The LLM in Intellectual Property Law is an innovative programme that offers a unique focus on the intersections between globalisation, creative industries, health and life sciences, new technological challenges, and fundamental rights in the field of intellectual property law. The programme will provide students with a general overview of IP law through three core modules and a flexible structure, which allows students to tailor their studies to their specific interests and career goals with three major tracks, including IP and global trade, IP and digital tech, global innovation and the public interest. The programme provides a global perspective on the legal issues involved in protecting and promoting intellectual property rights, as well as an in-depth exploration of the ways in which these rights intersect with technological challenges, competing fundamental rights, and the social function of IP.
Through a combination of coursework, seminars, and practical training opportunities, students in this programme will develop a deep understanding of the legal principles and issues involved in protecting and promoting intellectual property rights in a global context.
This programme is an excellent base for students who wish to find employment as in-house legal specialists in the high-tech, life-science and creative industries or as IP litigators, patent lawyers, trademark attorneys, or licensing executives, among other roles. Students may also work in the public sector, advising government agencies on intellectual property law matters or working for non-governmental and inter-governmental organisations focused on intellectual property issues. The broad understanding and the ability to think critically about the field that this programme is meant to provide can also be a great advantage for students who wish to pursue a doctoral degree and a future academic career.
Intellectual Property Law highlights
Career Development
We are dedicated to student employability and have strong industry links. Law was ranked Top 10 in the UK for graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2024).
This employer focused programme places employability skills at the core of the student experience (including problem-based learning and leadership modules), introducing students to the interplay of and interfaces between IP law, creative industries, health and life sciences, technological development and global public interest policy challenges.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Law at Queen's is taught by world-leading experts in the area of Law. Our staff have close research links with the professions, government and Civil Society. Law at Queen's is in the top 150 Law Schools worldwide and we are ranked 18th in the world for international outlook. Research in Law was ranked 8th in the UK in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (2021).
World Class Facilities
Our facilities at Queen’s include a state-of-the-art Law building with superb teaching facilities, a moot court and study spaces. Queen’s has one of the most modern campuses in the UK, including the award winning McClay Library, one of the finest libraries in the world and home to 1.2 million volumes and over 2,000 reader places.
Our Physical Education Centre was used as a training camp for the 2012 Olympics. Our Queen’s Elms Student Village and city centre student accommodation (built in 2018) are located within easy walking distance of the University.
Student Experience
This programme will equip you with a thorough and crucial understanding of the key questions we face regarding Intellectual Property and the Law, with emphasis on global policy challenges brought about by technological development in the creative industries and health and life sciences.
You will possess a deep appreciation of matters in the regulation of creativity and innovation, borne from both classroom and project-based experience. You will have developed a sophisticated sense of how creativity and innovation interact with law, but also a sense of how Intellectual Property law intersects with other important public interest goals and values.
At Queen's you will be part of a thriving postgraduate culture built on teaching excellence, leading-edge research, innovation, collaboration and engagement. These components are woven together in our Graduate School. It is here you will develop new skills and increased personal effectiveness that will enable you to stand out in the crowded and increasingly competitive global job market.
Life at Queen's is not just about the degree. We offer our students the opportunity to really enrich their studies. Whether you're into student societies, sports, music, dance, or just a coffee with your friends, Queen's has exceptional facilities to cater for all interests.
Student Testimonials
Embarking on the intellectual journey that is Queen's University Belfast's Intellectual Property Law Master's program has proven to be a profoundly transformative for me. The comprehensive modules provided a deep understanding of the intricacies of IP law, while the numerous opportunities for practical application enhanced my skills. The unwavering support emanating from the erudite faculty and the abundance of dedicated resources has forged an exceptional crucible wherein my educational trajectory has been refined and honed.
Bidita Roy (India)
The Intellectual Property Law Programme at Queen‘s has been very educating and has allowed me to delve deep into different problems of law without a law background. All the lecturers at Queen’s have been exceptional, especially Dr. Pratyush Nath Upreti. He has been very helpful and obliging. If there were any issues on my side I was able to send him an email or meet him in person and talk about it. My studies at Queen’s have helped me to see issues from different points of view and have prepared me for new things to come.
