autumn 2016 BED-3025 Intellectual Property Strategies - 10 ECTS

Type of course

This course is for the Master's Degree Program in Business Creation and Entrepreneurship only.

This course cannot be taken as a singular course.


Course content

The course gives an overview of intellectual property (IP) rights and their legal foundation, and how IP can be utilized commercially and strategically in a business.

The course is divided into three sections:

The first section gives a general overview of intellectual property rights (IPRs), the rights to employees inventions and the handling of IPR conflicts. The section emphasizes explaining how a management-oriented view differs from that of a judge, lawyer or patent agent.

The second section deals with strategies for choosing IPR protection and with IPR relationships with competitors and partners. Areas included are strategies for patent filing, copyright protection and protection of trademarks and designs. The section also deals with the usage of patent documentation for monitoring of technological, competitive and market developments.

The third section focuses on the commercialization of intellectual property rights.


Objectives of the course

The aim of the course is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the critical role that intellectual property rights (patents, copyrights, trademark rights etc.) play in the commercialization process. These legal constructions will be understood in the context of the entrepreneur and the strategic manager of corporate activities. The course puts particular emphasis on how companies can use these strategically important assets to achieve a competitive advantage.

Students who have successfully completed the course should have achieved the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge and comprehension:

  • Knowledge of how to obtain different types of intellectual properties (IP), such as patents, designs, trademarks and copyrights, and the ownership of such IP
  • Knowledge of how to use different IP databases
  • Knowledge of how to develop IP strategy for different types of companies
  • Knowledge of commercialization of IP

Skills:

The course should prepare the student to:

  • Perform a search for IP in order to identify prior art, competitors and legal obstacles
  • Analyze the possibilities to obtain IP based on their own search results
  • Discuss IP with inventors, investors and patent/trademark attorneys
  • Develop an IP strategy for a company in order to commercialize the IP

Competence:

The student should independently be able to develop an IP strategy for a company and identify and analyse possible IP in the company. The student should reach a conclusion with respect to the best options for the company in order to achieve a competitive advantage based on the company IP


Language of instruction and examination

English

Teaching methods

Lectures and seminars. The students need to be present at campus, and participate in lectures and group-work.

Assessment

Patent assignment: 20 % Trademark assignment : 20% 5 hour written exam: 60 %

A graded scale of five marks from A to E for pass and F for fail.

There is no re-sit examination.

Place of exam: Tromsø

Course work requirement:
In order to take the exam, the students need to pass the online course in information literacy "iKomp". http://openedx.bibsys.no/

When you pass the course, you will get a course certificate. This certificate is to be uploaded in Fronter.


Recommended reading/syllabus

Literature will be announced in Fronter at the beginning of term or may be obtained by contacting the bookstore on campus, Akademia Tromsø.

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  • About the course
  • Campus: Tromsø |
  • ECTS: 10
  • Course code: BED-3025