Course Description
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of several important legal principles encountered in international business. The course will consider the structure and sources of international law and will examine key legal issues found in both private and public international law.
The coverage of private international law will focus on the areas of international dispute resolution, international sale of goods transactions, international transportation, and legal aspects relating to international finance. The course will also consider selected issues of public international law that include the global trading framework, customs law, intellectual property law, international taxation, and international labour and human rights law. It is recommended that students take BLAW 1320 prior to enrolling in this course. Students who have already received credit for BUSN 3700 will not get further credit for this course.
Learning Activities
Lectures, videos, analysis of legal issues, discussion of legal cases, case assignments, and/or group activities.
Means of Assessment
| Term examination(s) |
30 - 40% |
| Term Paper |
20 - 30% |
| Final examination |
30 - 40% |
| Class participation and/or assignments and/or quizzes |
0 - 10% |
| |
100% |
Students may conduct research as part of their coursework in this class. Instructors for the course are responsible for ensuring that student research projects comply with College policies on ethical conduct for research involving humans, which can require obtaining Informed Consent from participants and getting the approval of the Douglas College Research Ethics Board prior to conducting the research.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the course, the successful student should be able to:
- distinguish between the concepts of international private law and international public law;
- recognize the main aspects of the international legal system including the sources of international law and the issues encountered in transnational disputes;
- identify the key elements of an international sale of goods contract and understand the role and influence of the UN Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods on global trade;
- describe the main tools used to finance the global trade in goods;
- recognize the importance of international transportation in global trade and identify the legal issues that arise with the carriage of goods by sea, air, road and rail;
- describe the global trading framework set out in the World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement and various regional trading agreements including North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA);
- summarize the basic principles of Canada’s customs laws as they relate to global trade;
- distinguish between copyright, trademarks, and patents, describe the protection accorded to intellectual property by international law, and explain the available licensing mechanisms;
- identify the general principles of international labour law and international human rights law;
- explain the concept of international tax treaties and describe the various methods used by national governments to levy income taxes; and
- describe the key legal aspects associated with the common forms of international business aliances.
Textbook Materials
Schaffer, R., Agusti, F., and Earle, B., International Business Law and its Environment. Latest Edition. (Nelson Education Canada), or
August, R., Mayer, D., and Bixby, M., International Business Law: Text, Cases, and Readings. Latest Edition. (Pearson Prentice Hall), or
Any other textbook(s) as decided by the Business Law Department, and
Additional cases and/or readings as per the Instructor's discretion.