General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW3104 |
| Course name: | Intellectual Property, Innovation and Development |
| Programme offered under: | LLB Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Designated research course: | Yes |
| Specialization: | Not applicable |
| Prerequisites / Co-requisites: | No |
| Course offered to non-law students: | Yes |
| Credit point value: | 6 credits |
| Cap on student numbers: | 40 |
1.2 Course description
This course examines the interplay between intellectual property law, innovation and economic development. While it covers copyright and trademark laws and examines how these two areas are affected by digital and Internet innovations, the focus of this course will be on patent law. Particularly this course will explore how cutting-edge technologies such as information technology, biotechnology and green technology have changed the landscape of patent law on the one hand, and how patent law have affected the development of these technologies on the other hand. It uses judicial cases and empirical examples to illustrate how patents for biotech and pharmaceutical inventions have affected the access to technology and essential medicines, and how patent regime has been employed to protect genetic resources/traditional knowledge and green technologies, and whether such protection promotes or impedes innovation and technology transfer in these industries, and how IP protection has affected social and economic development of developing countries and least-developed countries. Last but not least, the course investigates IP-related antitrust issues, and discusses how to strike a balance between IP and competition for the benefit of technology innovation and economic development.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Yahong Li | yali@hku.hk | CCT 407 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Students are expected to be able to assess the role of IP in innovation and development based on their understanding of what are required in an innovation process, how much IP protection is appropriate for the provision of incentive in innovation, and the different roles IPRs play in different industries.
CLO 2 They should also be able to form their own judgments on whether IPRs are conducive to the economic development and social welfare, particularly in developing countries and least-developed countries, and how to strike a balance between protection of private IPRs and promotion of public interests.
CLO 3 The knowledge of the courses are particularly useful in students future or present careers involving IP policy making and IP law practices in and with creative industry and technology companies.
2.2 LLB Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)
Please refer to the following link: https://course.law.hku.hk/llb-plo/
2.3 Programme Learning Outcomes to be achieved in this course
| PLO A | PLO B | PLO C | PLO D | PLO E | PLO F | |
| CLO 1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 2 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 3 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| Oral presentation | 22 Apr 2024 | 15% | 1, 2, 3 | |
| Research paper | 3 may 2024 | 75% | 1 | 1, 2, 3 |
| *Feedback method (to be determined by course teacher) | |
| 1 | A general course report to be disseminated through Moodle |
| 2 | Individual feedback to be disseminated by email / through Moodle |
| 3 | Individual review meeting upon appointment |
| 4 | Group review meeting |
| 5 | In-class verbal feedback |
3.2 Assessment Detail
To be advised by course convenor(s).
3.3 Grading Criteria
Please refer to the following link: https://www.law.hku.hk/_files/law_programme_grade_descriptors.pdf
Learning Activities
4.1 Learning Activity Plan
| Seminar: | 3 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
| Private study time: | 9.5 hours / week for 12 teaching weeks |
Remarks: the normative student study load per credit until is 25 5 hours (ie. 150 30 hours for a 6-credit course), which includes all learning activities and experiences within and outside of classroom, and any assessment task and examinations and associated preparations.
4.2 Details of Learning Activities
To be advised by course convenor(s).
Learning Resources
5.1 Resources
| Reading materials: | Reading materials are posted on Moodle |
| Core reading list: | TBA |
| Recommended reading list: | TBA |
5.2 Links
Please refer to the following link: http://www.law.hku.hk/course/learning-resources/