Intellectual Property
Module Overview
The objective of this relatively short module is for students to achieve a common understanding of intellectual property (IP) law in Canada. In Unit 1, intellectual property is defined as it applies to students and engineers, followed by a brief introduction on various forms of intellectual property rights (IPR). Units 2 and 3 focus on copyrights and Patents, respectively. Trademarks and trade secrets are also covered in Unit 3. This module takes a “hand-on” approach to teaching the principles of intellectual property and engages students throughout the entire module to evaluate various situations that they may encounter both at the university and at their workplace. The goal of this module is to provide students with a frame of reference as far as the intellectual property law is concerned and train them to ask the right questions and look out for situations that may get them into trouble in their professional engineering career.
Major Units:
- Definitions
- Patents
- Copyright
- Software licenses
- Entertainment (music, movies, etc.)
- Fair Dealings
- Legal recourse
- Case Studies
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, and through a careful study, students should be able to:
- Explain what acceptable use of IP is and what constitutes an offense.
- Differentiate between different forms of intellectual property rights (IPR).
- Evaluate the proper and improper use of intellectual property in the context of authentic case studies.
- Apply their understanding of these principles to use intellectual property properly in their work as a student and as an engineer.
Related Project Resources
| Type | Title | Author | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| File | Intellectual Property - Quiz (PDF, 290 KB) | Dr. Arash Shahi | This assessment is built into the module, Intellectual Property. However, you might like to review this assessment or implement it outside of the module. |
| File | Professional Law and Ethics for Engineers Glossary (ZIP, 48 KB) | Dr. Arash Shahi | This PDF contains an overview of the major terms used in Professional Law and Ethics for Engineers. |
| File | Intellectual Property (Storyline File) (ZIP, 4 MB) | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Storyline File can be downloaded and modified to your specific learning objectives (within the bounds of the creative commons licensing selected for this file. This is encouraged, but any technical issues are not supported by the University of Toronto. |
| File | Intellectual Property (SCORM Package) (ZIP, 3 MB) | Dr. Arash Shahi | This SCORM package can be uploaded into your institution's Learning Management System. |
| Video | Intellectual Property and Rights | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Intellectual Property video introduces the concept of Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Rights. |
| Video | Intellectual Property Theft | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Intellectual Property video introduces the concept of Intellectual Property Theft. |
| Video | IP in Engineering | Dr. Arash Shahi | This video also includes a "Food for Thought" activity. |
| Video | Copyright | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Intellectual Property video introduces the concept of Copyright and its benefits. |
| Video | Limitations | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Intellectual Property video discusses limitations of copyright, and the differences in national copyright laws. |
| Video | Fair Dealing | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Intellectual Property video discusses the "fair" exceptions to the creator's exclusivity of copyright. Examples include: research, private study, education, satire, criticism, review, or news reporting. |
| Video | Intellectual Property: Case Study | Dr. Arash Shahi | This video is a case study video. It includes information regarding Napster and photocopying copyrighted works including books, articles, and newspapers. |
| Video | Patents | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Intellectual Property video introduces the concept of Patents, and how to obtain one. |
| Video | Trade Secret and Trademark | Dr. Arash Shahi | This Intellectual Property video introduces Trade Secrets and Trademarks. |
| Video | Case Study | Dr. Arash Shahi | This video is a case study on the company Napster, and asks four questions on what can be photocopied. |
