Learning Outcomes
The course is intended to give the students a broad overview concerning the exploitation and protection of intellectual assets and to convey the basic principles of Intellectual Property (IP) Management. Relevant topics are means of formal protection (patents, brands, copyright aspects, utility models etc.) as well as means of informal protection of IP assets (secrecy, technical solutions etc.). Furthermore, the course covers the fields of protection strategies and alternative ways of appropriation and enforcement of intellectual property, referring to research co-operations, knowledge transfer processes and markets of technology. In addition, current topics and problems with respect to legal systems display another field, potential scenarios of this system will be presented and solution approaches suggested. Selected guest lectures provide a high practical relevance.
As part of the exercise a workshop held by industry partners supplements the theoretical and empirical knowledge from the lecture. During the workshop the students will analyze and solve realistic case studies.
Students learn to recognize differences between the methods and instruments of intellectual property protection while critically weighing their pros and cons. It is taught in an appropriate way to transfer economic models into practical management use. Thus it is possible, for example, to assess which methods and instruments may be combined for creating a reasonable business strategy.