Course Syllabus of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law
Course Title: Trademark Law | ||||
Course Code | 61063004 | Semester | Spring | |
Teaching Hours | 32 | Credits | 2 | |
Prerequisites | Introduction to Chinese Law | |||
Instructor Information | ||||
Name | Xiaoli Wang | everylily@yeah.net | ||
Institute | Civil Law Department, Law School | |||
Applicable Object | International Students | |||
Course Objectives | By the end of the course, the students are expected to be able to: 1. Understand the basic legal terms, doctrines, and rules of trademark law and how they are implemented by the trademark office and the judicial system, 2. Understand rudimental similarities and differences between Chinese, American, and European Union Trademark law, 3. Grasp the international framework for trademark protection and the basic knowledge of branding. | |||
Course Description (200 words) | Trademark is an extremely valuable asset to businesses and enterprises world widely. America, European Union, and China are the three most influential powers in the world in many areas including law, especially intellectual property law. America and the European Union have been influencing and even shaping the intellectual property protection world widely, and the international community has witnessed China’s continuous growth of innovation ability and increasing demand for stronger intellectual property in recent years. Therefore, it is essential for graduate students who are interested in trademark law to look into the similarities and differences between trademark laws in these three jurisdictions. This course is intended to provide an overall study of the trademark regime of China, America and the EU in a comparative way. It consists of three parts, i.e., an overview of the intellectual property regime, the establishment of trademark rights, and protection of trademark rights. For each issue discussed, the instructor will lecture on the statutory framework set by major international treaties such as the Paris Convention, and the TRIPS Agreement, and then proceed to the legal provisions and practices in three jurisdictions. To demonstrate how trademark regime evolves through history, some of the attention will be given to the major legislative changes over time, yet the primary purpose of this course is to help students understand the current effective law in America, China, and the EU. | |||
Assessment Methods |
Class attendance and discussions accounts for 20% of the final grade, and an open-book take home exam 80%.
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Textbooks and References | 1. Students are required to use the course pack prepared by the instructor, which will be handed out at the beginning of the course. 2. No textbook is required. However, the instructor recommends the following books as references, especially to students who are interested in learning more about intellectual property law: (1)WIPO Intellectual Property Handbook, Reprinted in 2008, WIPO Publication No. 489(E), ISBN 978-92-805-1291-5 (2) James Boyle, Jennifer Jenkins, Intellectual Property: Law & the Information Society Cases and Materials (4the Edition, 2021), Duke Center for the Study of Public Domain, ISBN https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/ (3) Lydia Pallas Loren, Joseph Scott Miller, Intellectual Property Law: Cases & Materials, Semaphore Press 2021, ISBN 978-1-943689-04-0, https://www.semaphorepress.com/IntellectualPropertyLaw_overview.html. (4) Barton Beebe, “Trademark Law: An Open-Source Casebook, http://tmcasebook.org/. For more open-source textbooks on IP, see the following link: https://spicyip.com/resources-links/ip-books-open-access. | |||
Course planning | ||||
Chapter 1 | Module 1: Overview Week 1 the Basics of Chinese Law & Chinese Intellectual Property Law A. Course Overview a. Course Goals b. Teaching Methods B. Introduction of Chinese Law a. Brief History of Chinese Law b. Sources of Law in China C. Introduction of Intellectual Property Rights a. Scope of Intellectual Property Rights b. Philosophical Perspectives of Intellectual Property Rights c. Intellectual Property and Related Concepts | |||
Chapter 2 | Module 2: Establishment of Trademark Right Week 2: Protectable & Unprotectable Matter A. Introduction of Trademark Law a. Functions of Trademark b. Policy Justifications of TM Protection c. Trademark Law within the Larger Scheme of IP Law d. Brief History of Trademark Protection B. Definition and Categories of Trademark a. Definition b. Categories C. Unprotected Matter a. Official Signs b. Offensive Marks c. Deceptive Marks d. Limitations on Geographical Names
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Chapter 3 | Week 3: Trademark Distinctiveness A. Introduction a. Trademark Functions & Distinctiveness b. Classification of Distinctiveness B. Acquired Distinctiveness a. Distinguishing Suggestive from Descriptive Marks b. Proving Second Meaning C. Genericness a. Adjudicating Genericness b. Protecting Against Genericism D. Distinctiveness Analysis of Special Marks a. Special Verbal Marks b. Non-verbal Marks | |||
Chapter 4 | Week 4: Other Requirements of TM Rights Establishment A. Functionality Doctrine a. Policy Goals of Functionality Doctrine b. Utilitarian Functionality c. Aesthetic Functionality B. Trademark Registration a. Benefits of Trademark Registration b. Process of Trademark Registration c. The Madrid System: International Application | |||
Chapter 5 | Module 3: Protection of Trademark Rights Week 5: Trademark Infringement A. Introduction a. Test of Trademark Infringement b. Statutory Basis of Trademark Infringement B. The US Approach: The Multi-factor Standard C. The EU & China Approach a. Identity & Similarity of Marks b. Identity & Similarity of Goods/Services D. Special Issues Regarding Trademark Infringement a. Types of Confusion b. “Double Identity” Issue c. Actionable Use Requirement
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Chapter 6 | Week 6: Extended Protection for Well-known Marks A. Introduction a. Necessity & Brief History b. Statutory Basis B. The Fame Requirement for Trademark Dilution a. Geographic Scope b. General Public v. Relevant Public C. Trademark Dilution a. Dilution by Blurring b. Dilution by Tarnishment D. The China & EU Approach a. The China Approach b. The EU Approach c. Compare US with China & EU | |||
Chapter 7 | Week 7: Defenses & Remedies A. Fair Use a. Descriptive Fair Use and Consumer Confusion b. Nominative Fair Use B. Expressive Use of Trademarks a. Expressive Use and the Tests for Confusion b. Test of Permissible Expressive Use C. Exhaustion of Trademark Rights a. First Sale Doctrine b. Parallel Importation D. Injunctions & Damages a. Types & Requirements of Injunctions b. Methods of Damage Calculation & Punitive Damages | |||
Chapter 8 | Week 16 Trademark Protection in International Landscape A. Introduction B. The WIPO Paris Convention and Trademarks a. Protection for Regular Designations b. Joint Recommendation Concerning Provisions on the Protection of Well-known Marks C. The WTO Trips Agreement and Trademarks a. The Trips Agreement Text Analyzed b. WTO Appellate Body Interpretation of the TRIPS Agreement and Paris Convention D. Protection of Geographical Indications in the International Community a. International Framework of GI Protection b. Protection of GIs in EU c. Protection of GIs in China | |||
