The course offers an overview on the management of industrial property, with particular attention to patents and utility models. Obtaining a patent is, today, of crucial importance for those who want to invest in innovation (research spin-off and /or innovative start-ups). External experts in patent licensing, as well as teachers of the School of Engineering, will bring their experience as "inventors" into the classroom. A real patent-case in the classroom will also be illustrated.
- 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, Publisher "Il Mulino": chapter. n. 2 (p. 134-171, p. 187-196).
Learning Objectives
The aim of the course is to provide graduate students in engineering (with design, robotics, land vehicles, production management, machines and aeronautics orientation) expertise on issues of industrial property as a whole, with particular reference to patent invetions and utility models.
The role of the present teaching is particularly crucial for those who are interested in the R&D departments (Research and Development) of companies, as well as in the profession of "Patent Attorney" that selects prevalently the graduates in Engineering in such market 4.0 profiles.
In fact, the student will be enriched with technical and managerial skills that can direct him to those professions today called "Innovation Management" that more and more companies, both national and foreign, aim to integrate in their human resources.
The contribution of the present teaching, therefore, is perfectly in line with all those Study Courses that aim to achieve the professionalization of an expert technician of Innovation.
Prerequisites
Any preliminary knowledge is required to tackle the contents of the course.
Teaching Methods
The course is organized in oral lectures, and enriched with interventions by external engineers specialized in the sector as well as Innovation Managers. Explanatory audio-video will also be screened. During the semester, moreover, there will be moments of discussion aimed to focus the topics treated together in order to facilitate the students' study and understanding. At the end of the course, students will be asked to manage a patent infringement real case with the teacher as well as set up a strategy to protect a company's industrial property asset.
Further information
The teacher is available for recording her audio-video lessons.
Type of Assessment
The exam will take place in a single oral exam, at the end of the course. Attending students will be able to take the exam only on the lecture notes. Non-attending students must rely on the reference texts (see only the chapters highlighted).
For the attribution of the vote, the following criteria will be duly taken into account: the ability to organize knowledge discursively; the critical reasoning skills on the study carried out; the quality of the exhibition.
Course program
1. Introduction to intellectual property (what is it, what are the legal instruments of protection, economic aspects, industrial property rights & know-how); the types of industrial property rights (trademark, topography of semi-conductor product, invention patent, industrial model, plant variety); hints on copyright for the protection of projects, schemes, drawings.
2. The Patent (the patent application and its parts); the requirements of patentability (novelty, inventive activity, industriality, sufficient description).
3. The procedures (the search for anteriority, the national procedures, EPO and PCT, international differences); the regulatory framework; the defense of patent rights; the inventions of the workers; cases of recent patent infringements.
4. The contractual forms to enhance the patent; Licensing in/out; the so called spin-offs (strategies, regulations, management of intellectual property) and innovative start-ups; outline of the technological transfer of research in the University (offices and methods of organizing work, national and foreign models, procedures and tools).