Sandis Avots (EU)
I am very thankful I chose to study Intellectual Property Law as a module of my LLM as this module was very relevant to my life, demonstrating the wide-reaching implications of Intellectual Property Law which go unnoticed in everyday life. I would recommend this module to all LLM students as it was a very enjoyable module, with an extremely supportive Lecturer and a wealth of potential career opportunities.
Hannah Meade (NI)
Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) basis. Students must complete core modules (80 CATS points), optional modules (40 CATS points) and a research dissertation (60 CATS points).
The Masters is awarded to students who successfully complete all taught modules (120 CATS points) and a research dissertation (60 CATS points).
Compulsory Modules
Foundations of IP Law: Theory, Economics and Policy
Global IP Law, Trade and Technology
Intellectual Property and Creative Industries: Copyright, Designs and Trademarks
Innovation and Creativity Clinic: project-based learning
Approaches to Legal Research
Dissertation (Maximum 15,000 words)
(Students who secure a summer work placement of at least 8 weeks can complete a Dissertation in Practice Module including 12,000 word dissertation and 3,000 word reflective journal of the learning experience)
Optional Modules
Artificial Intelligence, Intellectual Property, and the Law
Metaverse Law: Copyright, Trademarks, and Immersive Technologies
Platform Regulation: IP Enforcement and Content Moderation
Advanced International Trade Law and Policy
Business and Human Rights
Please note this is not an exclusive list of the optional modules available. Optional modules are reviewed each year and subject to staff availability and student numbers.
Law Professor Frosio is the Chair in Intellectual Property and Technology Law at the School of Law. He designed and launched the LLM in Intellectual Property Law. His primary research interest lies at the intersection of law, technology and the humanities. His focus is on five main legal research clusters: Intellectual Property (IP) and digitisation; IP, public interest, and global justice; history and economics of creativity; Information Technology (IT), Internet governance and platform economy; and Artificial Intelligence(AI).
Law Dr. Pratyush Nath Upreti is a Senior Lecturer in Intellectual Property Law. Pratyush's research focuses on the intersection between International Intellectual Property (IP), World Trade, and International Investment Law. His interest lies in exploring the role of national and international legal orders in implementing IP laws and policies in developing countries. His research addresses policy issues on IP, sustainability, and innovations. His current research also focuses on IP and COVID-19; examining the impact, assessment, and framework for post-pandemic recovery.
Law Dr Alessandra Guida’s research focuses on topics relating to health protection, biosafety, trade rules, food safety, and sustainable development, including the relationship between human rights and pesticide regulations, human rights and new technologies, especially biotechnology, and the links between human health, the environment, and international trade.
Law Dr. Eugene C Lim specialises in the field of international and comparative intellectual property law, and his research explores the impact of emerging technologies on commerce, communication and culture in the modern digital society. Dr. Lim’s interests in law and technology are broad-ranging, and his current work explores how consumer perceptions of non-traditional and exotic trademarks (including three-dimensional shapes, musical sounds, aromatic scents, flavours, abstract colours, fictional characters and brands developed for virtual-reality platforms) have evolved in an age of multisensory branding.
Law Dr Liam Sunner’s research explores the intersection of Intellectual Property (IP) Rights and Human Rights, and how this is centred and shaped by the development of the European Union’s External Action Policy. He also maintains an active interest in the related development surrounding the areas of law, technology, and cultural rights.
Law Dr Joceyn Bosse's research examines the relationships between intellectual property rights and food, biodiversity, Indigenous rights, and the circulation of plants and knowledge. Her current research focuses on the history and politics of the US Plant Patent Act of 1930, the naming of plant varieties, and the protection of geographical indications.
Contact Teaching Hours
Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial
8 (hours maximum) In addition to 6-8 hrs of teaching per week, students should set aside 10-12 hours per module for reading and preparation to engage meaningfully in classroom discussions, group work and other forms of active engagement.
