Intellectual Property, Information and Technology Law (Area of Concentration)
Acting Director: Professor Bassem Awad
Western Law’s Area of Concentration in Intellectual Property, Information and Technology (IPIT) is a unique academic program in Canada (developed in consultation with practitioners in information technology law and intellectual property rights). No other law school certifies completion of an academic concentration involving intellectual property, information and technology law on the transcripts of its JD students. Graduates work in such settings as large multi-faceted firms, boutique intellectual property firms, government, technology and entertainment companies, and legal publishing. Many graduates return regularly to teach courses, speak, and give guest lectures at Western.
What Courses Will I Take?
The specific IPIT courses that are required to fulfill the IPIT Area of Concentration requirements are Administrative Law, Intellectual Property Law and International Protection of Intellectual Property (IPIP). Each of these is offered annually.
To graduate with the IPIT designation, students must complete at least one course from each of the three groups listed below. These elective courses will familiarize students with various topics ranging from private international law to franchise law, comparative copyright law, advanced intellectual property/advanced patent law, and disruptive technologies and law, privacy, data ownership, regulating artificial intelligence systems, AI generated works and inventions. Students will have the opportunity to develop their skills in the area of IPIT by participating in the Harold Fox IP Moot, WORLDiscoveries Internship and Western Intellectual Property and Innovation Legal Clinic (WIPILC). WIPILC offers an exceptional experiential learning experiences and client-facing opportunities to better equip Western students with the necessary skills related to IP rights, privacy and technology law.
Because these electives generally include significant writing components and exercises, they are frequently designated as fulfilling the Faculty and IPIT Area Essay Requirement (e.g. IPIP) or as fulfilling the F aculty’s practice-oriented legal writing requirement (e.g. Disruptive Technologies and Law or Fox Intellectual Property Moot).
|
Required Courses
|
||
|
Group 1
|
Group 2
|
Group 3
|
NOTE: Not all courses are offered every year.
Relevant Co-Curricular Opportunities
- Community Legal Services
- Western Intellectual Property and Innovation Legal Clinic (WIPILC)
- Western Intellectual Property Association (WIPA)
