Marie-Christine Janssens

E-mail: M-Ch.Janssens@law.kuleuven.be

Tel. 00 32 16 323732

Fax 00 32 16 323730

Curriculum vitae:

Marie-Christine Janssens (°1958) studied law and history of arts at the Catholic University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven). She received her law degree (Lic. Jur.) in 1981 and joined that year the Brussels Bar. During the period 1981 - 1993 she practiced law in an international Brussels Law firm specializing in intellectual property matters (copyright, trademark and patent cases). From 1985-1986 she continued this specialization in the U.S.A. as a staff member in a law firm based in Washington D.C.

She joined the Centre for Intellectual Property Rights (CIR) in February 1989 as an assistant to Professor Frank Gotzen. In January 1996 she obtained a Ph.D. from the Faculty of Law at the K.U.Leuven with a dissertation on the legal status of employee and university inventions in the countries of the European Union.

She is currently professor at the universities of Leuven (K.U.Leuven) and Brussels (H.U.Brussel) where she teaches various courses, including "Copyright Law", "Trademark Law" (in Dutch and English) , "Intellectual Property Rights in the Information Society" and "Intellectual Property Management". In 2009 and 2010 she was a visiting professor at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing (CUPL) where she teaches the course 'intellectual property law' in a special LLM program. She is also the academic responsible for the library of the Faculty of Law and member of the Commission on Scientific Integrity of her university.

Since 1990 she has published extensively on copyright , trademark and patent related issues and has lectured on various national and international conferences. She regularly acts as an expert in working groups established by the university (working group on Intellectual Property Policy matters) and by public authorities (such as the Commission of the European Communities; VRWB - Flemish Scientific Policy Council; VLIR - Flemish Interuniversity Commission; VLOR - Flemish Teaching Commission) and has participated in European and National research projects.

Since 2006 Marie-Christine Janssens is President of the Belgian Council for Intellectual Property Rights, section Copyright and Neighbouring Rights (Ministry of Economic Affairs).

Marie-Christine Janssens is a member of

• the editorial board of the Belgian IPR Journal Intellectuele Rechten – Droits Intellectuels (IRDI), since its foundation in 1995 (published by Kluwer)
• the editorial board of the Journal Revue international du droit des affaires/Internationaal tijdschrift voor ondernemingsrecht (DA OR) (published by Larcier Publ.)
• the scientific comité of the Journal Revue de Droit Commercial Belge/Tijdschrift voor Belgisch Handelsrecht (RDC/TBH) (published by Larcier Publ.)
• the editiorial board of the collection Collectie Bedrijfsrecht since its foundation in 2004 (published by Vanden Broele, Bruges)

She is also

• Vice-President of the Belgian Section of ALAI (Belgische Vereniging voor de Bescherming van het Auteursrecht BVA)
• member of the Executive Committee of the International Organisation for the Protection of intellectual Property (ALAI)
• Co-ordinator of the training preparing for the certificate of "Benelux Trademarks and Designs Agent", organised by the BBMM.
• member of the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI)
• member of the International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP)
• member of the Organisation of Benelux Trade Mark and Design agents (Benelux Merken- en Modellengemachtigden-BMM)

Marie-Christine Janssens has organised various seminars and conferences over the past years, which retained national and international attention. Conference topics were :

• "Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights” (Combattre les atteintes à la propriété intellectuelle - CIR, Brussels, 2004)
• “Trademark law on the Turning Point” (Le droit des marques en mutation – CIR, Brussels, 2001)
• "Intellectual Property Rights in the Information Society" (Les droits intellectuels dans la société de l'information – CIR, Brussels, 1998)

Working languages:

Dutch, English, French, German

Research topics:

Copyright

• International Copyright Law
• Harmonisation of Copyright Law in the European Union
• Various aspects of Copyright Law in Belgium (in particular the issue of exceptions)
• Protection of computer software and databases
• Access to scientific publications (institutional repositories, creative commons, …)
• Copyright aspects related to E-learning

Trademarks

• International and Benelux trademark law
• Harmonisation of trademark law in the European Union (incl. the Community Trademark)
• Topical aspects of trademark law in the information society (domain names and other infringements on the internet)
• Freedom of Expression and trademark law

Other IPR-related topics

• Ownership of creations and inventions by employees
• Inventions at universities : questions of ownership, policies and valorization
• Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights (Trips, EU Regulation and Directives)

Lectures at international & national conferences (selection):

• "Major principles of Scientific Integrity", org. European Patent Office/Academy, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University, Iasi, Roemenië (2010).
• "Recent ECJ Case Law in the domain of trademarks and domain names", op Conference on European Intellectual Property Law 2010, Academy of European Law (ERA), Trier, Germany (2010).
• “Experiences with IP teaching in different (non-law) disciplines, Workshop on Disseminating IP knowledge in universities, org. European Patent Academy (EPO), Prague (2009).
• “Teaching IP to an interdisciplinary (non-legal) audience”, 3rd annual conference EIPTN (European Intellectual Property Teachers’ Network), Queen Mary, University of London (2009).
• “The need to reconsider copyright’s internal balance between rights and exceptions as a prerequisite for a mature EU copyright system”, 2008-2009 Annual Law Seminar Series, University of Nottingham (UK) (2009).
• “Vernietiging van een kunstwerk: inbreuk op het auteursrecht of is er meer aan de hand?”, Studiedag Kunst & Recht, Leuven (2009).