Learning and Teaching
Learning opportunities associated with the course are outlined below:
Learning and Teaching Opportunities
The Law School at Queen's has approximately 1,000 undergraduate students, 200 postgraduates, 70 PhD students and over 60 members of academic staff. You will be taught by scholars from all over the world, many of whom have international reputations in their fields and all are committed teachers and researchers. Students will also have access to an excellent law section in the library and extensive IT facilities.
The School operates a proactive system of student support. Programme Co-ordinators are allocated to each degree programme tasked to guide and support you throughout your time with us, together with the School's experienced and helpful administrative staff. We place considerable emphasis on facilitating good communication between staff and students. To this end, a Student Voice Committee, comprised of elected student representatives, the Director of Graduate Studies and other members of academic staff, meet at regular intervals throughout the academic year. This Committee provides students with a forum in which to raise matters of concern to them and also enables the School to keep students informed about matters affecting the School and wider university.
At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.
We do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enables our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, life-long learners. Examples of the opportunities provided for learning on this course are:
- E-Learning technologies: Information associated with lectures and assignments is communicated via a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called Canvas. A range of e-learning experiences are also embedded in the programme through, for example: interactive group workshops in a flexible learning space; podcasts and interactive web-based learning activities; opportunities to use IT programmes associated with design in project- based work, etc.
- Seminars: Seminars provide information about topics as a starting point for further self-directed private study/reading. Seminars also provide opportunities to ask questions, gain some feedback and advice on assessments.
- Self-directed study: This is an essential part of life as a Queen’s Law student when important private reading and research, engagement with e-learning resources, reflection on feedback to date and assignment research and preparation work is carried out.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
Assessed coursework
Dissertation
What our academics say
As the lead designer of the new LLM in Intellectual Property Law, I am thrilled to see the programme come to fruition. It is an innovative program that combines a rigorous curriculum with a focus on globalisation, creative industries, new technological challenges, and fundamental rights. The programme is designed to provide students with a career-oriented deep understanding of the legal issues involved in protecting and promoting intellectual property rights and to consider the ways in which these rights intersect with other important public interest goals and values.
Professor Giancarlo Frosio
This unique programme equips you with cutting-edge issues of law and policy that govern intellectual property rights, combined with diverse perspectives on sustainability, technology, and life sciences. The carefully designed modules and pedagogical exercises focused on substantive and practical insights into the subject, will enable students to prepare for an increasingly competitive job market.
Dr Pratyush Nath Upreti
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
What motivates legal research? In addition to the principles and methods that guide the design and implementation of a specific research project, we also ought to have some sense of the broader ‘research programme’ or ‘theoretical framework’ that animates our work. Students will be introduced to several important theoretical frameworks and research programmes from which they might draw some helpful inspiration.
Legal scholarship is no longer limited to the analysis of legal doctrine. Many legal scholars engage in empirically-oriented research that investigates how law interacts with other social phenomena. Legal scholars hope to illuminate the causal connections between law and other aspects of the social world. Legal research of this kind is rewarding but it also comes with special methodological challenges. This module will introduce students to some fundamental principles of research design and methodology, covering both ‘qualitative’ and ‘quantitative’ social science methods.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to
• critically evaluate the merits and weaknesses of various theoretical frameworks and approaches to legal scholarship
• critically evaluate empirical academic research in terms of its methodology
Skills
• reading and synthesizing academic work
• academic writing
• social science methodology
• designing an empirical research plan
Innovation & Creativity Clinic: Project Based Learning
Overview
Project Based Learning (PBL) is a pedagogical approach built upon a real-world case in which students learn through the experience of problem-solving. Through examining current real-world case studies across diverse technological fields, this course intends to engage students with a problem to investigate and have to come up with possible solutions.
The class will be divided into groups and each group will be allotted a case study. Throughout the semester, students will work in a group to understand and analyse the problem and offer a solution to the problem. At the end of the semester, each group will present their findings before the panel composed of industry experts (members of law firms).
The module convenor will meet groups regularly to assess their progress and provide feedback generally.
