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The Center for Intellectual Property Law at the Law Faculty of the Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf promotes research and teaching as well as the exchange of knowledge in the fields of industrial property, copyright and business law.

The Center’s objective is the pragmatic research and study of the law of new technologies, especially with regard to the protection and exploitation of inventions. Research currently focuses on the laws relating to  inventions made at universities, the valuation of intellectual property rights and international intellectual property law.

In dialogue with the legal profession, corporate practitioners and the financial sector, the aim is to create a forum for entrepreneurs and inventors. The forum serves as a platform for the realization of practice-oriented and interdisciplinary research projects and project assistance. The Center strives to facilitate the exchange of expertise and experience.

The Center’s activity is characterized by academic conferences, as well as lectures and discussion panels. Since 2001, each spring, the Center has hosted the “Düsseldorfer Patentrechtstage” (Düsseldorf Patent Law Conference). This conference, a hallmark of the technology region North Rhine-Westphalia, is devoted to exploring current issues in patent law and related fields of law.

In addition, with the series of lectures and discussion forums “Werkstattgespräche”, the Center provides a platform for dialogue with respect to current intellectual property and business law issues. 

The interested public further has the possibility to use the online research facilities of the d-prax.de database. It contains the “Düsseldorf judgments”, a collection of all decisions of the Regional Court and the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf in patent cases.

In addition, the Center for Intellectual Property Law supports the annual three semester “Intellectual Property” Masters degree program offered by the Faculty of Law and beginning each winter semester. The courses of this graduate program, aimed at qualified graduates and young practitioners, are taught by University faculty members and senior practitioners. The graduates receive the academic title “LL.M. (Gewerblicher Rechtsschutz)”. The Center especially seeks to assist students to enter practice in this field subsequent to completion. Please note that our Masters degree program is taught in german.

The Düsseldorf Representation Preparation Course is a European Patent Litigation Course for Patent Attorneys who want to represent their clients before the Unified Patent Court and who therefore need to prove appropriate qualifications through a European Patent Litigation Certificate pursuant to Art. 48 (2) UPC Agreement. The European Patent Litigation Certificate may be issued by the Heinrich-Heine University Düsseldorf acc. to the Decision of the Administrative Comitee of the Unified Patent Court of April 27th 2023 acc. Art. 6 - 8 of the Rules on the European Patent Litigation Certificate and Other Appropriate Qualifications and entitles European Patent Attorneys to act as representatives before the Unified Patent Court (UPC) acc. Art. 48 (2) UPC Agreement, if the course is successfully completed.
The annual program will give you the knowledge and skills you need to represent your clients before the UPC. It includes theory modules on European Law, International Civil Procedure Law, Patent Litigation in different European Member States and the Rules of Procedure of the UPC. Additionally, you will improve your soft skills with a Mock Trial.  Register now at www.repprep.eu!

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