The historical development of intellectual property law and the adjustment of intellectual property law to modern market conditions will be dealt with. This development will be analysed in the light of UK, European and international legislation, case law and legal literature. The module examines the various levels of laws regulating intellectual property rights: national, European and international; it will discuss the fundamental aspects of intellectual property law at the national and regional level; the three main areas of intellectual property, patents, copyright and trademarks will be examined.
Finally, the module will deal with contemporary critical analysis of intellectual property policy issues and recent developments in a national and regional context.