Sector Specific IP

Patent protection is a complex and often evolving area of law that presents different issues and challenges in different sectors. Let’s consider protection of software. Patenting of software has constantly been subject to controversies and debates. Even if an algorithm can be copyright protected, it may be difficult to determine what constitutes an original work of authorship. Some countries like the US provide software patents. But it is often quite difficult to obtain one, and the standards of patentability may be unclear. And this eventually leads to software patent wars. Open-source software poses another huge challenge to IP protection. Given the nature of open-source licenses, it allows free use, distribution and modification of software. This can further create a lot of confusion regarding ownership and control of the code.

Well if this is all about software patents, let’s look at protecting IP in the pharmaceutical industry. The pharma industry is one of the most regulated industries, and patents play a crucial role in the development and commercialisation of new drugs. But again this industry is also fraught with a number of challenges and is fast evolving in terms of patents. Generics and biosimilars disrupt the traditional model of drug development and IP. At the same time, the high cost of drugs is often a major issue in the pharma industry, especially for life-saving medications. Balancing the need for innovation and profitability is critical to the need for affordable and accessible medicines to society at large.

Likewise with industries like semiconductor, biotechnology and traditional knowledge. This course focuses on such sector specific areas of IP, where industry experts share the nuances of IP protection in their industrial activities. You get a kaleidoscopic view of how patents play a key role in the innovations in particular sectors and issues and challenges in their enforcement. This would also help you identify your areas of interest in pursuing patent practice.