Patent Practice

Subject LAWS70060 (2011)

Note: This is an archived Handbook entry from 2011.

Credit Points: 12.50
Level: 7 (Graduate/Postgraduate)
Dates & Locations:

This subject has the following teaching availabilities in 2011:

July, Parkville - Taught on campus.
Pre-teaching Period Start not applicable
Teaching Period not applicable
Assessment Period End not applicable
Last date to Self-Enrol not applicable
Census Date not applicable
Last date to Withdraw without fail not applicable


Timetable can be viewed here. For information about these dates, click here.
Time Commitment: Contact Hours: The total class time is between 24 and 26 hours.
Total Time Commitment: Not available
Prerequisites:

Successful completion of Patent Law or an equivalent subject, or appropriate practical experience.
Corequisites: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Recommended Background Knowledge: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Non Allowed Subjects: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Core Participation Requirements: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.

Contact

For more information, contact the Melbourne Law Masters office.

Email law-masters@unimelb.edu.au or phone +61 3 8344 6190.

Alternatively, visit our website:

www.masters.law.unimelb.edu.au

Subject Overview:

Principal topics will include:

  • Patent legislation and practice in Australia
  • Patents Acts of 1952 and 1990: Standard patents, petty patents, innovation patents
  • Kinds of patent application: Provisional, complete, standard, petty, divisional, patent of addition, convention, innovation
  • Patent application filing and prosecution: Searching, filing, examination, opposition, grounds, practice and procedures, grant, re-examination
  • Amendment of patent specifications and other documents: Allowable amendments, clerical errors, obvious mistakes
  • Duration of patent protection: Continuation and renewal fee requirements, lapsing and cessation, restoration of rights, extensions of term for pharmaceutical patents
  • The Register of Patents: Recordal of assignments, licences, mortgages and changes of name and amendments to the Register
  • International conventions and agreements
  • Patentability overseas
  • Basic considerations of United States and European patent law
  • Applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, filing applications, entry of national and regional phase
  • Circuit layouts legislation (Circuit Layouts Act 1989 (Cth))
  • Plant breeders’ rights legislation (Plant Breeder’s Rights Act 1994 (Cth)).
Objectives:

A student who has successfully completed this subject should:

  • Understand and be able to advise on the steps involved in the filing, prosecution and maintenance of an application for patent protection under the Patents Act 1990 (Cth) for local and overseas inventions
  • Understand and be able to advise on obtaining overseas patents for local inventions
  • Understand and be able to advise on the filing and prosecution of applications under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)
  • Understand the purpose, intent and scope of circuit layout rights protection in the Circuit Layouts Act 1989 (Cth)
  • Understand the purpose, intent and scope of plant variety rights protection in the Plant Breeder’s Rights Act 1994 (Cth).
Assessment: Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Prescribed Texts: Core subject materials will be provided free of charge to all students. Some subjects require further texts to be purchased. Visit the Melbourne Law Masters website for more information about this subject.
Breadth Options:

This subject is not available as a breadth subject.
Fees Information: Subject EFTSL, Level, Discipline & Census Date

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