Programmes

Postgraduate Certificate in Patent Law

Programme	Postgraduate Certificate in Patent Law 深造證書(專利法)
Award Title	Postgraduate Certificate in Patent Law 深造證書(專利法)
Offering Academic Unit	School of Law
Mode of Study	Combined mode

Normal Period of Study

1 year (part-time/combined mode)

Maximum Period of Study

2.5 years (part-time/combined mode)

Credit Units Required for Graduation

Programme Aims

The Postgraduate Certificate in Patent Law is designed to offer a deep and comprehensive exploration of intellectual property (IP) law. This programme aims to furnish students with the critical skills needed for effective IP application, management, and maintenance, essential for navigating the complex landscape of global intellectual property law and patent management.

Programme Intended Learning Outcomes (PILOs)

Upon successful completion of this Programme, students should be able to:

develop an in-depth understanding of patent law, including patent drafting, prosecution, litigation, and management;
equip themselves with practical skills in managing and auditing patent portfolios of a company/institution;
provide a comprehensive grasp of the global intellectual property regime’s nuances, emphasizing industrial property rights;
prepare for advanced roles in IP management, focusing on patent strategy and innovation encouragement;
incorporate practical training in IP tools and technologies that streamline patent application and transaction processes.

Programme Requirements

A. For students who have obtained a law degree from common law jurisdictions:

1. Core Courses (9 credit units)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LW6208E	Patent Drafting and Litigation	1.5	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW6209E	Patent Procedures	1.5	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW6196E	International and Comparative Law of Trade Marks and Patents	3	Existing LLM course under IPTL Stream.
LW6199E	Commercialisation of Intellectual Property	3	Existing LLM course under IPTL Stream.

2. Electives (3 credit units)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LW6113E	Law and Technology	3	Existing LLM course under IPTL Stream.
LW6115E	Selected Issues on Chinese IP Law	3	Existing LLM course under IPTL Stream.
LW6216E	China Patent Litigation and Adjudication Rules	1.5	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW6217E	Advanced Patent Theory and Contemporary Issues	3	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW5663Y	Patent Law in Europe	1.5

B. For students who have obtained an honours degree from non-law background or obtained a law degree from non-common law jurisdictions:

1. Bridging Course (3 credit units)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LW6102E	Introduction to Common Law System and Methodology	3	Existing LLM bridging course.

2. Core Courses (6 credit units)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LW6208E	Patent Drafting and Litigation	1.5	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW6209E	Patent Procedures	1.5	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW6210E	International and Comparative Law of Patents	1.5	Covers only the patent-related components of existing LLM course under IPTL Stream (LW6196E).
LW6211E	Commercialisation of Patents	1.5	Covers only the patent-related components of existing LLM course under IPTL Stream (LW6199E).

3. Electives (3 credit units)

Course Code	Course Title	Credit Units	Remarks
LW6113E	Law and Technology	3	Existing LLM course under IPTL Stream.
LW6115E	Selected Issues on Chinese IP Law	3	Existing LLM course under IPTL Stream.
LW6216E	China Patent Litigation and Adjudication Rules	1.5	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW6217E	Advanced Patent Theory and Contemporary Issues	3	Newly launched course designed for PGCPL and LLM IPTL students.
LW5663Y	Patent Law in Europe	1.5

Additional Information

1. Credit Transfer Arrangement for PGCPL Graduates who are Admitted to LLM

Credit transfer for a certain course in the student’s PGCPL study will be approved only if the student has obtained grade C or above.

Maximum number of credit units that can be transferred:

PGCPL graduates in	credit transfer to LLM
PGCPL graduates in	Chinese and Comparative Law	International Economic Law	Common Law	Intellectual Property and Technology Law	Corporate and Financial Law	General	Maritime and Transportation Law
Patent Law	#	#	#	*	#	*	#

* Between same stream of study:

Credit transfer will be limited to a maximum of 100% of the total credit units previously earned from the courses (with grade C or above) that count towards the PGCPL.

# Between different streams of study:

Credit transfer will be limited to a maximum of 30% of the total credit units for the LLM award being pursued and will be approved only for the courses (with grade C or above) counted towards the PGCPL.

Grades from the transferred credit units WILL be counted in the calculation of a student’s GPA for the LLM being pursued.

Validity period for credit transfer purposes: The validity period for courses recognized at the time of admission for credit transfer purposes is 8 years.

2. Additional Notes

(i) For CA weighting > 30%

To pass a course, students need to obtain an aggregate mark of 40% and a minimum of 40% in both the coursework and examination.

(ii) For CA weighting ≤ 30%

The pass mark requirement for the Continuous Assessment (CA) component will be waived for courses with a CA component equal to or less than 30%. This means students only need to achieve the pass mark of 40% for the final exam component AND the overall mark of 40% to pass the course.

(iii) If a student has previously taken a course from another programme offered by the School of Law, e.g. JD programme, the student is not allowed to register for the same course or its equivalent course in the PGCPL programme. However, students may repeat a course, or an equivalent course, to recover a failure or to improve a course grade of C or below in accordance with the Academic Regulations.

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