Learning Outcomes
This innovative approach of academic exercise will develop student skills such as research, communication/ presentation and ability to work in a collaborative environment. By the end of the module, students will develop the following skills::
• problem-solving;
• critical thinking and analysis;
• information processing skills. ;
• learning by doing/ questioning;
• collaborative learning;
• capacity of offering clear solutions
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
Researching an approved legal topic under supervision and presenting the results as a dissertation or report of maximum 15,000 words
Learning Outcomes
1. Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of a chosen subset of the programme themes
2. Demonstrate capacity to build a detailed and sustained argument around a research question
3. Demonstrate advanced knowledge of available research methodologies in the study of law and in the social sciences.
4. Demonstrate understanding of the skills required in order to carry out research in law and the social sciences.
5. Demonstrate a detailed knowledge and understanding of core issues regarding the current challenges for governance.
Skills
• Advanced written skills
• Ability to learn independently
• Ability to use information and communication technologies.
• Ability to think creatively and holistically and to make critical judgements
The module examines the emerging issues in global intellectual property (IP) law and its increasing interactions/clashes with other fields such as trade, technology, investment, and human rights.
The global IP regime has evolved through national experiences and common challenges faced by countries. However, international harmonisation of IP via minimum standards of protection implemented in most jurisdictions worldwide has also created tension between national law and legislators in terms of regulating IP vis-a-vis global obligations. In addition, the steady increase in IP interactions with different branches of law, such as investment law and agreements, has threatened the objectives of – and the balance achieved through – international IP harmonisation. Finally, emerging and disruptive technologies had a critical impact on traditional IP norms, further destabilising the international IP system.
In order to disentangle these emerging complexities and imbalances of the global IP system, the module adopts a ‘glocal’ approach focusing on different jurisdictions (UK/European, Asian, and African practices) to the end of covering:
(i) rationale, institutions, and actors of the international IP system;
(ii) the trade-based approach to IP in the context of multilateral trading system and international IP treaties;
(iii) protection of IP rights through free trade agreements;
(iv) interface between trademarks and other regimes for the protection of geographical indications;
(vii) the interface between IP rights, traditional knowledge and cultural expressions, and the rights of local communities and indigenous peoples;
(v) emerging global issues at the intersection of IP, access to knowledge, and education, in a cross-border, possibly digital, environment;
(vi) IP overlaps with trade and investment agreements;
(vii) intersections between IP and international dispute resolution.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the module, students will be able to :
• develop a deeper understanding of global IP system, its operation, and issues and challenges.
• understand how IP rules are applied in their wider social, economic, and political context.
• understand contemporary debates on global IP rights and their implications to national systems
• appreciate how divergences in national approaches and socio-cultural responses to innovation can be accommodated within the international framework
• understand the international legal framework for the protection of trademarks and unfair competition
• develop the ability to analyse IP policy that reflects social responsibility and balanced consideration of public/private interests
• apply legal rules and principles to practical, real-world scenarios in developing solutions to client-based problems, particularly in cross-border settings
• develop understanding of technologies issues in global IP landscape
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
Intellectual Property and Creative Industries : Copyright, Designs and Trademarks
Overview
This module will focus on exploring the legal challenges and opportunities posed by the intersection of intellectual property (IP) law and the creative industries, with emphasis on copyright, trademarks and designs. This is a rapidly evolving field with significant implications for a wide range of industries and sectors. Moreover, the creative industries contribute enormously to the national economy, with the UK government recently reporting that the creative sector generated £76.9 billion towards the country’s economy in 2013.The module will focus on a range of topics, including the legal framework for the protection of creative works, the impact of new technologies on the creative industries, and the challenges and opportunities posed by global trade and investment. The module will explore a number of questions, topics and sub-topics, including:
(1) a multi-jurisdictional review of creative industries, their dynamics and economics, including how the disruptive effects of macro-economic, social and technological changes might force a re-consideration of traditional business models and the role of IP for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the digital creative economy;
(2) a broad introduction to subject matter, ownership, exclusive rights, infringement, defences, enforcement and remedies for each relevant IP regimes, with emphasis on copyright, trademarks and designs;
(3) the existing justifications, scope and ambition of different IP regimes critically discussed in the context of the creative industries and the market incentives that IP can provide;
(4) practical insights into cross-cutting issues in creative industries such as (i) assignment and licensing of IP; (ii) legal challenges posed by AI-generated creative works; (iii) the impact of digital platforms on the music industry and the video-game industry or the use of IP protected works on social media platforms; (iv) new challenges for trademark protection and unfair competition, such as offensive and scandalous trademarks, trademark dilution and the protection of well-known marks, developments in the area of non-traditional trademarks, character merchandising and personality merchandising; (v) interactions and management of IP, fashion designs, and luxury goods; (vi) non-conventional forms of creativity, such as graffiti, recipes or comedians’ jokes
(5) an international and comparative perspective, with special emphasis on the UK and the EU, including the implications of global trade agreements for the protection of IP rights in the creative industries;
(6) policy considerations, drawing from case studies in several jurisdictions.
