Universitat Internacional de Catalunya
Law I: Intellectual Property and Patents
Other languages of instruction: English, Spanish,
Teaching staff
Email.
Introduction
This course introduces students to the legal framework governing the protection of creativity, innovation and intangible assets in the fields of communication, advertising and the creative industries. It examines the main mechanisms for protecting intellectual and industrial property, as well as the rights of authors, creators and companies over their works, trademarks, designs, patents and other intangible assets.
The course provides a practical overview of the legal framework applicable to audiovisual, advertising and digital creations, with particular emphasis on the management of exploitation rights, licensing, contractual agreements and the legal challenges arising from digitalisation, online platforms and artificial intelligence.
Pre-course requirements
No.
Objectives
- To understand the legal foundations of intellectual property and industrial property.
- To distinguish between the different legal mechanisms for protecting creative works and innovation.
- To understand the moral and economic rights of authors.
- To analyse the legal protection of trademarks, patents, industrial designs and digital domain names.
- To understand the legal framework governing the assignment, exploitation and licensing of intellectual property rights.
- To identify the main legal challenges arising from digitalisation, the Internet and artificial intelligence.
Competences/Learning outcomes of the degree programme
- CN01 - Explain the foundations of classical and contemporary culture in order to interpret current communication trends and phenomena.
- CN03 - Identify the key stakeholders, departments and professional roles within advertising and public relations agencies, understanding their functions in the design and implementation of communication campaigns.
- CN04 - Critically analyse political, social and historical events, as well as national and international institutions.
- CN07 - Identify emerging trends in digital communication, social media and interactive environments for planning advertising and public relations activities in digital and multi-platform contexts.
- CP03 - Apply ethical and professional standards in advertising and public relations practice, respecting the fundamental right to equality between women and men, promoting human rights, a culture of peace and democratic values, including the use of inclusive, non-discriminatory and stereotype-free language.
- CP11 - Apply the principal methodologies of scientific research to the field of advertising and public relations.
- HB01 - Analyse relevant data obtained from multiple sources using a range of research and documentation methods.
- HB10 - Apply the legal and ethical framework to the production of advertising and audiovisual content for digital and multi-platform environments.
Learning outcomes of the subject
Students will be able to:
-
To develop a complex understanding of contemporary societies by recognising shared cultural expressions in a globalised world, cultural differences and influences between different social groups.
-
To keep up to date with innovation and new technologies in order to identify trends.
-
To understand human beings through philosophical thought and the different ways in which people communicate and organise society on the basis of moral principles.
-
To explore the psychological processes (cognitive and sociological) that drive human behaviour in greater depth, applying this knowledge to professional practice in advertising and public relations.
-
To identify artistic avant-garde movements, the historical development of aesthetic judgements and their influence on human communication.
-
To identify the legal and institutional framework within which they will carry out their professional activities, including regulations on intellectual property and consumer rights.
Syllabus
- Concept and evolution of intellectual property.
- Intellectual property vs. industrial property.
- National and international legal framework.
- The work as the object of legal protection.
- Moral rights.
- Economic (exploitation) rights.
- Audiovisual and advertising works.
- Works created within a professional context.
- Trademarks.
- Trade names.
- Industrial designs.
- Patents.
- Utility models.
- Internet domain names.
- Assignment agreements.
- Licensing agreements.
- Collective rights management.
- Creative Commons licences.
- Digital content exploitation.
- Artificial intelligence and authorship.
- Digital platforms.
- Piracy.
- NFTs and digital assets.
- Recent case law.
Bibliography and resources
Royal Legislative Decree 1/1996 (Intellectual Property).
Law 24/2015 (Patents).
Law 17/2001 (Trademarks).
Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 (European Union Trade Mark).
Berne Convention.
European Patent Convention (EPC).
Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS Agreement).