Intellectual Property Law

Programme Focus

Combine Legal and Business Studies - Get the Best of Both Worlds at Hanken

In the era of digitalisation the importance of intellectual property law is growing. In other words, to safeguard both patents and brands more and more companies need people who are experts in the field. To answer this demand Hanken offers you the opportunity to specialise in the field of intellectual property law through our Master's Degree Programme in Intellectual Property Law. Will you be the IPL expert of tomorrow?

The programme offers an international atmosphere of high academic standard. It provides you with outstanding networks for the future and a wide range of career opportunities. Our close co-operation with industry keeps us at the forefront of developments in IP law.

The Master's Degree Programme in combines legal and business studies, ensuring that you get a solid expertise in both areas. The programme leads to the degree of Master of Science in Economics and Business Administration (M.Sc.(Econ.)).

The programme is administered by the Department of Commercial Law and implemented in close co-operation with IPR University Center, which is the leading academic intellectual property law institution in Finland. The department's expertise lies in the core areas of business law and Intellectual Property Law has been recognised as one of the areas that Hanken excels in. The courses are taught by our internationally renowned faculty members, in co-operation with professors from leading universities in the EU and the USA and highly qualified practitioners.

Programme Structure

The programme includes courses in the following subjects:

• Fundamentals of Intellectual Property Law
• International Intellectual Property Law
• Law and Economics of Intellectual Property
• IP Law in the Information Society
• Advanced Intellectual Property Law
• Literature course in Intellectual Property Law
• Nordic IP Moot Court Competition I
• Nordic IP Moot Court Competition II
• Financial Statements Analysis and Evaluation (Accounting)

In addition to the compulsory courses, the programme allows for a wide range of elective courses in, for example, Law, Finance, Marketing, Business administration, Accounting and languages at Hanken and various universities in the Helsinki area. We help you combine the best of both worlds by building a meaningful, individual programme to suit your future career goals.

Faculty and Partners

Who we are:

	Professor Niklas Bruun Mobile: +358 (0)50 5996 801 Email: firstname.lastname[at]hanken.fi
	Professor Marcus Norrgård Mobile: +358 (0)50 5372 420 Email: firstname.lastname[at]hanken.fi
	Dr Max Oker-Blom Email: firstname.lastname[at]hanken.fi
	Post Doc Researcher Pia Björkwall Mobile: +358 (0)40 3521 465 Email: firstname.lastname[at]hanken.fi
	Doctoral Student Rosa Maria Ballardini Mobile: +358 (0)40 3521 247 Email: firstname.lastname[at]hanken.fi
	Researcher Olli Vilanka Email: firstname.lastname[at]hanken.fi

Career Paths

Graduates holding a master's degree in Intellectual Property Law from Hanken have generally found positions that correspond to their educational background. The field of intellectual property law as such is also growing, which in turn means that in the future there will be even a wider spectrum of tasks open to IPL experts.

The combination of legal and business studies provides you with a solid understanding and the essential tools for today's complex markets, which is illustrated by the following comments by industry representatives:

"Today brands are the most important assets for a company like Fazer. Therefore it is essential for us to have professionals with a solid knowledge of intellectual property law. We do, however, feel that legal knowledge is not sufficient. Combining business and legal knowledge is not only essential, but also g ives an edge in the job market. I am confident that the Master's Degree Programme in Intellectual Property Law at Hanken will meet the demands of an increasingly complex business and legal world."

Dr Max Oker-Blom, Senior Vice President, Legal and M & A, Oy Karl Fazer Ab and former President of the European Communities Trade Mark Association (ECTA)

"Managing intellectual property rights has become a part of core business of high tech companies like Nokia. Optimising the impact of intellectual property requires solid understanding of the economic factors behind IPRs. The Master's Degree Programme gives the students a good basis to master the role of IPR in high tech industries."

Dr Ilkka Rahnasto, Vice President for IPR, Nokia Corporation and Chairman of the Board of the IPR University Center Association

As a student at Hanken you will also have the opportunity take full advantage of the services provided by our Career and Recruitment Services, Ekonomforum . Ekonoforum gives you assistance when you are looking for an internship or need career guidance. Through Ekonomforum you can also get involved in Hanken's mentorship programme.

Student and Alumni Experiences

Name: Katri Lahtinen
Programme: Intellectual Property Law
Enrolled: 2009

1. Please tell us about your background

I received my BA from Jyvaskyla University of Applied Sciences in Music Management where I took courses in IPR, not only relating to copyright, but also trademarks and patents. While studying my interest to intellectual property law and the complex matters relating to it grew and I also wanted to continue studying.

2. Why did you choose Hanken and this specific Master's Degree Programme?

I had heard good things about Hanken so I wanted to look into their Master's Programmes. When I found out about the IPL Master's Programme it was self-evident that I wanted to apply to study at Hanken.

3 Describe your studies at Hanken?

During my studies at Hanken I received well organized courses and had lecturers that had always time to talk to the students. The level of teaching is high and the international atmosphere allows students to prepare for their future in the global IPR setting. Hanken provides a wide range of courses that enabled me to take courses relating to e-commerce, which is highly important to understand in order to understand all dimensions of IPRs.

4. What are your aspirations for the future?

I moved to Silicon Valley, California to start my career and currently I am working as a patent litigation paralegal at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Hanken was an excellent starting point for my career and provided the basic tools for it. Intellectual property law is an interesting field and it only gets more interesting the more you learn. Thus I see myself continuing on this path and perhaps continue my studies in the USA.

