Copyright and Designs (LAWS90074)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
Contact information
Semester 2
Teaching staff:
Ben Hopper (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
December
Teaching staff:
Joshua Yuvaraj (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
Overview
| Availability(Quotas apply) | Semester 2 December |
|---|---|
| Fees | Look up fees |
Copyright protection is the law’s primary mechanism for incentivising for the generation of creative subject matters (such as works of literature, art, music and film), and for regulating the use of such subject matters by others. Design registration is the law’s primary mechanism for providing proprietary rights over the appearance of a mass-produced object. This subject explores in detail the law, policy, theory and practice of the copyright regime, of the design registration system, and of the relationship between the two. Indicative principal topics considered include:
- The international framework for protection of creative subject matters and designs;
- The theories of intellectual property;
- The subject matters capable of protection by copyright;
- The requirements for copyright protection to arise;
- The exclusive rights granted by copyright;
- The infringement, and the defences to infringement, of copyright;
- The subject matter of, and requirements for, design registration;
- The scope of protection provided by design registration; and
- The regulation of dual protection under copyright and design registration.
Intended learning outcomes
A student who successfully completes this subject will be able to:
- Demonstrate an advanced and integrated understanding of the nature and policy roles within private law of the legal regimes providing for copyright protection and design registration;
- Manifest detailed and advanced knowledge of the principles that inform categorization of subject matters within those legal regimes;
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding of the legal principles that determine the scope of rights in those subject matters;
- Apply that understanding to complex problems that require resolution of legal and policy ambiguities and critical analysis and synthesis of information, so as to develop reasoned conclusions as to likely outcomes in judicial proceedings informed by a sophisticated and detailed understanding of the public policy issues that are implicated by the legal regimes; and
- Interpret and transmit that analysis to others.
Generic skills
A student who successfully completes Copyright and Designs will have developed a capacity to:
- Assess the nature and role of the legal regimes providing for copyright protection and design registration within broader economic and moral context;
- Evaluate those regimes against defined policy objectives;
- Analyse judgments, statutes and secondary materials which relate to those regimes; and
- Write legal assessments of particular scenarios in which copyright law and design law issues are implicated, including being able to comment on the desirability of the application of the law.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
Admission into the MC-JURISD Juris Doctor
AND
All of
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50023 | Legal Method and Reasoning | Summer Term (Dual-Delivery - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS50024 | Principles of Public Law | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS50025 | Torts | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS50026 | Obligations | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS50028 | Constitutional Law | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
| LAWS50029 | Contracts | Semester 2 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
AND
One of
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50030 | Property | Semester 1 (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Note: these can be taken concurrently (at the same time)
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
| Code | Name | Teaching period | Credit Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS50057 | Copyright and Patents | No longer available | |
| LAWS70207 | Copyright Law | November (On Campus - Parkville) |
12.5 |
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Assessment
| Description | Timing | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
Participation | Throughout the teaching period | 15% |
Take-home examination
| Semester 2 offering: (completed in groups) at the end of Week 12 | December offering: (completed individually) 30 January - 2 February 2026 | 85% |
Additional details
The due dates of assessment will be made available to students on the Assessment Schedule on the Juris Doctor Canvas LMS Community. Note, these are updated regularly.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Quotas apply to this subject
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Ben Hopper Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 36 (Live seminars will take place semi-intensively over the first 6 weeks of semester 2, after which students will work on the take-home exam. Please refer to the subject in Canvas (once published) for the detailed Class Schedule.) Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching requirements Please refer to Canvas LMS to check on the pre-class readings and preparatory learning activities before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 28 July 2025 to 26 October 2025 Last self-enrol date 8 August 2025 Census date 1 September 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 26 September 2025 Assessment period ends 21 November 2025 Semester 2 contact information
Teaching staff:
Ben Hopper (Subject Coordinator)For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
- December
Principal coordinator Joshua Yuvaraj Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 36 Total time commitment 150 hours Pre teaching start date 24 November 2025 Pre teaching requirements Please refer to Canvas LMS to check for any pre-class readings and preparatory learning activities before the teaching period commences. Teaching period 8 December 2025 to 17 December 2025 Last self-enrol date 26 November 2025 Census date 12 December 2025 Last date to withdraw without fail 9 January 2026 Assessment period ends 6 February 2026 December contact information
Teaching staff:
Joshua Yuvaraj (Subject Coordinator)
For current student enquiries, contact the Law School Academic Support Office
What do these dates mean
Visit this webpage to find out about these key dates, including how they impact on:
- Your tuition fees, academic transcript and statements.
- And for Commonwealth Supported students, your:
- Student Learning Entitlement. This applies to all students enrolled in a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP).
Subjects withdrawn after the census date (including up to the ‘last day to withdraw without fail’) count toward the Student Learning Entitlement.
Additional delivery details
This subject has an enrolment quota. Please refer to the Juris Doctor enrolment webpage for further information about re-enrolment and subject quotas. Melbourne Law School may reserve places in a subject for inbound study abroad and exchange students.
Last updated: 4 March 2025
Further information
- Texts
- Related Handbook entries
- Links to additional information
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
Last updated: 4 March 2025