Subject Matter
  • Scope of Protection
• Pharmaceutical Patents
• The Case of Biotechnological Patents
• Tutorial: patent protection within universities
• The SPLT
• Patent Application
• Scope of Exclusive Rights
• Term of Protection
• International Patent Classification (IPC)
• Functions and Services Offered by Industrial Property Offices and Patent Information and Documentation Centers
• The Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and its advantages

• History and Evolution
• The Functions of Trademark Law
• Criteria of Protectability – Tridimensional Trademarks
• The Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks and the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks; Regulations
• International Registration of Trademarks
• The Protection of Geographical Indications
• • At National Level
  • At International Level
• Acquisition of Trademarks
• Registration Procedure
• Term of Protection - Renewal
• Requirements of Use and Other Requirements Termination
• Right Conferred – Exceptions
• Protection of Famous and Well Known Marks
• Parallel Imports
• Trademark Licensing and Assignment
• Trademark Infringement
• Enforcement
• Remedies Cross-border Injunctions
• The Role of Marks in Industry and Trade
• Study visit to the intellectual property or legal department of a multi-national company

Module IV

Copyright and Related Rights (Week 7)

• The World of Copyright: an Overview of Copyright Law Including its History, Philosophy, Recent Developments and its Significance in the Intellectual Property Regime

• Subject Matter of Protection, Term of Copyright Requirements for Protection with Special Reference to Originality in Copyright Law

• Ownership, Assignment and Licensing of Copyright including Copyright in Employer-Employee Settings, Copyright in Commissioned Works and Journalists’ Copyright

• Protection of Moral Rights

• Protection of Indigenous Peoples’ Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions (Expressions of Folklore)

• Fair Use and Fair Dealing Privileges

• Infringement of Copyright and Related Rights and Remedies

• Collective Management of Copyright and Related Rights

• International Protection of Copyright and Related Rights

• • The Berne Convention

  • The TRIPS Agreement

  • The Rome Convention

  • The WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT)

  • The WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)

• Introduction to Antitrust
• The Goals of Antitrust: Allocative Efficiency and Fairness. U.S., EU and International Legislation
• The Prohibition of Restrictive Practices
• The Prohibition of Monopolization and of Abuse of a Dominant Position
• The Antitrust Scrutiny of Refusal to Deal in Intellectual Property and Price Discrimination in Licensing
• Case study
• Individual Trademark Licensing
• Tutorial: Antitrust and Unfair Competition
• Protection Against Unfair Competition:
• • Need for Protection
  • Legal Basis for Protection
  • The Acts of Unfair Competition
  • Sanctions

• Merchandising of IPRs:
• • Merchandising of Copyright
  • Personality Merchandising
  • Trademark Merchandising
  • Events Merchandising
• Preparation of Agreements
• Legal Arrangements for the Transfer of Technology
• • Assignment
  • Licensing
  • Franchising
• Preparation of Agreements
• Negotiation of Licensing Agreements
• The Role of Mandatory Provisions
• Remuneration
• • Direct Compensation
  • Indirect Compensation
• The Role of Intellectual Property in Promoting Technological Development
• Purchasing Right on line: Practical Issues

• The Dichotomy between Intellectual Creations and Functional Creations in the International Conventions
• Layout Designs (Topographies) of Integrated Circuits: Definition of Subject Matter of Protection
• Policy Considerations for Protecting Layout-Designs
• • Scope of Protection
  • International Protection
  • The Washington Treaty
• Software and Data Bases: Copyright and Sui Generis Protection for Functional Innovation
• Tutorial: software licenses

Module VIII

• International Jurisdictional Issues in Infringement Actions: Forum Shopping, Cross-Border Remedies and Cyberspace
• Remedies. Measures at the Borders: TRIPS, EU and Domestic Legislation
• Arbitration and Alternative Dispute Settlement Resolutions
• Relevant Provisions regarding Dispute Prevention and Settlement in the TRIPS Agreement
• Services of the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center: International Center for the Resolution of Intellectual Property Disputes
• WIPO Arbitration Rules
• WIPO Mediation Rules
• Domain Names Disputes: WIPO Rules and Domestic Jurisdictions
• Tutorial: case study on domain names

Module IX

• Overview of the Impact of New Technologies on the Protection, Exercise and Enforcement of IPRs
• Intellectual Property Issues in:
• • i. Internet
  • ii. Domain Names
  • iii. Use of Trademark on the Internet
  • iv. E-commerce
• Protecting Copyright and Related Rights in the Digital Environment:
• • i. The WIPO Copyright Treaty (WCT)
  • ii. The WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty (WPPT)
• Attempts to Use Intellectual Property Laws for the Protection of :
• • i. Traditional Knowledge
  • ii. Biodiversity
  • iii. Biotechnology
  • iv. Expressions of Folklore
• Comparative Economic Analysis of Law: A Tool for IPR Research

Exam