Innovation and International Transactions law


The course focuses on two different but complementary fields: innovation and international transactions law. Innovation and technology represent a driving factor of our society and economy, nevertheless it is necessary to regulate innovation in order to protect investments in new technologies, to guarantee a democratic and non-offensive use of technology and to make agreements in order to transfer the results of innovation and the related products or services.
From this perspective, the course is mainly designed to give students without a legal background a general introduction and an orientation on the following topics:

Section I (19)

IT innovation and law

• the impact of the digital revolution
• next generation users and business approaches


The connected world: new services and new society

• my privacy, our privacy and the data gatekeepers
• US and EU: different approaches
• crime and social control


On-line economy and e-commerce regulation

• new services and legal challenges
• consumer behaviors and behavioral economy
• corporate online reputation


Section II
This section of the course intends to provide an overview on the main and basic legal aspects concerning the protection of innovation through the legislation on Intellectual Property (IP). A part of the course is focused on providing a general overview on the fields of Intellectual Property protection, with particular reference to the rights (IPRs) connected with the innovation (patents, trade secrets, copyright, etc.). Other lectures are aimed at examining some agreements connected to the transfer of technology.


General introduction on IPRs

• the concept of IP. Innovation, technology and development
• international treaties and conventions on IP


Innovation and related fields of IP protection

• patents
• trade secrets
• industrial design and integrated circuits
• copyright
• technological and legal developments in IP: computer programs, biotechnology, communication technology
• enforcement of IPRs


Transfer of technology agreements

• license agreement
• assignment agreements

Section III

This section of the course will cover international contract law by providing a general overview of the main issues encountered in cross border deals (e.g., choice of law, dispute resolution, enforcement), how they are addressed in the business practice and in the international (and domestic) regulations and how an Cross-border transaction is negotiated and conducted in the real world. After this general introduction, students will be analyzing examples of international contracts (in particular taken from international financial markets). The purpose of this section is to give students the opportunity to learn from exposure to commonly encountered transaction types and the regulatory and business environment in which these transactions are conducted.

Introduction on cross-border transactions and international contract law

Domestic and international regulation

International sale

Other international financial transactions (syndicated loans, securities offerings and derivatives)