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Master of Intellectual Property Law (277AA)
Masters (Coursework)Year: 2023 Delivered: On Campus (Parkville)
About this course
- Overview
- Entry and participation requirements
- Attributes, outcomes and skills
- Course structure
- Further study
Principal Coordinator
Ben Hopper
Contact
Melbourne Law School
Currently enrolled students:
Future students:
Overview
Award title | Master of Intellectual Property Law |
---|---|
Year & campus | 2023 — Parkville |
CRICOS code | 075000B |
Fees information | Subject EFTSL, level, discipline and census date |
Study level & type | Graduate Coursework |
AQF level | 9 |
Credit points | 100 credit points |
Duration | 12 months full-time or 42 months part-time |
Melbourne Law School’s specialisation in intellectual property (IP) is one of the largest and most respected specialist IP law programs in the world. Its extensive range of challenging, cutting-edge subjects covers the spectrum of IP protection regimes, and are practically focused and theoretically rigorous. Many of the specialisation's subjects are accredited by the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board (TTIPAB). This program is recommended for those seeking accreditation as a patent and/or trade marks attorney in Australia and New Zealand.
Links to further information
Entry requirements
1. In order to be considered for entry, applicants must have completed:
• a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent) leading to admission to practice, at honours standard, or equivalent; or
• a degree in law (LLB, JD or equivalent) leading to admission to practice, or equivalent, and two years of documented relevant professional experience; or
• an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline; and two years of documented relevant professional experience; or
• an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline; and successful completion of four subjects in a cognate graduate diploma; and one year of documented relevant professional experience.
Meeting these requirements does not guarantee selection.
2. In ranking applications, the Selection Committee will consider:
• prior academic performance; and
• the professional experience
3. The Selection Committee may seek further information to clarify any aspect of an application in accordance with the Academic Board rules on the use of selection instruments.
4. Applicants are required to satisfy the university’s English language requirements for graduate courses. For those applicants seeking to meet these requirements by one of the standard tests approved by the Academic Board, performance band 6.5 is required.
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The Melbourne Law Masters welcomes applications from students with disabilities. The inherent academic requirements for study in the Melbourne Law Masters are:
- The ability to attend a minimum of 75% of classes and actively engage in the analysis and critique of complex materials and debate;
- The ability to read, analyse and comprehend complex written legal materials and complex interdisciplinary materials;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate in writing a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and to critically evaluate these;
- The ability to clearly and independently communicate orally a knowledge and application of legal principles and interdisciplinary materials and critically evaluate these;
- The ability to work independently and as a part of a group;
- The ability to present orally and in writing legal analysis to a professional standard.
Students who feel their disability will inhibit them from meeting these inherent academic requirements are encouraged to contact Student Equity and Disability Support.
Professional accreditation
By satisfactorily completing appropriate subjects, a suitably qualified person may be accredited with satisfying all of the topic groups necessary for registration as a trade marks attorney and for registration as a patent attorney. Applicants seeking registration as a patent attorney and/or trade marks attorney seek advice from the TTIPAB and the Law School on subject selection at the time of enrolment. For more information, please visit the Melbourne Law School Intellectual Property Law specialisation or the Trans-Tasman IP Attorneys Board.
Intended learning outcomes
Graduates of the Master of Intellectual Property Law will:
Have an advanced and integrated understanding of the complex body of knowledge in the field of Australian and New Zealand intellectual property law, including the international context and:
- the requirements that need to be satisfied to establish entitlement to the grant of intellectual property rights in both jurisdictions
- the procedures by which grant of intellectual property rights are obtained
- the requirements that need to be satisfied to establish infringement of those rights
- the exceptions, limitations and defences to infringement that apply to these rights
- the means for, and constraints on, enforcement and commercialisation of these intellectual property rights.
Have expert, specialised cognitive and technical skills that equip them to independently:
- analyse, critically reflect on and synthesise complex information, concepts and theories in the field of intellectual property law
- research and apply such information, concepts and theories to the relevant body of knowledge and practice; and
- interpret and transmit their knowledge, skills and ideas to specialist and non-specialist audiences, including clients
Apply their knowledge and skills to demonstrate autonomy, expert judgment, adaptability and responsibility as a practitioner and learner in the field of intellectual property law generally
- .
