Univ.-Prof. Ing. Dr. Clemens Appl, LL.M.

Prof. Clemens Appl is Academic Director of the Center for Intellectual Property, Media and Innovation Law at the University for Continuing Education Krems in Austria. He holds the Chair of International, European and Austrian Copyright Law.

The triad of technology, society and law forms the foundation of his scientific research, publication and teaching activities in the field of private business law. The focus of his scientific work is therefore on the legal issues arising from technological innovation, digitization, networking and the corresponding new business models and social challenges.

Against this background, his research and publication activities focus on intellectual property law, competition law, trade secrets, software law, protection of personal data and data ownership. In particular, Prof. Appl pays special attention to socially relevant issues relating to the Digital Single Market, co-creation, prosuming, digital cultural heritage and the Data and Platform Economy.

Prof. Appl has experience in leading interdisciplinary research groups and in the field of Citizen Science: In two publicly funded third-party projects, he and a diverse team, including Citizen Scientists, addressed selected fundamental questions of copyright law and its remodelling (www.u-g-c.at and www.inter-act.at). Currently, Prof. Appl is leading an international consortium within the ERASMUS+ Strategic Partnership "DDM4SME" (www.ddm4sme.eu). The object of the collaboration is the research-led development of the multinational continuing education program LL.M. "Data Economy Law".

Prof. Appl is an industrial engineer and studied law at the law faculty of the University of Vienna, where he received his doctorate with distinction in 2010 on "Technical Standardization and Intellectual Property". A revised and enhanced version of his thesis has been published by Springer as a monograph in early 2012. He was a member of the IT|IP-Law Group of the Vienna University of Economics and Business from 2006 until his professorship at the University for Continuing Education Krems.

He is an advisory board member and editorial director for several legal publications as well as a member of various professional associations, including chairman and founding member of the Research Association for Technology Law (FTR) and member of the board of the Research Association INFOLAW. Prof. Appl is a member of the scientific steering committees of various national and international conferences on intellectual property and competition law. Research stays in 2014 and 2016 led him to the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich.

Prof. Appl is well embedded in the international and Austrian scientific and practice community. In addition to his teaching and research activities at the University for Continuing Education Krems and the Vienna University of Economics and Business he is frequently invited to give expert presentations. Finally, he pursues various outreach activities, such as a teaching engagement at the Secondary School for Industrial Engineering and Management at the TGM in Vienna in the field of corporate management and business law.

Personal research focus

• Copyright
• Trademark, Design and Patent Law
• Competition Law
• Trade Secrets
• Software Law
• Privacy and Data Protection
• Data Rights

Functions in university self-administration

• since 2023 Full Member of the Arbitration Commission the University of Arts Linz
• since 2019 Elected member of the Senate of the University for Continuing Education Krems
• since 2018 Elected Speaker of the Curia of Professors of the University for Continuing Education Krems and chairman of the UPV University for Continuing Education Krems
• 2016-2022 Member of the Working Group for Equal Treatment Issues (AKG) of University for Continuing Education Krems (until 2019: Deputy Chairman of the AKG)