LL4BP Half Unit
Current Issues in Intellectual and Cultural Property Law
This information is for the 2025/26 session.
Course Convenor
Dr Luke Mcdonagh
Availability
This course is available on the LLM (extended part-time), LLM (full-time), MSc in Law and Finance and University of Pennsylvania Law School LLM Visiting Students. This course is available with permission as an outside option to students on other programmes where regulations permit. This course uses controlled access as part of the course selection process.
How to apply: Priority will be given initially to LLM, MSc Regulation and MSc Law and Finance students on a first-come-first-served allocation.
Spaces permitting, requests from all other students will be processed on the same first-come-first-served allocation from 10am on Thursday 2 October 2025
By submitting an application, students are confirming that they meet any pre-requisites specified. Providing an additional written statement will not aid a student's chances of being accepted onto a course, and statements are not read.
Deadline for application: Not applicable
For queries contact: Law.llm@lse.ac.uk
This course has a limited number of places and demand is typically high. This may mean that you’re not able to get a place on this course.
Course content
This course takes a historical, theoretical and contextual approach to intellectual and cultural property and aims to provide an overview of the concepts, institutional models, and socio-economic formations that cut across the diversity of both regimes. Expansive questions are asked but not in abstraction. Contemporary cases studies will be used to interrogate the normative bases and doctrinal architecture of rights to inventions, art, trade marks, biodiversity and more. A wide range of topics and interests will be covered and no previous background in intellectual property will be assumed.
Indicative seminar topics include the encroachment of the public domain by the pressure to protect unprecedented kinds of subject matter, the relevance of monopolies in 'negative spaces' (the fashion industry, fan fiction, magicians, and stand-up comedy); the evolution of non-conventional trade marks such as scents, shapes and over-arching brands, the link between incentives and innovation; the controversy over Covid-19 vaccine production and technology transfer, artificial intelligence as inventor and author, and the intersection of human rights and intellectual property.
Teaching
20 hours of seminars in the Winter Term.
This course has a reading week in Week 6 of Winter Term.
Formative assessment
All students are expected to produce one 2,000 word formative essay during the course.
Indicative reading
• Biagioli, Jaszi & Woodmansee, Making and Unmaking Intellectual Property (2011).
• Boyle, The Public Domain. Enclosing the Commons of the Mind (2009).
• Miles, Art as Plunder. The Ancient Origins of Debate About Cultural Property (2008).
• McDonagh, Performing Copyright: Law, Theatre and Authorship (2021).
Assessment
Exam (100%), duration: 150 Minutes in the Spring exam period
Key facts
Department: LSE Law School
Course Study Period: Winter Term
Unit value: Half unit
FHEQ Level: Level 7
CEFR Level: Null
Total students 2024/25: 39
Average class size 2024/25: 39
Controlled access 2024/25: YesCourse selection videos
Some departments have produced short videos to introduce their courses. Please refer to the course selection videos index page for further information.
For this course, please see the following link/s:
LL4BP Current Issues in Intellectual and Cultural Property Law Course Guide Video https://youtu.be/0CQRKCo-TXM