Graduate attributes
-
Advanced understanding of the changing knowledge base in the relevant area(s) of law
The specialist focus of the Melbourne Law Masters, the constant review and renewal of subjects and courses to ensure coverage of recent developments, the range and expertise of instructors from Australia and around the world, and regular advice from MLM advisory boards combine to ensure that courses and subjects reflect emerging knowledge and ideas. -
Ability to investigate, evaluate, synthesise and apply existing knowledge in the relevant area(s) with creativity and initiative
Small classes, a discussion-based environment and the emphasis on quality teaching and learning create an environment in which knowledge is exchanged, critically examined and adapted to current circumstances. -
Well-developed problem solving abilities, characterised by flexibility of approach
Most subjects approach knowledge by reference to various issues or problems. Students are required to critically analyse problems and identify and develop a range of appropriate solutions through class discussion, individual study and assessment tasks. -
Advanced competencies in legal research and analysis
Class preparation and class discussions are designed to enhance these skills, which are tested in all forms of assessment. All graduates of an LLM will have demonstrated, through subject assessment, the ability to use their research skills to plan, develop and execute substantial research-based project(s) and/or piece(s) of scholarship. -
Capacity to effectively communicate complex legal ideas and theories, orally and in writing, to a variety of audiences
Classroom discussion and formal presentations provide an opportunity to hone oral communication skills, and written assessment tasks are graded in part on written communication skills. -
Appreciation of the design, conduct and reporting of original research
Research papers and other research tasks are expected to attain a degree of creativity, originality and discovery that befits a postgraduate program of the highest quality, and students are encouraged and assisted to publish original work of a high standard in refereed journals. -
Capacity to manage competing demands on time and ability to work with a high level of autonomy and accountability
The demanding nature of graduate study requires effective time-management skills from all students and an ability to work independently and be accountable for commitment to study and output, as demonstrated through class attendance, engagement and assessment. The rigour of our programs, whether undertaken part-time or full-time, ensures that all successful graduates have enhanced time-management skills and the ability to work with relative autonomy. -
Profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, including the ethics of scholarship
Some subjects have a substantive ethical component. All instructors have a respect for intellectual integrity and are skilled scholars or practitioners in their own right. -
Appreciation of the way in which knowledge provides a foundation for leadership
Instructors in the Melbourne Law Masters are leaders in their fields, and many subjects involve visiting academics, exposing students to a wider array of leaders in a range of legal fields. The Law School is committed to the significance of knowledge, which informs all regular programs and a wide range of additional activities. -
Capacity to value and participate in teamwork
Small class sizes and an intensive teaching format are valuable in encouraging group dynamics and teamwork. -
Understanding of the significance and value of knowledge to the wider community
Law and legal knowledge are a community resource. In some subjects, this perspective is covered explicitly by the syllabus and the manner in which issues are treated in class. In addition, our diverse student body ensures that a range of perspectives on the way law impacts on the community are identified and analysed. -
Capacity to engage with issues in contemporary society
Our programs focus on the most up-to-date legal knowledge, analysing current issues and problems through the curriculum design, classroom discussion and assessment tasks. International students are also invited to participate in extracurricular activities to aid understanding of Australian law and legal institutions. -
Advanced working skills in the use of new technology
The most advanced IT infrastructure is available to Melbourne Law Masters students in the Law Library, the Moot Court Room, classroom settings and for private study.
Course structure
Students must complete 100 credit points in total.
Students who do not have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction must complete Fundamentals of the Common Law, as well as 87.5 credit points from the prescribed list.
Students with a law degree from a common law jurisdiction must complete at least 87.5 credit points from the prescribed list and may choose the remaining 12.5 credit points from the subjects available in the Master of Laws (excluding Fundamentals of the Common Law and the Minor Thesis).
Note: Most subjects in the MLM program are 12.5 credit points each. Check individual subject handbook entries for confirmation.
Overview of Intellectual Property
Overview of Intellectual Property is a two-day seminar that provides a general survey of the various regimes comprising intellectual property (IP). It is accredited by the TTIPAB as satisfying part of their accreditation requirements for Topic Group A.
Subject options
Code | Name | Study period | Credit Points |
---|---|---|---|
LAWS90145 | Artificial Intelligence and the Law |
March (On Campus - Parkville)
August (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS90046 | Competition and New Technologies | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS70208 | Competition Law, IP & Personality Rights | May (Online) |
12.5 |
LAWS70207 | Copyright Law |
September (On Campus - Parkville)
October (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS70261 | Designs Law and Practice | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90126 | Digital Trade | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70273 | Entertainment Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS90157 | Esports and the Law | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70418 | European Intellectual Property Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS90125 | Fundamentals of Intellectual Property |
March (On Campus - Parkville)
August (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS70387 | Fundamentals of Patent Drafting | February (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70217 | Fundamentals of the Common Law |
March (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
April (On Campus - Parkville)
August (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
August (On Campus - Parkville)
September (On Campus - Parkville)
October (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS70362 | Information Technology Contracting Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS90178 | Intellectual Property Dispute Resolution | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS90094 | International IP Dispute Settlement | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70242 | Internat.Issues in Intellectual Property | December (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70067 | International Legal Internship |
Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville)
Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS70396 | Internet Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS70061 | Interpretation and Validity of Patents | July (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70421 | Law and Emerging Health Technologies | April (Online) |
12.5 |
LAWS90129 | Law, Science and Technology | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS70209 | Licensing Law and Technology Transfer | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70021 | Patent Law |
March (Dual-Delivery - Parkville)
November (On Campus - Parkville)
|
12.5 |
LAWS70060 | Patent Practice | May (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90183 | Pharmaceuticals: Current Legal Issues | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS70275 | Sports Marketing and Media Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS90035 | Trade Mark Practice | October (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS70046 | Trade Marks and Unfair Competition | August (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
LAWS90104 | US Copyright Law and Practice | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS70406 | US Intellectual Property Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
LAWS90105 | US Patent Law | Not available in 2023 | 12.5 |
Further study
A student who completes a masters degree in the Melbourne Law Masters is eligible to apply for entry to the PhD program.
Last updated: 10 February 2024