Office of Academic Affairs
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal

HSS 504: Law Relating to Intellectual Property and Patents (1)

The Course will begin with a general discussion on Law relating to Intellectual Property (hereinafter, ‘IP’) and then move on to discuss Law relating to Patents in particular.

The objectives of the Course is to make the students of Science and Technology aware of:

1. the meaning and significance of IP in the knowledge society in which the power of mind rules supreme,
2. the distinctive features of different types of IP, for, it has been observed that even educated people including scientists use the terminologies of IP indiscretly, e.g., phrases like “patenting of geographical indications,”
3. whether IP in general and  patents in particular help in the production of new knowledge and technology,
4. whether IP and patents can help  freedom from colonization of mind, and

Some of the objectives of the Course may seem to be too idealistic at first sight but they are not really so.
A tentative outline of the Course is as under:

1. Relevance of “Law relating to Intellectual Property and Patents” for the students of Science and Technology
2. Meaning and Characteristics of Intellectual Property Rights
3. Types of Intellectual Property Rights
4. Meaning and Characteristics of Patent
5. Substantive Patent Law
1. Patentable Subject Matter
2. Novelty
3. Inventive Step
4. Capability of Industrial Application
6. Procedural Patent Law
1. When to go for a patent?
2. Where to go for a patent?
3. How to go for a patent?
1. Patent Application
2. Specification
1. Wriiten Description
2. Enablement
3. Best Mode
4. Claim(s)

The above-mentioned points may be covered in ten to twelve hours depending on the level of dicussion in the class.

Suggested Books:

• W. R.Cornish, Intellectual Property: Patents, Copyright, Trade Marks, and Allied Rights, 4th Ed. (London: Sweet & Maxwell, 1999).
• D.Vaver,Intellectual Property Rights: Critical Concepts in Law (London; New York: Routledge, 2006).
• ToshikoTakenaka, Patent Law and Theory: A Handbook of Contemporary Research (Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2008).
• GrahamDutfield, Intellectual property rights and the Life Science Industries: A Twentieth Century History (Hampshire:Ashgate, 2003).
• Donald SChisum,Principles of Patent Law: Cases and Materials (New York: Foundation Press, 2001).
• Donald S Chisum,Chisum on Patents:A Treatise on the Law of Patentability, Validity, and Infringement(New York: Lexis Pub., 1978).
• Melville BNimmer&DavidNimmer,Nimmer on Copyright:A Treatise on the Law of Literary, Musical and Artistic Property, and the Protection of Ideas(New York: M. Bender, 1978).
• Ernest Bainbridge Lipscomb, et al; Walker on Patents (Rochester, N.Y.: Lawyers Co-operative Pub. Co., 1984).
• Walter ArthurCopinger&E. P.Skone James, Copinger and Skone James on Copyright, (London: Sweet & Maxwell, 1999).
• Gregory A.Stobbs, Software Patents (Gaithersburg: Aspen Law & Business, 2000).

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