The course offers an overview on the management of industrial property, paying particular attention to patents. The patent is the title that allows those who have made an invention to be able to produce and market them exclusively in the country in which the patent has been requested. Obtaining a patent is, therefore, of fundamental importance for those who intend to invest in innovation and intend to enhance and capitalize on their ideas.
- R. Pietrabissa, M. Barbieri (2015), Patents and industrial property, Maggioli Publisher. Chapters nn. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 13.
- C. Del Re (2016), The technology transfer license contracts in the academic field. The University invention license between law and praxis, Il Mulino Publisher. Chapter n. 2 (from page 134 to page 207).
Learning Objectives
The aim of the course is to provide the engineering undergraduates with expertise on issues of industrial property as a whole, with particular reference to invention patents and utility models. The student will be enriched with technical and managerial skills that can direct him to those jobs nowadays called "innovation management" that more and more companies, both national and foreign, aim to integrate into their human resources. The IP manager (industrial property manager) with a technical expertise on patents, in particular, is one of the most sought professional profiles in the market 4.0.
Prerequisites
No pre-requisite is required.
Teaching Methods
The course is based on lectures and will be enriched by external experts, specialized in patents and patent licensing, as well as Professors of the School of Mechanical Engineering who will bring their experience as "inventors" into the classroom. The simulation of a real-estate patent case in the classroom will also be envisaged.
Further information
During the lessons, emphasis will also be given to illustrating the role of patents in universities, highlighting how it is patented at the University and how the intellectual property of spin-off of innovative research and start-ups is managed.
Type of Assessment
The exam will be based on the notes taken from the lectures, enriched and / or deepened by the recommended reference texts.
Course program
1. Introduction to intellectual property (what is it, why, which are the legal tools, the economic aspects, IP rights, know-how); the types of industrial property (trademark, semi-conductor product topography, invention patent, industrial model, plant variety, copyright). 2. The patent (the patent application and its parts); the requirements of patentability (novelty, inventive activity, industrial application, sufficient description). 3. Procedures (priority research, national procedures, EPO and PCT, international differences); the regulatory framework; the defense of patent rights; cases of recent patent infringements. 4. The contractual forms to enhance the patent; licensing in /out; spin-offs (strategies, regulations, management of intellectual property); the technological transfer of research at the University (offices and methods of organizing work, national and foreign models, procedures and tools).