Dresden University of Technology - International Studies in Intellectual Property Law

The Law School

The LL.M. is offered by the Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Media Law at the Law School of the Technische Universität Dresden (Dresden University of Technology). Dresden is the ideal location for graduate studies in Intellectual Property Law: accommodating the production sites for computer chips as well as luxury cars, it is one of the most important locations for research and production of high technology in Europe. The Dresden University of Technology is renowned for research, teaching activities as well as numerous inventions. It thus provides the ideal environment for an interdisciplinary approach to Law and Technology.

The unique international dimension of the program is achieved in a long-standing co-operation with the University of Exeter, the Queen Mary University of London, the Charles-University of Prague, the Jagiellonian University of Cracow, the Robert-Schuman-University of Strasbourg and the University of Washington in Seattle.

The Program

The Law of Intellectual Property Rights, such as Copyright, Patents and Trade Marks, forms an essential base for the promotion of innovation and economic progress and is therefore of considerable practical relevance. Due to globalizing markets, the international dimension of this area of law has grown significantly.

In view of this, it was indicated to offer a specialised study programme which emphasises on international aspects. The LL.M. programme "International Studies in Intellectual Property Law" was founded by Professor Dr. Horst-Peter Götting, Director of the Institute of Intellectual Property, Competition and Media Law in 1999/2000, as the first of its kind in Germany. It was awarded a prize by the Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft, the Donor´s Federation for the German Science, and is generously supported by the German Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (GRUR).

The one-year programme is divided into four parts:

1. During the winter semester (October - January) students can choose to study at one of our six partner universities in Exeter (UK), London (UK), Cracow (Poland), Prague (Czech Rep.), Seattle (USA) and Strasbourg (France). During this time the international and European framework for the different areas of law as well as the national IP law of the hosting country are in the focus of the student’s studies. Lectures are held in the national language of the hosting university. In addition, students in Prague and Cracow have the opportunity to attend lectures in English.

2. In February and March students studying in Exeter, London, Cracow and Prague complete an internship of four to six weeks in a public authority, company or law firm in Germany or abroad which specialises in Intellectual Property Law. Students studying in Strasbourg and Seattle need not complete an internship due to the practically oriented nature and the extended length of the studies there.

3. Students spend the summer semester, starting in April, at the Dresden University of Technology. In Dresden they will take part in lectures, seminars, and working groups covering intellectual property law, competition law and related legal fields. The practical emphasis of the programme means that the students are also offered the opportunity to apply practical knowledge in a “Moot Court”. In addition a weekly practitioner’s panel is offered, where lawyers, patent judges and other specialists hand on valuable knowledge about working in IP. The Dresden semester is concluded with a colloquium and a study trip to Munich, where visits are made to the European Patent Office, the German Patent and Trade Mark Office, the Federal Patents Court, IP law firms and media companies. The language of instruction in Dresden is German.

4. Finally students have to complete a final thesis (July - September). Students can choose the subject in consultation with Professor Götting. The best thesis is awarded a prize by the law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer.

After having completed the programme successfully the degree “LL.M. – International Studies in Intellectual Property Law” is awarded to the students during a graduation ceremony at the beautiful castle “Schloss Eckberg” in Dresden.


Specialized Lawyer’s Examination Course - FACHANWALTSKLAUSURENKURS “Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz”

In addition to the Master’s programme students who have qualified for admission to the bar in Germany or who are planning to do so have the opportunity to take part in our Specialized Lawyer’s Examination Course (Fachanwaltsklasurenkurs) and thereby obtain the theoretical knowledge in the field of Industrial Property Law (Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz) according to sections 4 and 4a of the Specialized Lawyer’s Regulation (Fachanwaltsordnung).

Entry Requirements

- First Legal State Exam (Germany), Bachelor’s degree in law or an equivalent foreign degree
- Applicants wishing to spend the winter semester in Exeter, London or Seattle must provide an IELTS or TOEFL English language test (the minimum entry requirements depend on those set out by our partner universities)
- Applicants wishing to spend the winter semester in Strasbourg must provide proof of good knowledge of the French language
- Applicants wishing to spend the winter semester in Prague or Cracow must provide proof of basic knowledge of the Czech or Polish language
- PLEASE NOTE: Applicants whose native language is not German must provide proof of good knowledge of the German language (e.g. DSH-Prüfung, TestDaF (Level C1), Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom or Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung from the Goethe Institut)

Application Procedure

Please download the application form from our website:
tu-dresden.de/die_tu_dresden/fakultaeten/juristisc…

The following documents have to be submitted:

- a completed application form
- a letter of motivation in English
- a curriculum vitae in English or German
- official transcripts of the first (and if applicable second) degree
- language test certificate(s)

Letters of recommendation from IP/IT/media practitioners or academics, other proof of interest or experience in IP law (such as internship certificates, Wahlfachscheine, additional studies certificates) are very welcome, but not a prerequisite for application.

One major advantage of our programme is the possibility to start in OCTOBER as well as in APRIL of each year.

The application deadline for the October intake is 15 JUNE.
The application deadline for the April intake is 15 FEBRUARY.

For applicants wishing to study in Seattle during the winter semester the application deadline is 15 February for the October as well as for the April intake.

The number of places on the programme is limited. So is the number of places in each of our partner universities. Students will be admitted according to their academic merits. Early applications are very welcome and might qualify for an early admission, depending on the academic achievements of the applicant.

Please visit www.llm-ip.de for further information.

Tuition and Fees

Winter semester:
- tuition fees differ depending on the partner university you are visiting, please refer to our website www.llm-ip.de for more information
- enrolment fee at the TU Dresden (currently 170 EUR, partly refundable)

Summer semester:
- contribution towards the expenses of the studies in Dresden: currently 2000 EUR
- enrolment fee at the TU Dresden (currently 170 EUR incl. free public transport in and around Dresden)

Financial Aid

A number of small scholarships are available to highly qualified students or students coming from Eastern European countries. In addition students going to Prague and Strasbourg might be qualified for financial support under the Erasmus scheme. Please refer to our website for more information.

Location

We offer more than just an intensive professional education: You will live in a city that Johann Gottfried Herder once called the German Florence. The first locomotive was constructed in Saxony as well as the first German long-distance railway and the first German steamship. The first industrially produced calculator was constructed in Glashütte near Dresden in 1878, a place that is now famous for its watch manufacturers. Prof Dr Ernst Hartig, the first president of the Patent Office, lived in Dresden and gave lectures at our University. Therefore it is not surprising that the Dresden Regional Court of Appeals was the most popular place for inventors to defend their ideas and inventions. That said Dresden is not only a place with a great past – you will meet the future here! Dresden is the largest and most modern place for high technology in East Germany: productions facilities by Infineon, AMD and Volkswagen are just a few reasons why Dresden is also know as “Silicon Saxony”. Since the Eastward Enlargement of the Union Dresden has also become a gateway to the emerging markets of Central and Eastern Europe.

From a cultural and historic point of view Dresden is an ideal place to study. The cultural live in Dresden is characterized by numerous beautiful castles, traditional institutions such as The Semper Opera, The Dresden State Art Collections, modern institutions such as the Centre for Modern Music, a number of small theatres and art-cinemas as well as a lively pub and party scene. Dresden is home to the highest number of student clubs in Germany. For those who are looking to leave the city behind in their spare time the Elbe river, the Elbe Sandstone Mountains and the Saxon Switzerland National Park are just around the corner and provide for a plethora of outdoor activities.