Learning Outcomes
After taking this module, students will be expected to:
• acquire general knowledge concerning the interface between Creative industries and intellectual property law, including copyright, designs and trademarks;
• identify and reflect upon the various justifications and aims underpinning the IP regimes in the creative industries
• acquire knowledge of the legal framework related to copyright, trademarks and designs, with emphasis on UK and EU law and case law;
• understand the market effects of larger availability of AI technologies and robot, with emphasis on the market for creativity and innovation;
• master a comparative, cross-jurisdictional understanding of the regulatory framework for IP in the creative industries;
• develop the ability to reflect on how technological innovation’s disruptive effects might force a re-consideration of traditional business models in the creative industries;
• develop critical understanding in connection to practical problems in the regulation of creative/IP content in the creative industries from a global international perspective;
• enhance capacity in formulating arguments to solve new emerging legal problems in a fast-developing technological context.
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
This module provides a basic understanding of intellectual property (IP) theory and practice. The module is divided into three parts.
Part I of the module will focus on the salient features of intellectual property rights. It will explore in detail the theoretical foundation of intellectual property law by covering: taxonomy, history, theory and social function of IP law. In particular, this Part will cover the historical developments of IP law from the early to the modern period. It will also review the basic justifications of intellectual property law (patents, copyright, trademark, and design law) by discussing deontological theories such as the natural rights-based justifications of IP (eg Lockean theory/Hegel personality theory) or the Utilitarian Incentives-based theories. This Part will also discuss the so-called IP paradox and the social function of IP.
Part II will adopt an economics and socio-legal approach in examining IP law by considering: IP economics, commons-based theory, and the effects of IP rights on innovation. (1) It will first examine the economics of IP rights highlighting its relevance in protecting against market failure; discussing notion such as marginal cost of production, dead-weight loss, and rent seeking; focusing on international technology transfer; and commercialization of intellectual property including intellectual property due diligence and valuation. (2) This part will also focus on commons-based theory, as an alternative to Demsetzian propertisation, including gift economy models (eg free software or community-based/communal intellectual property with emphasis on geographical indications, traditional knowledge, expression of folklore, and genetic resources). (3) Finally, this Section will dig deeper into a review of the tension between the leverage power of right holders in holding out innovation and the effects of IP rights on economic progress. The entire history of IP – from piano rolls to the Internet - is a struggle between innovators and rightsholders to define the scope of the monopoly of the latter and whether innovations that make use of IP protected content should be covered or not by that monopoly.
Part III will cover intellectual property and public interest debates by examining emerging issues related to the potential construction of IP as a fundamental right and the tension of IP with other competing fundamental rights, including freedom of expression, freedom to access information, personality rights, privacy, freedom to conduct a business or due process (eg in the case of online algorithmic content moderation and enforcement).
The module adopts a comparative approach in examining above mentioned topic by reviewing international and national practices.
Learning Outcomes
After taking this module, students will be expected to:
· critically discuss concepts, principles, and theories related to IP and its understanding in a wider societal context.
· critically evaluate emerging challenging of IP and public interest
· analyse and synthesis emerging issues of IP and fundamental rights including the digital environment.
· identify relevant principles and strategies for digital enforcement
· discuss philosophical and economic justifications for intellectual property rights
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
This module will familiarise students with key debates regarding the corporation's role in society. Students will explore work on business and human rights and corporate citizenship, specifically with regard to global corporations and global supply chains.
