Programme
structure
The students will …
… each study in two of the six consortium partners and thus in two different countries, different from the country of residence of the student at enrolment stage, following a designated track within the joint programme in order to achieve two degrees, one from each of the institutions at which the student studies.
Studies will be …
… conducted full-time over the period of one year with credits designated on a semester-basis in accordance with the degree awarding requirements of each institution involved with (at least) 30 ECTS each and in line with the Lisbon Convention.
All MIPDaL students start …
… their studies at the beginning of September with a joint online Induction week in the second week of September. The study programme is designed to end in the first week of September with its last exam or submission of the master’s thesis. Assessment and awarding can take place later as well.
MIPDaL Programme timeline:
Early
September
Start of the academic programme for all students
Mid-
September
Induction week
September-January
1st mobility phase
Teaching and examination period according to study
End of
January –
June
2nd mobility phase
Teaching and examination period at 2nd MIPDaL partner according to study
End of
June
MIPDaL IP Summer Conference &
Graduation event for last years students
JulY – 1St
week of
September
Master’s thesis
After Master’s Thesis
Graduation
The academic programme …
… begins at each partner according to the academic calendar in force and established there, according to annual alterations. The exact study periods are compiled each year in June by the Education Committee in accordance with the partner’s internal specifications and will be published before applications start.
Students start …
… their first semester (basics in IP & Data Law) at the respective institutes of the following Consortium partners:
• TUD
• TalTech
• UC3M
• UNISTRA/CEIPI
During the second semester …
… modules within the specialisation tracks will be provided by the following partners:
• IT and Data Law: TUD, UoE, TalTech
• Creative Industries: TUD, QMUL
• Industrial Property Law: TUD, UNISTRA/CEIPI, UoE
The teaching partners in the second semester provide a wide range of options for deepening the specialisation.
Students are able to …
… complete an internship or an alternative practice-based course within each track allowing students to comply with this requirement. Students that choose to study at UC3M will have to do an internship mandatorily.
The Mipdal Curriculum …
… with compulsory and elective modules offered at each Consortium Partner is compulsory. It is guaranteed that the same learning outcomes are addressed in full irrespective of the elective choices made.
General Information
Students can choose to follow one of three different tracks in the MIPDaL programme: the IT & Data Law track, the Creative Industries track and the Industrial Property Law track. While in the first term the basic learning outcomes are the same across all tracks and universities, specialization starts in the second term with specialized courses per track and university partners.
Students can choose tracks as to their study interest upon application. They, however, need to follow the general mobility rules of the programme: all students need to study at two different universities, which have to be different from the country of residence of the student at the time of enrolment.
MIPDaL provides a student-centred curriculum, based on a strong interaction between research and education. By the cooperation between the consortium partners, it delivers a top quality and broad multidisciplinary basis as well as a top-level individual specialisation in one of 3 disciplines:
- IT & Data Law,
- Creative Industries
- Industrial Property Law
MIPDaL Programme timeline:
1ST
Mipdal
Semester
MOBILITY PHASE / TRANSITION
During the first semester it is assured that students from different educational backgrounds will receive the necessary foundation of IP & Data Law, provided by a virtual Introductory session on EU Law, followed by lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials in Modules with regards to Patent Law, Trademark & Design Law, IT & Data Law and Copyright Law in order to continue with more specialised subjects in the second semester, according to the student’s choice and their professional and academic interests in the three disciplines/specialisation tracks.
Duration
The programme covers one academic year, for which successful students will receive 60 ECTS. The academic year (September – August) is divided into 2 semesters. The first semester starts in the beginning of September, and lasts until the 15 January. The second semester lasts from January until the very beginning of September. The thesis deadline is at the end of August each year. The unique international character of the MIPDaL Programme is secured through an intensive co-operation between six European universities and also Non-European partners.
Students study at two different universities. In the first semester students can choose among four teaching universities. In the last term students have the choice of five different locations.
Terms & Courses
The first semester courses are introductory courses as well as core courses on the major topics in IP & Data Law. In the second semester, students take specialized courses according to their individual career plans and write their master thesis.
The MIPDaL is a full time programme. As such, we discourage taking a side job, since you have to be available for classes during the week. Class attendance is highly recommended (if not obligatory), except in case of absence for documented medical reasons or other exceptional circumstances.
All courses at TalTech and TUD are taught in English, while courses at UNISTRA/CEIPI will be taught in French and at UC3M are taught in Spanish. The thesis has to be written in English if not agreed on otherwise.
Track: IT & Data Law
With regard to Creative Industries and IP Law, technological developments such as 3D printing, foundation models, especially Generative AI systems and metaverses have the potential to disrupt the conditions for human creations. These developments imply both risks and opportunities for artists – a development that is of great significance not only for individuals, but also for society as a whole, given the great importance of art and culture for artistic diversity and public discussion in a democratic society.
