Author: Rishima Rawat
The field of Intellectual Property (IP) law is an interesting and lucrative one. IP law offers legal protection to creative works. The aim of this protection is to reward the creators for their efforts and encourage innovation. The types of IP include copyright, trademarks, patents and designs. These are exclusive territorial rights and may vary depending on the jurisdiction. They are very valuable and can be licensed for a fee. This commercial aspect makes them very lucrative. Companies, especially startups, have been monetising their IP to their advantage. There has been a rapid growth in the number of IP applications filed in the last few years. This can be attributed to the rise of innovative startups coupled with major leaps in technology.
The IP ecosystem provides numerous opportunities for legal professionals. There are various avenues that a legal professional can pursue. For example, if you are interested in patents, you can specialise in patents and become a patent analyst. There are many law firms in India that have IP law as their primary practice area. With constant innovation and new companies realising the need to protect their IP, this field offers interesting prospects and growth opportunities.
Another area of law that never takes a backseat is contract drafting. It is not really a special area per se but a very vital skill that every lawyer must have. Contracts form the backbone of a business transaction. Thus, highly skilled lawyers who can draft strong contracts are sought by every business entity. If you have an interest in IP and are deft at drafting contracts, you can very well establish your own legal practice. To give you a strong foundation in these subjects, we at Enhelion offer a wide range of online legal courses for you to choose from. Here is a list of online courses, categorised according to the subject, that you can choose to strengthen your knowledge.
Before you browse through the courses, let us tell you about the special characteristics of online courses at Enhelion. All of them are self-paced- you can complete them according to your convenience. They are taught by industry practitioners who have years of experience behind them. You will get lifetime access to the material provided in the course. On successful completion, you will also receive a book on the subject, authored by the course faculty and published by Bloomsbury India.
Now, the courses:
Intellectual Property Law and Management: Our courses on IP law and management offer a detailed understanding of the IP ecosystem and the basic concepts of IP law. We offer a certificate course in IP law and management. It explains the fundamental concepts of IP and the protection offered by law. It also discusses commercialisation and valuation of IP. If you want to gain in-depth knowledge of the subject, there is a diploma course available. It is an advanced version of the above-mentioned certificate course. It explains, inter alia, the strategic issues that arise in commercialisation of IP, licensing, franchising and management of IP, its valuation methodology and compliance issues.
Merely having a knowledge of IP law isn’t enough. IP has to be registered in order to be protected. To equip you with practical skills of registering an IP, we offer a certificate course in IP processes and application. This course teaches you about the process involved in registering a copyright, patent, industrial design and trademark.
IP Contracts: As we already know, contract drafting is an essential skill for any lawyer. For an IP lawyer, it is also very important to know the special clauses that are included in IP contracts. Our course on IP contracts provides you with this skillset. It explains clauses pertinent to IP contracts such as confidentiality, software and relevant license clauses, assignment of IP and research and development.
Design Law: The first thing that we notice about an article is probably its design- its shape, pattern and colours. Thus, design is an important IP that is protected under the Designs Act, 2000. We offer a certificate course that discusses the international conventions as well as the Indian law on designs and their protection. This course also deals with registration and cancellation of designs.
Trademarks: IP law does not involve only lawyers. It also has other professionals such as agents. You can also become a trademark agent with the help of our certificate course. A trademark agent is responsible for filing trademark applications, oppose cases and help with other aspects, including the legal ones, of trademark. To become a patent agent, one has to qualify an examination conducted by the Trademark Registry. Our course offers all the help that one may require for becoming a trademark agent. It covers topics such as trademark filing, assignment and contested proceedings.
Media and IP: IP and media are closely linked. The explosion of new media platforms has led to a constant flow of content that is rapidly consumed by users. But when posting content, one needs to be aware of the media regulations as well as IP issues that may arise by sharing such media. To give you a holistic understanding of these two subjects and how they interact with each other, we offer a diploma course on media, IP and the law.
IP and the Internet: This is a unique course which discusses the role that the internet plays in IP management. It covers topics such as the new media, e-commerce, copyright and trademarks in these sectors. It also discusses internet-specific issues such as domain name and digital brand management.
IP and Art Law: While an art can be protected under copyright, there are also other rights known as the artist’s rights. These rights belong to the ‘author’ of the work as a creator. To understand the scope of these rights, we offer a diploma in art law and IP. This is a detailed course that discusses the creative process, artist’s rights and the underlying issues and licensing and management of created works. It also explains copyright in architectural expression and dimensional arts.
IP and Technology Law: Recently, there has been a lot of discussion on data privacy and cyberspace in general. More businesses are joining the online space to reach their target consumers and promote their goods and services. It is important for law students as well as legal professionals to understand the cyberspace and its impact on IP. Our meticulously prepared diploma in technology law and IP provides you with the required knowledge and understanding. It discusses issues such as data privacy, corporate compliance, legal risks when promoting a business online and technology transfer and IP rights.
Entertainment and IP Law and Policy: The entertainment sphere has expanded dramatically and now includes films, television, radio, music, streaming services (hello Netflix and Prime Video), online gaming and advertising. All these are connected with IP law in some manner. To understand their interaction, we offer a certificate course dealing with entertainment and IP law. It covers all the laws relevant to the entertainment industry. It discusses the issues that have emerged with the rampant use of social media. It also explains concepts such as recovery litigation, criminal litigation and alternate dispute resolution.
Conclusion
The above courses have been developed keeping the recent legal and technological developments in mind. They offer you a complete understanding of the IP ecosystem in India and how it has adapted with the recent changes. There are courses that teach substantive law in great detail. There are also courses that address the practicality of the field, such as IP contracts and trademark examination. The practice-oriented nature of these courses will help you navigate processes routinely encountered by IP specialists. The knowledge gained from these courses can help you build a strong foundation in IP law and practice. Once you are thorough will the law and its procedures, you can start your own practice. Since you will get lifetime access to the courses, you can always revisit the course whenever you feel like.