Intellectual Property Law Postgraduate Certificate

The PGCert consists of compulsory modules, a typical selection can be found below. Modules can vary from year to year, but these offer a good idea of what we teach.

Compulsory

Copyright, Design and Allied Rights

Rationale and subsistence, subject matter (literary, artistic, musical and dramatic works), ownership, licensing, moral rights, economic rights, infringement, permitted acts.

Registered and unregistered design, qualifying for protection, infringement, defences, invalidity and overlap with copyright. Practice and management of industrial design: registering and maintaining a design in the UK and internationally.

Patent Law and Practice

Rationale, requirements for patentability, ownership and licensing, infringement, remedies, defences. Practice and management of patents: obtaining a patent in the UK, EPC procedure, PCT procedure. Obtaining a patent in other jurisdictions.

Trade Marks and Allied Rights

Registration, absolute grounds for refusal of registration, infringement and relative grounds for refusal of registration, defences, invalidity, revocation, use. Practice and management of trademarks: registering and maintaining a trade mark in the UK. International and transnational options for trade mark protection, registration and maintenance in other jurisdictions.

Managing Intellectual Property

Negotiation, international perspectives – jurisdiction clauses, arbitration requirements and elements of technology transfer.

Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel and what you will learn on the course.