Patent litigation worldwide has grown substantially in both case numbers and financial amounts over the past decade - driven by innovation, NPEs, and legal changes. But to fully appreciate what is happening, this class provides the necessary backgrounds in patent claims drafting that is driving these litigation trend. The claims section of a patent specification defines the legal boundaries of the claimed invention. In litigation, if a claim is drafted too broadly, it is vulnerable to being invalidated by prior art. If it is too narrow, a competitor can "design around" it by making changes to circumvent the claims. The emerging of Standard Essential Patent (SEP) has greatly impacted traditional infringement litigation. In a SEP case, you will argue about whether the product follows the industry standard and if a patent is considered as "essential", it means it is technically challenging to comply with the industry standard without infringing the corresponding patent. Successful completion of the course will build-up student's practical skills in patent drafting and understanding its impact on patent litigation cases.  

Applicable to students admitted before Semester A 2022/23 and in Semester A 2024/25 & thereafter 

Students must obtain an overall mark of 40% in order to pass the course.

Applicable to students admitted from Semester A 2022/23 to Summer Term 2024

Students must obtain an overall mark of 50% in order to pass the course.