This course will covers some (but not necessarily all) of the following topics in any given year, and other topics may be added from time-to-time: the human rights obligations of corporations to workers, host countries, other stakeholders, the rise of corporate social responsibility reporting, global initiatives and frameworks, the Ruggie principles, the role of civil society in corporate regulation and self-regulation etc, corporate promotion of labour standards, human rights considerations in international corporate investment.
Learning Outcomes
• Knowledge and understanding of ideas of corporate responsibility.
• Familiarity with legal frameworks regarding the integration of human rights considerations and corporate social responsibility.
• Understanding of the application of the theoretical constructs to “real world” cases and situations.
Skills
• Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
• An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in corporate social responsibility, building on previous work within the programme
• An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, specifically in the area of corporate social responsibility, and an ability to tie those debates to debates encountered in previous modules.
• An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in corporate social responsibility and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
• An advanced ability to engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
• An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance.
• An advanced awareness of legal and regulatory regimes and of their impact with regard to corporate social responsibility building on previous work within the programme
• An ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
• Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity
The focus of this module will be the exploration and analysis of the normative framework governing the UK’s external trade relations and the main legal and political challenges the UK faces in developing and implementing this important area of foreign policy.
One consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU is that the competence to carry out an external trade policy, which had hitherto been carried out exclusively by the EU, will be repatriated to the UK. The UK will therefore have to craft its own external trade policy. This will entail, for example, the setting of its own external tariff system, the development of unilateral trade policy measures (e.g., trade defence instruments and preferential treatment systems) and the negotiation of bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements. The UK’s trade policy will have to be developed within the context of a normative framework which encompasses international law (including the rules of the World Trade Organisation) as well as a growing body UK trade legislation.
The module will be subdivided into three components. The fist component will deal with the constitutional and legal framework underpinning the UK trade policy. It will look at issues such as the status of the UK’s membership within the WTO, the decision-making process through which the UK can negotiate trade agreements, the role devolved authorities will play in shaping trade policy and the legal effect of international trade rules in the UK’s domestic system. The second component of the module will focus on the substantive aspects of UK external trade policy by examining both how the UK can use such policy to advance and protect economic interests and values. This will include an analysis of the UK’s approach to negotiating trade agreements and how such agreements interact with other policy and regulatory areas, trade with developing countries and tackling unfair trading practices. The third component will examine the legal dimension of the UK’s trade relationship with its biggest trading partner: the EU. It will, in particular, deal with the challenges associated with Northern Ireland’s potentially unique trading status post-Brexit.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the learning process each student should have acquired:
• an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the constitutional and regulatory framework governing the UK’s external trade relations and the main legal and political challenges the UK faces in developing and implement this area of foreign policy
• a critical awareness of the international legal framework within which UK trade policy is exercised
• an ability to critically asses the UK’s role and actions as an international trade actor in light of contemporary debates relating to globalisation issues
• an ability to conduct independent research and to articulate coherent legal arguments.
Skills
At the end of the module each student will be able to:
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of international and domestic legal framework underpinning UK trade policy
• Engage in critical analysis and evaluation of the interaction between UK trade policy and other policy areas
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Northern Ireland’s distinct trading status within the UK and the EU
• Synthesise relevant and directed readings with independent research, and present findings both orally and in written format.
• Engage in independent study and research and to develop skills around self-directed learning and to exercise initiative in the learning process.
• Show an ability to construct coherent legal arguments orally and in writing
This module is designed to allow students to engage in independent research and to develop independent study, analysis and methodological skills, in the context of a placement or internship with non-governmental, legal, commercial or governmental organisations that operate in arenas that are relevant to their LLM research.
NOTE: students are encouraged to explore internship options independently with relevant entities. Any particular placement must be approved by the module and/or programme convenors.
