LLAW6200 & JDOC6200
General Course Information
1.1 Course details
| Course code: | LLAW6200 /JDOC6200 |
| Course name: | Topics in Trademark Law |
| Programme offered under: | LLM Programme / JD Programme |
| Semester: | Second |
| Prerequisites: | Students who have completed a course on intellectual property |
| Credit point value: | 9 credits / 6 credits |
| Cap on student numbers: | 30 |
1.2 Course description
Trademarks play a crucial role in merchandizing all varieties of goods and services and protecting consumers interests. The course will explore a range of cutting-edge issues and landmark cases in trademark law, from a comparative perspective. It will involve critical analysis of the rationales for trademark protection; the rules governing the registration of a trademark; the scope of trademark rights, including protection against dilution and free-riding; defences to infringement, including fair use; exhaustion of rights; the rules regulating licensing and exploitation of trade mark; and the challenges for trademark law posed by new digital technologies. Landmark cases will be drawn from the United States, the European Union, China, Hong Kong and Australia. Moreover, the course will discuss the social, cultural, and political dimensions of trademarks, critically examining the competing economic, public interest and social concerns arising from the legal regulation of trademarks.
1.3 Course teachers
| Name | E-mail address | Office | Consultation | |
| Course convenor | Haochen Sun | haochen.sun@hku.hk | CCT 307 | By email |
Learning Outcomes
2.1 Course Learning Outcomes (CLOs) for this course
CLO 1 Describe ad explain the international and domestic frameworks as well as key concepts in trademarks protection.
CLO 2 Describe and explain the role of trademark law in protecting brands and consumers.
CLO 3 Apply the knowledge and understanding of trademark law and policy in practical situations, including in formulating branding strategies.
CLO 4 Demonstrate an awareness of the social, cultural and political issues associated with the legal protection of trademarks.
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 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| CLO 4 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Assessment(s)
3.1 Assessment Summary
| Assessment task | Due date | Weighting | Feedback method* | Course learning outcomes |
| To be advised | TBC | 100% | 1, 2, 3, 4 |
| *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 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 unit 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/