Munich Intellectual Property Law Center

The MIPLC is an academic centre jointly run by the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, the University of Augsburg, the Technische Universität München, and The George Washington University Law School, Washington, D.C. With its LLM programme "Intellectual Property and Competition Law" and by engaging in IP-related research, the MIPLC focuses exclusively on intellectual property issues. The MIPLC draws on the strengths of each partner to provide students with a unique learning experience. We take pride in our faculty, which consists of recognised specialists from the academic and business worlds. With a class limited to 38 students per year, students enjoy a personal environment with close contacts to fellow students, professors, and administrative staff. They also benefit from excellent working conditions, including shared offices, desktop access to legal databases, and an intensive tutorial system. The MIPLC is located in central Munich. The students' offices, the administrative offices, and the MIPLC lecture hall are all on the same floor. The library of the Max Planck Institute, to which students enjoy full access, and the MIPLC library are just a short walk away.

Munich is the third-largest city in Germany and an important cultural and economic centre. It has been ranked by Germans as the most liveable city in Germany, and with over 80,000 university students, there is a vibrant student life. Munich is known as Europe's "Intellectual Property Capital" because it is home to the European Patent Office, the German Patent and Trademark Office, the German Federal Patent Court, numerous IP law firms, and a large number of companies in industries heavily dependent upon intellectual property, including Siemens, BMW, and many media and biotech companies. Munich's cultural and recreational attractions include: 45 museums, including the Deutsches Museum - possibly the best technology museum in the world - and a cluster of world-famous art museums two opera houses, 58 theatres, and 84 cinemas the Bavaria Film Studios, where such films as "The Never-Ending Story", "Cabaret", and "Das Boot" were shot (Munich is the film and media capital of Germany) the English Garden, one of the largest urban parks in the world the largest concentration of beer gardens in the world within an hour by car or train, the German Alps and a number of beautiful Alpine lakes

As almost all MIPLC students are international students (and many of them come from non-European countries), the MIPLC administrative personnel are well-versed in all relevant matters. Students receive ample support before, upon, and after their arrival in Munich, e.g., securing health insurance. Students, furthermore, receive academic support from: the programme directors, who assist with course selection, choosing a topic for the Master's thesis, and other study issues the lecturers who are happy to answer questions about their courses and who supervise the Master's thesis preparation the tutors, who help the students with their assignments and exam preparation and give advice on the Master's thesis In addition, MIPLC organises a number of social activities, including a guided city tour of Munich, a Christmas reception, and a summer excursion to the countryside.