06/03/2019

Creative, artistic and innovative achievements are the basic layers of a culture and knowledge oriented society. The effective protection by the legal system is both significant and challenging in the age of digitalization and networking. Prof. Clemens Appl heads the recently founded Center for Intellectual Property, Media and Innovation Law, which addresses intellectual property law and complementary fields of law against the backdrop of requirements constantly changing. Interlinking foundation and application the Center focuses on legal research, extending specialized continuing education programs, and various outreach activities to support legal policy discourse with scientifically sound foundations.

 "In view of digitalization, networking and in the international context, solid knowledge and complex understanding of intellectual property, media and innovation law are key qualifications," emphasizes Prof. Appl. Therefore research at the newly founded center targets on socially relevant issues as a result from technology and digitalization constantly progressing, and the associated social changes. Professor Appl and his team dedicate their work on research and teaching activities based on intellectual property law, with the focal point on international, European and Austrian copyright law, media law, competition law and data protection law, as well as the cross-cutting issues of technology and innovation law.


The Center advocates strong research in these complex areas of law, the promotion of young academics and the extension of university based continuing education programs designed to the specific requirements of part-time students with practical experience. In addition, research findings are supposed to be accessible for civil society through a wide range of outreach activities and scientifically thorough contributions are expected for the discourse on legal policy.


Currently, the Centre's research focuses, among other things, on the EU copyright reform and on alternative possibilities for the consensus and evidence-based development of copyright law. Students and an interdisciplinary team launched together a Citizen Science project to modernize copyright law. Citizens can discuss the strengths and weaknesses of current copyright law and propose changes in a participatory process on the platform www.inter-act.at. The entire process will be scientifically monitored integrating the platform users actively into the research process. The derived knowledge offers the legislator an evidence-based benchmark for future reforms.

 

The Center for Intellectual Property, Media and Innovation Law was established as part of the Department of Law and International Relations. The Department is leading in the field for university based continuing legal education and is anchored in the scientific & practice community throughout its research achievements. The Center’s foundation underlines the Department's focus on societal challenges resulting from the radical digitalization and networking. At the same time, it is a new accent in Austria's university research landscape.

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