Name: Antti Leinonen
Programme: Intellectual Property Law
Enrolled (year): 2008

1. Please tell us about your background

A couple of years before enrolling at Hanken, I had graduated from Helsinki University of Technology with a Master of Science Degree. At the time of enrollment I was working as a patent examiner at the National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland. During my studies I switched to the private sector and I am now working as a patent engineer drafting and prosecuting patent applications.

2. Why did you choose Hanken and this specific Master's Degree Programme?

When I heard about the Master's Degree Programme in Intellectual Property Law, I immediately thought that this is something for me. Since I already had some experience within the field of IPL, I knew that it would be very valuable to be able to combine business and legal studies with my engineering background.

3. Describe your studies at Hanken

The courses in Intellectual Property Law have given me a broad picture of the subject. Various term papers written during the courses, and especially the master's thesis, have offered an opportunity to deepen my understanding of certain aspects of IPL. I think the programme both gives the same solid foundation for everyone who is interested in IPL and allows tailoring of the studies according to one's specific interests. Some courses have required a lot of work, but it has been possible to combine the studies with my daily work.

4. What are your aspirations for the future?

Intellectual Property Rights involve a fascinating combination of law, business and technology, and I will certainly work within this field also in the future. I wish to become a qualified European Patent Attorney within the next few years. It is mainly a technology and law oriented position, but I hope I will have use for my business knowledge as well.

Name: Petteri Günther
Programme: Intellectual Property Law
Enrolled: 2007

1. Please tell us about your background

I got my law degree at the University of Helsinki and thereafter began practicing law in a law firm advising its clients in both domestic and international business law, including also IPR matters. Shortly after that I ventured to Stockholm University to complete an LL.M. degree in Law and Information Technology. It was there when I decided to continue my studies with a business degree at Hanken. But besides my studies I have also kept practicing law to combine theory and practice.

2. Why did you choose Hanken and this specific Master's Degree Programme?

During my precious university studies I have developed a strong interest towards information technology and new media. But those studies mostly concentrated merely on the legal aspects of ICT/IP business. Therefore I felt it was necessary for my professional development to deepen also my business knowledge. Practicing business law today is hardly just about solving legal dilemmas after they emerge but instead you only create additional value to any business by providing sound and well-reasoned advice which maximize the utility for that business by reducing their legal risks in advance. To do that successfully you naturally first have to comprehend the business.

3. Describe your studies at Hanken

In my view Hanken has offered good possibilities to tailor my studies to suit my needs. In addition to those compulsory studies I have been able to concentrate on eCommerce issues in order to deepen my professional skills from a business perspective, which was exactly my intention when I applied to Hanken. Besides legal studies I have taken courses in e.g. valuation and management of intellectual property, eCommerce etc. -- but also in literature and culture. Personally I have seen those "softer topics" important as well because companies do not operate in a cultural vacuum but in order to navigate in today's business culture you first must understand various cultural backgrounds to accomplish fruitful interaction with people in a global context. This has been made possible by Hanken's international faculty staff.

4. What are your aspirations for the future?

I see my future working within the ICT sector, especially dealing with online distribution and media. Basically I see no reason to exclude the possibility that I would continue my fulfilling my academic aspirations even after graduating from Hanken, as I have become more and more intrigued by my current topic as there is an immense change happening right now. But for me scholarly and - perhaps - more practically oriented professional aspirations go more or less hand in hand, and one does exclude the other; in my opinion they rather complement each other. On this path I have considered Hanken to be a very useful and also enjoyable step - not the least because of the intellectual atmosphere and the people chosen to this program.

Name: Taru Kallio-Nyholm
Programme: Intellectual Property Law
Enrolled: 2009

1. Please tell us about your background

I have worked as an IPR Specialist, with mainly trademarks issues, in the Nokia Corporation Intellectual Property Rights, Brand Protection organization for the past 7 years. After I got my BBA degree in 2006 I did some IPR related studies at the IPR University Center. I have previously worked with ICT, tourism and marketing, and have a degree in this field as well.

2. Why did you choose Hanken and this specific Master's Degree Programme?

Since I started to work with IPR issues they have been my passion. I looked for specific IPR courses, hence Hanken was a natural choice for me. Hanken is the only school in Finland offering such a programme. This was perfect for me to continue with my studies, to get an academic degree and to really get deep into the IPR world. I was also aware of the high quality of the teaching at Hanken and I found the programme structure to be very well corresponding to the needs of working life.

3. Describe your studies at Hanken

The quality of the studies at Hanken has been very high and I have been impressed by the knowledge of the teachers. I was expecting a programme that is up-to-date on relevant IPR topics and trends and so far my expectations have been very well reached. Hanken also provides a vast collection of other interesting courses, which support my major studies. There is a strong academic atmosphere, but still a strong link to the business world that is needed in order to succeed in working life.

4. What are your aspirations for the future?

I look forward to work with interesting and challenging IPR issues. I am interested in brand protection, but also keen on looking further into issues related to IPR strategies and business strategies. I have not excluded the possibility of further developing myself in the future by continuing with doctoral studies. Hanken offers good opportunities for this as well.

Application and Further Information

For full details on the application process and admission requirements please go to: www.hanken.fi/admissions