QMUL is ideally positioned to offer this specialisation as it teaches numerous modules which allow students to obtain specialised knowledge in relation to the fields of fashion, art and music, and the software and gaming industries. Many modules are co-taught with practitioners from these industries. London is also a particularly special location in which to study law of the creative industries, with the UK rapidly becoming a major filmmaking jurisdiction for international productions, whilst also being home to an internationally renowned theatre district, as well as to remarkable museums and collections. London’s flourishing entertainment law industry offers significant opportunities to the students on the programme, including potential for work experience as well as networking through career events.
Located in a city that is characterised by its rich art and cultural scene, TUD has been cooperating with cultural institutions from the Dresden region and others in the DRESDEN-concept research alliance since 2010. Lectures and seminars by legal experts practising in the sectors of publishing and the media, the music and film industries as well as the art of dance are regularly part of TUD’s teaching portfolio. The interface between Generative AI and IP law and its impact on the protection of human creativity has been one of the research focuses at TUD for the last years.
Modules offered
Track: IP Law
As for Industrial Property Law, IP offices, companies and law firms have a high demand for experts trained in the core areas of Industrial Property Law, thus lawyers, who are not only familiar with EU IP Law, but also with the respective national particularities of the member states. In particular, the efforts to establish an EU-wide unitary patent system and a Unified Patent Court, which, despite decades of efforts, could only commence its activities in 2023 due to national peculiarities, show the special requirements that Industrial Property Law entails for a European uniform legal framework and thus also for experts in this field. New technological developments, such as genetic engineering and AI have added yet new challenges. The same is true for the EUIPO with regard to Trademark and Design Law.
With UNISTRA/CEIPI as a partner of the MIPDaL programme, students have the opportunity to be trained at one of the most renowned centres for education and research in Patent Law and which has been entrusted by the EPO with the task of teaching future professionals and staff of the Office.
Also UoE has a high reputation to encapsulate original research and teaching in the most recent technological developments with regard to law. Students have the opportunity to attend courses on IP law’s intersections with cutting edge technologies such as digital tracking and content watermarking, quantum and biological computing.
Modules Offered
Creative Industries
Due to the central importance of a coherent framework for data law in a data-driven society, the emerging field of IT & Data Law has been selected as a third area of specialisation. This very dynamic field embraces various aspects, such as the protection of know-how, data protection law, as well as new legal frameworks to increase data availability and to strengthen trust in data intermediaries, questions on ownership to data, and contractual agreements on data.
TalTech offers a broad range of courses on law and technology, including IT Law, blockchain-based architectures and smart contracts, fintech instruments as well as the digitalisation of legal professions as well comprehensive courses on GDPR and other aspects of data protection law, often based on case-studies deriving from Estonia’s very liberal approach to data usage, especially personal data (e. g. in tools such as the X-Road and the Estonian State Portal).
TUD is involved in numerous research projects in the field of data governance and data protection law that aim to enable innovative and responsible data availability to enable the re-use of research and industry data, e.g. the development of data trustees. Another research focus is on the implementation of a legal framework for the responsible deployment of AI. Data law is also part of the teaching curriculum at TUD.
UoE offers numerous courses in the field of IT & Data Law such as Data Protection and Privacy, E-Commerce Law, Digital Copyright Law, Regulating AI: Law, Policy, and Ethics and Fintech Law.
Modules OffereD
Module Exams
… throughout the programme, students are required to complete a variety of assessments across both partner universities to successfully pass each semester. The format and type of these assessments may vary based on the partner university and chosen track.
Depending on the specific partner institution, assessments can be in different forms, including written and oral exams, which may take place on campus or online.
In addition to passing all semester exams, students must complete a master’s thesis to graduate and receive their degree. The thesis is the most substantial assessment within the program, contributing significantly to the final grade.
The Master’s Thesis …
… is written during the second semester of study and is typically the final examination within the programme. In some cases, students connect with their future supervisors as early as the first semester to discuss and agree on a topic.
The top theses of each class are selected and presented at the graduation ceremony.
The thesis must be written in English. Students who complete their second semester at UNISTRA/CEIPI may have the option to write their thesis in French. This is allowed when French is not the student’s mother tongue and both a supervisor and an external examiner are available to evaluate the Master’s thesis in this fashion. Second supervision by the other partner in the particular track is recommended.
Students will carry out their thesis work in the form of an academic paper/dissertation on a specific subject in IP or IT Data Law which will typically be individually supervised, carried out and examined at the institution where the student is enrolled for the second semester.
The partner who hosted the student during the first semester phase may also appoint an examiner to be the second supervisor with the rights to review the thesis and take part in the examination in line with, and subject to, the rules and processes of the second semester institution.
