Overview
The Law of Startups is a simulation based unit designed to enable you to navigate through complex cross-disciplinary challenges facing startups involving multiple legal issues, business and ethical decisions. The focus is on practical evidence based decision making enabling you to resolve legal issues rather than pure analysis of legal authorities. The real world is messy and interconnected. The unit will immerse you in a legal simulation involving many of the following factors: Developing a pitch; Business structures; Business Risk; Financing; Intellectual property issues; Protecting confidential information and trade secrets; Licensing; Security law; Employment law – staffing issues; Taxation issues; Marketing and Advertising, Consumer law issues; Standard form contracts; Terms of use and privacy policies; and exit strategies.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Co-requisite: LAWS11057 Introduction to Law or LAWS11030
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 1 - 2023
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit evaluation survey.
The course was well received but there were serious complaints about group work accounting for 40% of the overall assessment as some group member did less and seemed to have benefitted more from the hard-work of others. There was also a suggestion for a taxation topic and trust obligations be included in the course content.
The unit is designed to promote team work collaboration which is essential for many business organisations. I think this design should be maintained. However, to ensure students are fully on board with the rationale for the teamwork, the essence of the collaboration should be clearly communicated to students. Groups may also be reduced to a maximum of two per group with the students given the option of picking a partner for the teamwork. A short discussion on taxation law should be included in the course content for the next offering.
- Synthesise the pitch, initial planning and imagining of an organisation structure
- Analyse data patterns and trends to solve issues with finance and security
- Using design and innovation to manage success, maintain cash flow and ensure sustainable growth
- Assess a crisis and evaluate alternative solutions to avoid startup collapse
- Compare and evaluate alternative exit strategies.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 40% | |||||
| 2 - Critical Review - 60% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Presentation - 40% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Critical Review - 60% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Understanding Business Law
Edition: 9 (2019)
Authors: Stephen Graw, David Parker, Keturah Whitford, Elfriede Sangkuhl, Christina Do
Lexis Nexis
ISBN: 9780409348941
Binding: Paperback
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: Australian Guide to Legal Citation, 4th ed
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
o.owoeye@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Introduction to Law of Startups
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Business Structures
Chapter
Wong, Baumfield, Copp, Cunningham, Harpur, Company Law: An Interactive Approach (Wiley, 1st ed., 2017) pp 3 - 38.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Employment Law
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Risk Management: Introduction to Consumer Law
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 261 - 281
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Risk Management: Introduction to Consumer Protection Law
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 283 - 310.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Risk Management: Negligence
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 669 - 706.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Corporate Governance
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 493 - 528.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Intellectual Property Rights - Copyright
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 559 - 572.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Intellectual Property Rights – Trademarks
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 582 - 587.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Intellectual Property Rights – Patents and Designs
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 572 - 582.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Start-up Funding
Chapter
Don Hofstrand, Types and Sources of Financing for Start-up Businesses (File C5-92 April 2013).
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Business Ethics
Chapter
Stephen Graw et.al., Understanding Business Law (LexisNexis, 9th ed, 2019) pp 353 - 373.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Presentation
Students will be presented with a set of facts relating to the creation of a new business and they will be expected to come up with suitable business structure options with a general advice on managing risks. Students will be divided into groups of 3 to 5 in performing this task.
Week 6 Friday (21 Apr 2023) 11:45 pm AEST
Week 8 Friday (5 May 2023)
This assessment will be assessed according to the following criteria: quality of the statement of the legal issue(s) (10%), and rules/legal principles (30%); correct and thorough analysis and application of the rules and legal principles to the legal issue(s) (40%); well thought-out conclusion (10%), and quality of the language usage and observance of proper structure, format, and instructions (10%).
- Synthesise the pitch, initial planning and imagining of an organisation structure
- Analyse data patterns and trends to solve issues with finance and security
- Using design and innovation to manage success, maintain cash flow and ensure sustainable growth
- Assess a crisis and evaluate alternative solutions to avoid startup collapse
- Compare and evaluate alternative exit strategies.
- Communication
2 Critical Review
This task will require students to solve a problem relating to a start-up's governance, funding and IP rights management.
Week 12 Friday (2 June 2023) 11:45 pm AEST
This assessment will be assessed according to the following criteria: quality of the statement of the legal issue(s) (10%), and rules/legal principles (30%); correct and thorough analysis and application of the rules and legal principles to the legal issue(s) (40%); well thought-out conclusion (10%), and quality of the language usage and observance of proper structure, format, and instructions (10%).
- Synthesise the pitch, initial planning and imagining of an organisation structure
- Analyse data patterns and trends to solve issues with finance and security
- Using design and innovation to manage success, maintain cash flow and ensure sustainable growth
- Assess a crisis and evaluate alternative solutions to avoid startup collapse
- Compare and evaluate alternative exit strategies.
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
