The course Advanced Intellectual Property Law is given within the framework of the Master of Laws Programme in European Intellectual Property Law at the Department of Law, Stockholm University.  

Read more about the Master of Laws in European Intellectual Property Law

This course topic is characterized by international agreements between countries regarding standards of protection. Since intellectual property law, including regulation of unfair competition, affects the free movement of goods and services within the EU, over time a relatively far-reaching common intellectual property law system has developed within the EU. A series of EU regulations have been adopted to create a unified system concerning geographical quality indications, designs, trade marks and plant rights, among others, as well as a number of directives for harmonisation of national law, including sanctions. In addition, the course will discuss the Uniform Patent System that has recently been adopted, and its wider effects and development.

In the course, students will analyse and solve advanced and complex problems in the area of European intellectual property law. The primary topics are copyright, design law, law on the protection of trade marks and trade symbols (including geographical quality indications, etc) and patents. In addition the student shall obtain a broad understanding of the European and global context for intellectual property law, and also from a political perspective. The substantive focus is on updated case law and current developments in the different sub-areas, including litigation and jurisdiction in cross-border sanctions, as well as building a good overview of the area. The student is trained in the ability to solve problems with combinations of overlapping and transnational intellectual property rights. These problems have become increasingly difficult to address in the light of both Europisation and digitalisation. Special importance is therefore given to instruction in methodology questions, which can be helpful with identifying and refining solutions creatively. Instruction in legal scientific and European intellectual property law methodology as well as legal scientific accuracy occurs throughout the course. The starting point is in international legislation, specific European legislation in the area of intellectual property law, and European Court of Justice case law in the form of legal guidance and decisions in administrative matters. In addition, the course covers the development in the area, historically and in the future, as well as the influence of research on the interpretation of the European intellectual property law regulatory framework, including competition law connected to intellectual property law, economic law (for example, e-commerce) and private international law.

In the course the student shall work individually and in groups as well as complete advanced legal research in the area of European intellectual property law and adjacent areas of the law.