Learning Outcomes
1. Ability to reflect critically on personal practice/engagement in the fields relevant to the LLM while working in collaboration with relevant host organisations
2. Ability to undertake an extended research Dissertation based on tasks/learning undertaken while on placement;
3. Enhanced communication, presentation and networking skills.
Skills
• Advanced writing skills
• An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in the chosen area of law
• An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, building on scholarship already undertaken in the course of studies
• An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in the area and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
• An advanced ability to design and engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
• Advanced ability to judge critically the merits of methodologies from different disciplines, and to make reasoned choices between different positions and approaches
• Advanced ability to use, present and critically evaluate information, ability to synthesise and identify central issues from a large amount of complex legal information and information from other disciplines and to draw on scholarship encountered in the course of one’s LLM
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of research ethics and ability to mainstream ethical considerations with research as appropriate to the project
• Advanced ability to engage with, manage and respond to supervision
• Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity
Digital technologies have transformed the way that creative content is produced, distributed and used, disrupting long-standing business models and traditional revenue streams, and enabling the emergence of new business models. This module would focus on exploring the legal challenges and opportunities posed by the intersection of copyright law, trademark law, the creative industries, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and immersive technologies, including how the Metaverse might impact the traditional creative industries. Three main questions will be investigated in detail:
(i) How do copyright and trademark laws apply to the protection and distribution of creative works in the digital age?
(ii) How are the internet and digital platforms impacting the creative industries and the protection of intellectual property rights?
(iii) How are virtual reality, augmented reality, and immersive technologies impacting the creative industries and the protection of intellectual property rights?
(1) First, this module provides students with the opportunity to explore critically the various policy and doctrinal aspects of contemporary copyright issues as they impact the creation, dissemination and use of creative and cultural goods within the digital environment.
(2) Second, in the trademark context, the impact of emerging technologies, including 3D printing and virtual reality platforms, on traditional legal norms and business models, will be analysed and discussed as well as the impact of the internet and digital technologies on cybersquatting, internet keyword searches, and the resolution of domain name disputes in cyberspace.
(3) Third, the module will consider the challenges of providing high level of protection for right holders within the digital environment, while maintaining an appropriate balance with other public policy goals such as education, research and innovation, access to our shared cultural heritage, and more.
(4) Overall, this module will be also engaged with issues and challenges posed by the Metaverse about how trademark owners, creators and artists can protect and enforce IP rights in this space. For example, the module will review the legal frameworks that apply to virtual property and assets in the Metaverse, including how these frameworks might differ from those that apply to physical property and assets.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• understand trademark and copyright law as it applies to a number of issues relevant to the digital environment within a UK, European, and international content
• differentiate between approaches taken to trademark and copyright policy and doctrine within the pre-digital era, and the adaptation and development of those existing norms within the digital environment
• acquire general knowledge concerning the interface between copyright, trademarks, immersive technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality, and the metaverse
• acquire knowledge of the related legal framework;
• understand the ethical and societal challenges related to immersive technologies and the metaverse;
• master a comparative, cross-jurisdictional understanding of the regulatory framework;
• develop the ability to reflect on the immersive technologies’ disruptive effects on traditional business models;
• develop critical thinking skills in connection to practical problems in metaverse, virtual realities regulations from a global international perspective;
• research, evaluate and criticise constructively recent developments and legal arguments in this domain;
• enhance research and writing skills in formulating arguments to solve new emerging legal problems in a fast-developing technological context.
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
The focus of this module will be the exploration and analysis of the impact of online platform in modern society, the construction of online markets and its implications for law and regulation. As a lawyer, entrepreneur, or policy maker working at the forefront of Internet and technology industry, you must know whether and when access providers and communications platforms like Google, Twitter and Facebook are liable for their users’ online activities. This is one of the most relevant emerging issue for online businesses and a key factor that effects innovation and free speech.
(1) This course will provide an in-depth exploration of legal, policy and ethical issues facing platforms and online intermediaries from a national and international perspective, focusing on long standing and emerging new legislation, such as the e-Commerce Directive and Regulations, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Communication Decency Act § 230, the GDPR, the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive, the proposed Online Safety Bill, and the newly enacted Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act.
(2) In this course, you will learn about novel issues of Internet jurisdiction and innovation regulation.
(3) The course will discuss law and case law dealing with platforms’ intermediate liability for copyright, trademark, and privacy infringement, including data protection obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the right to be forgotten.
