Why Study IP Law at the MIPLC?

Thank you for your interest in our LL.M. program "Intellectual Property and Competition Law." On this page, we would like to explain two things: a) Why we feel intellectual property and competition law are relevant, and b) What makes the MIPLC special.

As matters relating to intellectual property play an important role in the fields of science, technology, business and the arts, the need for expertise in intellectual property issues steadily increases. No matter what your profession or educational training, in the course of your work you will have come across the multifaceted and fascinating nature of IP in action.

The various aspects of IP law and related areas of competition law may seem independent of each other at first glance. However, in daily practice, especially when dealing with multinational clients, it quickly becomes apparent that they are highly interconnected. To cite just one example, in order to strategically manage an IP portfolio, one must have both a firm grasp of various areas of IP law as well as an understanding of the relevant markets.

Whereas in the past such knowledge was divided among several departments within a company or various experts within a law firm, the complexity of modern IP transactions now demands that each person involved on a project or case possess well-rounded knowledge of IP related issues. This know-how improves the internal processes of communication, the image of the business and, last but not least, the finished "product".

At the MIPLC, you will find:

• International faculty of academics, attorneys, judges, and corporate IP practitioners
• International and highly diverse student body in terms of nationality, age, and background
• Small classes designed for and taught exclusively to our students
• Individual tutorial sessions
• Access to the Max Planck Institute's IP library, comprising more than 200,000 volumes, and to the MIPLC's own library
• Direct links to the international research community housed at the Max Planck Institute
• Access to legal databases, such as LexisNexis, Westlaw, and Juris
• Student floor with shared office space and high-speed internet connections
• Personalized support from MIPLC Administrative Team
• Financial assistance

After graduation, you will have:

• A globally applicable skill set
• An international network of professional contacts and friends
• An internationally recognized academic degree (LL.M.)
• Excellent career perspectives
• Access to Ph.D. programs, e.g. directly at MIPLC

Besides, you will have had a year of Life in Munich, one of the world's most beautiful and amazing cities.

The MIPLC provides a truly international and interdisciplinary experience, thanks to its international faculty and its students hailing from all over the world.

With just 38 students (maximum) per year, our program is much smaller than others. This guarantees intensive interaction between students, professors, and staff, as well as personalized support. Our courses are designed specially for our program and our students.

Our program is:

• Specialized and fully-accredited, and intensive
• Suitable for lawyers, science/ engineering graduates and students with other backgrounds alike
• Taught entirely in English
• Multi-jurisdictional, covering civil law and common law traditions and multiple countries
• Diverse with a wide variety of modules to choose from
• Interdisciplinary, discussing all aspects of IP from the legal and relevant economic perspectives
• Designed to teach all the practical aspects of IP in simulations, case-studies, and an optional internship
• Supplemented with study visits e.g. to the European Patent Office and BMW, and guest lectures and talks throughout the year
• A member of the EIPIN network
• Located in Europe's IP Capital Munich

The MIPLC takes particular pride in its distinguished faculty, one of the core pillars of any educational institution.

Our about 60 active faculty members are highly respected researchers and practitioners who among them have a wealth of experience. They are at home in a variety of professional environments. The majority are tenured professors and researchers working with one of the four MIPLC partners or with other renowned universities such as the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, the University of California, and Columbia University. Others work as attorneys for renowned and internationally active law firms including Bird & Bird or Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer; as IP officials for the European Patent Office or the World Intellectual Property Organization; as judges; or as practitioners in the world of corporate IP.

The members of the MIPLC Managing Board also teach at least one course per academic year. As part of our continuous curriculum review, we regularly recruit new faculty members from around the world to further increase the diversity of our program.

Our curriculum is highly comprehensive, covering a wide variety of areas, subject matters, and jurisdictions.

We aim to give our students an extensive selection of courses to allow them to study their preferred area(s) of interest as broadly and deeply as possible. Comprehensive reading and study materials are provided for each course.

An educational institution cannot live without students. At the MIPLC, we are proud of our outstanding student body, who further enliven the study experience with their diverse and amazing personalities.

Our program is truly international and interdisciplinary, and so are our students. They have backgrounds in law, economics, engineering, natural sciences, and other fields. They come to the MIPLC from all over the world to prepare for ambitious careers in the IP sector, especially as attorneys, patent agents, judges, business experts, scientists, engineers, and university faculty members. We are especially proud of training a student sponsored by the Japanese Supreme Court every year.

Many of our students join the MIPLC relatively soon after completing their primary studies and gaining initial professional experience. However, we also continue to attract professionals with extensive practical IP experience who decide to undertake further studies. We have therefore been able to welcome students aged 21 to 50 to our classroom. The average age of each class of students is about 30 years.

In addition to the information provided here, you may wish to get first-hand information from previous students, who, ideally, come from the same country and have a similar background as you do. Please visit our Alumni website. There you will find, among other items, the Contacts and Expertise Database with almost 100 entries of MIPLC alumni, including their countries of origin, the areas of expertise, and their contact details.