Intellectual Property in the Healthcare Industry (Coursera)

The course concludes with in-depth case studies of an international pharmaceutical company, a major medical device company, and a start-up in the emerging DNA-testing industry.
What You Will Learn

• Identify the various forms of intellectual property protection available under U.S. Law
• Understand the special intellectual property laws developed for the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries, especially as regards to drug patents
• Examine how the law has responded to cutting-edge medical developments such as ownership of genetic material and genetic information
• Recognize the variety of intellectual property strategies employed by healthcare-oriented businesses of all sizes

Course 3 of 4 in the Healthcare Law Specialization.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
Existing Intellectual Property Protection in the U.S.
This module will introduce the concept of intellectual property and explain how it creates value. You will learn about the major forms of intellectual property protection in the United States - copyright, trademarks, and patents, as well as alternative forms of intellectual property protection.

WEEK 2
Philosophical and Economic Justifications of IP Rights
Why have intellectual property protection at all? This module examines the effect of intellectual property law on the modern economy, and the policy reasons behind providing intellectual property protection.

WEEK 3
Special Intellectual Property Rules for Healthcare
This module will explore the innovative ways in which intellectual property law has responded to the unique demands and features of the modern healthcare industry.

WEEK 4
Case Studies in Intellectual Property
This module takes an in-depth look at the intellectual property strategies of three major healthcare companies: 23 and Me, Novartis, and Medtronic.