What is Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law?
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
Intellectual property is a term for any intangible asset, something proprietary that doesn’t exist as a physical object but has value.
IP is protected in law by, for example, patents, copyright and trademarks, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.
What 3rd level courses are available?
Universities and colleges in Ireland are offering courses in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law in the following subject areas:
- Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law (LL.M.) – This course provides graduates with a knowledge base and a range of core tools to use in their future research or in their practice as intellectual property and information technology lawyers.
- Diploma in Technology and IP Law – Analyze the legal issues pertaining to intellectual property and how to protect IP rights.
- Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Information Technology For Business – Increase your knowledge and skills in Information Technology for Business.
- Information Technology Management – Gain a deeper understanding of the business and IT management issues in today’s business environment.
- MA in Data Protection and Privacy Law – Combine the fields of law and computing to gain advanced expertise in the technological and legal aspects of data protection and privacy law.
- Diploma in Law – This postgraduate Diploma in Law course is aimed at non-law graduates seeking to further their knowledge of the law to enhance their current role or those who wish to progress further with a career in law.
Studying Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law
There are many courses in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law that may take place over a few days, weeks or even 1 year to 4 years depending on the course and modules selected. There are also part-time courses and night courses available so you can be sure to fit in your studies no matter what your schedule is like.
Courses will cover theory work through lectures, assignments, tutorials and taught modules. Assessments will take place on a continuous basis with written examinations and practical assignments combined in order to achieve a qualification.
You could also consider work experience or a work shadow in the industry. Getting relevant work experience with patent firms is challenging due to the confidential nature of the work. Although opportunities are rare, internships lasting one to two weeks do exist. These internships will give you the opportunity to find out more about the role.
Relevant work experience is a good way of demonstrating a genuine interest in the field and is regarded favourably by employers.
Career options
After completing an Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law course you will be able to get started in a career that uses specific knowledge of intellectual property laws and procedures.
As a patent attorney, you’ll assess whether inventions are new and innovative, and therefore eligible to be patented. You will be specially trained in drafting patents and with knowledge of intellectual property law will be able to lead individual inventors or companies through the required process to obtain a patent and then act to enforce inventors’ rights if patents are infringed.
Patent attorneys are typically employed by law firms in private practice, the law department of large industrial companies and government departments.
Although your work activities are more or less the same wherever you work, when working in private practice you’ll be working for a range of clients represented by the law firm, while in government or industry, you will typically just have one employer.
Working hours will depend on whether you are self-employed, employed by a company with set business hours or if you are contracted to various businesses or companies. Generally, hours are Monday to Friday, nine to five, but you may need to work extra hours to meet deadlines.
Related jobs include:
- Patent attorney
- Arbitrator
- Barrister
- Barrister’s clerk
- Chartered legal executive
- Company secretary
- Costs lawyer
- Licensed conveyancer
- Paralegal
- Solicitor
- Trading standards officer
- Advice worker
- Border Force officer
- Civil Service administrator
- Data analyst
- Data scientist
- External auditor
- Forensic computer analyst
- Human resources officer
- Mediator
- Political risk analyst
- Stockbroker
Further study
After completing a course in Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law you may choose to pursue further study in a specialist field to increase your knowledge base and skill set. Postgraduate study can also be used as a means to change career focus or to gain professional qualifications required to practice in certain career areas such as International Law, Engineering and Design or even Manufacturing.
FAQ
What are the four basic types of Intellectual Property?
There are 4 main types of Intellectual Property:
Patents – Inventors are granted the exclusive right to a physical invention, a design, a process, or a unique improvement to one of the above.
Copyrights – People who create original material have the exclusive right to the material they created. However, the creator can allow someone else to use the material.
Trademarks – These symbols, phrases, or logos help separate one company’s products or services from another. Consumers and customers identify companies through their trademarks.
Trade Secrets – A company’s confidential information can provide unique advantages or economic benefits, often giving them a competitive advantage.
Where can I study Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law?
Explore your options here
Did You Know?
- The first known use of the term intellectual property dates to 1769, when a piece published in the Monthly Review used the phrase. The first clear example of modern usage goes back as early as 1808 when it was used as a heading title in a collection of essays.
- The United Nations considered intellectual property rights to be “like any other property right.” In fact, Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights says creators of IP have “the right to benefit from the protection of moral and material interests resulting from authorship of scientific, literary or artistic productions.”
- The inventor of the Laser, Gordon Gould fought with both the US Patent office and Laser manufacturers for a period of 38 years before finally achieving the right to both obtain and enforce patents covering the Laser technology he had invented.
- The movie industry is based in Hollywood on the west coast because movie makers were trying to get away from Thomas Edison (based in New Jersey). He had patents covering virtually all the movie-making process and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in California was known to rule against patent claims.
- WD-40 is not patent-protected, thereby avoiding completely disclosing its ingredients, making it harder for any other companies to mimic.
Comments