(4) Also, this course focuses on the role of Internet platforms and service providers in moderating the speech they carry for customers, including obligations and liabilities for defamation, hate and dangerous speech, revenge porn, and disinformation.
(5) We will also review the tension between innovators and property owners leveraging their hold-out powers to block progress by challenging the legality of innovative technologies under the assumption that they may infringe their intellectual property and other rights.
(6) Finally, we will look into enforcement strategies that governments and private parties around the world adopt to press intermediaries to block their users’ undesirable or infringing online content, such as voluntary agreements, three-strikes policies, blocking orders, and administrative enforcement and extra-territorial enforcement of online intermediaries’ obligations.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module students will be able to :
• critically discuss the national and international regulatory and legal frameworks within which platforms develop;
• describe platforms’ obligations and liabilities for IP enforcement and content moderation at large;
• discuss online enforcement strategies for IP and other infringing content, including content infringing privacy, personality rights or public laws;
• discuss the challenges that platform regulation portends, also in terms of innovation and technology policy;
• critically assess claims about the social importance and value of the platform economy
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
This module will explore thorny questions related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Intellectual Property (IP) and the law by dissecting legal, policy and ethical issues concerning AI impact on creativity and innovation. In particular, after an introduction of AI as a technology and the disruptive effects of AI on society and the market for creativity and innovation, this module will examine multiple roles played by AI in innovative and creative processes. In this context, this module will consider AI as (1) a person, (2) a (machine) learner, (3) a creator, (4) an innovator, (5) an administrator, (6) an infringer and (7) an enforcer.
In doing so, this module will discuss an emerging debate on intelligent machine and legal personality; legal issues related to data protection in machine learning processes, including a discussion of trade secret, "ownership" of data, rights to personal data; legal issues related to the protection of AI software via copyright, patents or trade secrets; legal issues about the protection and ownership of AI-generated works and inventions; the potential use of AI in facilitating administration of legal processes, with emphasis on blockchain for digital right management, use of AI for patent and trade mark examination and smart contracts; the liability of intelligent machines for damages they might cause, both in the IP and other contexts, such as personalised medicine or autonomous driving; and the use of artificial intelligence for content moderation of miscellaneous rights online, including the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
The module will review the mentioned legal aspects of AI by providing a comparative review of multiple international jurisdictions with special emphasis on the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States.
Learning Outcomes
After taking this module, students will be expected to:
• acquire general knowledge concerning the interface between artificial intelligence and law;
• acquire knowledge of the legal framework related to artificial intelligence and data protection, copyright law, patent law, trade secrets, tort law, content moderation;
• understand the ethical and societal challenges related to artificial intelligence;
• understand the challenges that artificial intelligence might pose to fundamental rights, in particular freedom of expression, freedom to access information, right to privacy and due process;
• understand the market effects of larger availability of AI technologies and robot, with emphasis on the market for creativity and innovation;
• master a comparative, cross-jurisdictional understanding of the regulatory framework for AI;
• develop the ability to reflect on how AI’s disruptive effects on traditional business models might force a re-consideration of legal personhood, and the tort and IP legal framework;
• develop critical thinking skills in connection to practical problems in AI regulations from a global international perspective;
• enhance research and writing skills in formulating arguments to solve new emerging legal problems in a fast-developing technological context.
Skills
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
Applicants with a primary Law degree: Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree in Law (with a minimum of 55%) or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree in Law with less than 55% (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) along with a minimum of 2 years relevant experience may be considered.
Applicants with a primary degree in a relevant/cognate subject: Normally applicants with a 2:1 Honours degree or above (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) in Social Sciences, Humanities, Life Science, Computer Science or a cognate discipline.
Applicants with a minimum of a 2:2 Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) along with a minimum of 2 years relevant experience may be considered.
Exemption from these requirements may be considered for those applicants who hold a Master's degree in a relevant subject (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 29th August 2025. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.
Admission under Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) may be considered for this course. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit the link below for more information. http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required.
*Taken within the last 2 years.
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
This employer focused programme places employability skills at the core of the student experience (including problem-based learning and leadership modules), introducing students to the interplay of and interfaces between IP law, creative industries, technological development and global public interest policy challenges.
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
