LLAW6187 & JDOC6187

General Course Information

1.1 Course details

Course code: LLAW6187 / JDOC6187
Course name: Competition Law and Intellectual Property
Programme offered under: LLM Programme / JD Programme
Semester: First
Prerequisites / Co-requisites: No
Credit point value: 9 credits / 6 credits

1.2 Course description

This course focuses on the interface between intellectual property laws and competition law in the United States. The interface between these two bodies of law is one of the most complex and controversial, and yet theoretically interesting, areas of competition law. This interface juxtaposes the public policy rationale behind intellectual property laws and competition policy, and requires the enforcement agencies and the courts to strike delicate balances between these two policies. With respect to patent law, for example, the treatment of patent rights under competition law requires the courts to calibrate the provision of innovation incentives without incurring an excessive loss in consumer welfare. Similar tradeoffs are also found in the interface between copyright law and competition law, and to a lesser extent, between trademark law and competition law.

Most of the thorniest issues in the interface between intellectual property laws and competition law arise under patent law. As such, this course will largely focus on the patent competition interface. The course will focus on issues including intellectual property enforcement, tying, unilateral refusal to deal, deceptive conduct in standard-setting organizations, predatory product design, and various kinds of collusive conduct.

1.3 Course teachers

Name E-mail address Office Consultation
Course convenor Thomas Cheng thomas.cheng@hku.hk CCT 611 By email

Learning Outcomes

2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course

CLO 1 Students will acquire a basic understanding of the interface between intellectual property and competition law with materials from the U.S. and the EU.

CLO 2 Students will acquire a basic understanding of the interplay between competition policy and innovation policy.

CLO 3 Students will develop the ability to think critically about competition law cases and about law in general.

2.2 LLM and JD Programme Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

Please refer to the following link:

LLM – https://course.law.hku.hk/llm-plo/

JD – https://course.law.hku.hk/jd-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
Group class presentation TBC 30% 1, 2, 3
Research paper TBC 70% 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/