Collaborative intellectual property learning: law and design-engineering students bring IP law to life

This chapter provides an insight into the collaboration between final year IP law students and Design and Engineering (D&E) students at Bournemouth University. The IP-D&E project provides a platform for the law students to act as ‘solicitors’ to their ‘clients’, the design and engineering students, who are involved in the creation of products as part of their final year project. The ability for law students to provide IP advice on ‘real’ innovations through an advice letter, legal references and oral presentation, whilst formative elements such as the inquiry form, not only enhances their learning, but brings IP law to life. The project supports students to learn about IP protection, commercialisation, exploitation, searching the trade mark, design and patent registers and fees whilst identifying pitfalls, such as infringement. This chapter provides an insight into the manner in which the IP-D&E project has evolved throughout the years, how it has been operationalised, changes implemented, challenges and opportunities it has presented and lessons learned in the two decades it has run at Bournemouth University.