• “IPR for digital educational content”, org. Pro-Learn, HEC and the Aristote Association, Chambre de Commerce et d’Industrie, Paris (2007).
• "Database Protection" and "Fair Use and Software Reverse Engineering", two lectures at Seminar on Managing Intellectual Property of SMEs in the High-Technologies Park", org. WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) & UNIDO (United Nations Industrial Development Organisation), National Academy of Science, Minsk, Belarus (2007).
• "Regulatory framework for IPR in the US as compared to Flanders/Europe ", at conference "Brainport Flanders. Transatlantic R&D mobility and cooperation between Flanders and the United States ", Stanford University , CA , V.S.A. (2006).
• “EU legislation supporting Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights at the Borders and within the Community” , Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights, Guangzhou (7-9 march) & Beijing (11 march), China (2006).
• "Areas of tension between trademark law and free speech ", Alai International Study Days Barcelona, Spain (2006).
• “Copyright issues related to on-line courses ”, Seminar EduXchange & Pro-Learn (EU Centre of Excellence), Chambre de Commerce de l'Industrie”, Paris (2006)
• “Legal Protection of Computer Programs: the EU perspective ”, at “Seminar on Intellectual Property Rights”, org. European Commission (DG, enlargement – Taiex program) in collaboration with OHIM and the Maltese Chamber of Commerce and Entreprise, Valletta , Malta (2006).
• “Shaping the legislative environment to foster technology transfer. Bayh-Dole as source of inspiration?” at ICT breaking event on “Technology Marketing and Valorisation of IP”,Telindus, Leuven-Heverlee (2005).
•   “Who can claim ownership of inventions made at universities?”, 25 th Podim Conference on “Shaping the Environment for Innovation Transfer”, Maribor, Slovenia (2005)
•   “ Ownership of university inventions. A comparative analysis of the regulatory framework” , at Fourth Forum for Innovative Enterprises, org. by European Commission, Stuttgart, Germany (2004).
•   “Intellectual Property Rights: General introduction ”, presentation at First ProTon Europe Conference on ‘Dynamic Change in the Knowledge Transfer Arena', Valencia, Spain (2003).
•   “The interfaces between Copyright and E-learning ”, at International Conference on ‘Networked e-learning for European Universities', Granada, Spain (2003).
•   “ Exceptions and limitations to copyright: compulsory or overrideable? ”, at symposium on “Sophistication vs. Transparency”, IteR Network Project Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2003).
•   “Copyright legislation: friend or foe? ”, at First University Foundation Ethical Forum on “Scientific publication in the internet era”, Brussels (2002).
•   “Harmonised National Trade Mark Law in the Benelux” , at conference on “The Community Trade Mark: Grounds for Refusal. A comparison with national case law”, org. Academy of European Law (ERA), Alicante, Spain (2001).
•   “Update on Community Trade Mark Law. Decisions of the Boards of Appeal” , at 20 th Annual Conference of ECTA (European Communities Trade Mark Association), Rotterdam, the Netherlands (2001).
•   “European differences in University Patent Law”, at ASTP Conference (Association of European Science & Technology Transfer Professionals), Munich, Germany (2001).
•   “The notion of the work and its place in the massive flow of information, at ALAI congress on ‘Copyright, Related Rights and Media convergence in the digital context', Stockholm, Sweden (2000).
•   “Can exceptions be contracted away? A European Perspective” , at seminar on “Copyright and Consumer Interests in the Information Society, University Utrecht, the Netherlands (2000).
•   “Employee inventions – an international overview”, International Summer Conference organised by the ‘Royal Dutch Chemical Association', Delft, the Netherlands (1999)
•   “The New Belgian Act implementing the 1996 Database Directive” , at seminar organised by the Max-Planck-Institut für ausländisches und internationales Patent-, Urheber- und Wettbewerbsrecht, Munich, Germany (1998).
•   “Comparison of the legal situation across the European Union concerning inventors' rewards ”, at International Conference organised by EIRMA - European Industrial Research Management Association, Milan, Italy (1998).
•   “Trademark protection in a European and International context” , at seminar organised by the European Patent Office, Rijswijk the Netherlands (1997).
•   “Patentability of software-related inventions in Europe” , at “Hearing on Patents”, European Parliament, Luxemburg (1997).

Publications (selection):

Publications related to copyright law

• "Exceptions to copyright protection and the permitted uses of copyright works in the hi-tech and digital sectors", Report for the national AIPPI group to Q216, (co-auteurs F. Brison en B. Michaux), available at https://www.aippi.org/download/commitees/216/GR216belgium.pdf to be published in Yearbook AIPPI 2010, (12 pp).
• “Intellectual Property Rights of e-Learning courses: a European comparative Analysis”, Michel R. Klein, Sol Picciotto, Marie-Christine Janssens (Eds), HEC Paris, ISBN 2-85418-889-6, 2009.
• “Morele rechten: een algemeen overzicht met bijzondere aandacht voor de auteurs van stripverhalen”, in Stripverhalen en auteursrecht/Bande dessinée et droit d’auteur, E. Cornu (coord.),  Reeks creatie, Communicatie, Informatie, Ed. Larcier, Brussel, 2009, pp. 5-39.
• “Op zoek naar een adoptieregeling voor wezen in het auteursrecht (a ‘diligent’ search into the issue of orphan works)”, I.R.D.I. 2009, pp. 6-30
• The issue of exceptions: Reshaping the keys to the gates in the territory of literary, musical and artistic creation”, in Derclaye, E. (ed), The Future of Copyright Law, Series Research Handbooks in Intellectual Property, Cheltenham UK:Edward Elgar, 2009, pp. 317-348.
• Implementation of the 2001 Copyright Directive in Belgium ”, IIC (International Review of Industrial Property and Copyright Law/Max Planck Institute for IP) , 2006, pp. 50-62.
• " The "interfaces" between e-learning and copyright law", in Conference Proceedings, International Conference on Networked e-learning for European Universities, Granada, November 2003, EuroPACE, ISBN 9090175148.
• " The notion of the work and its place in the massive flow of information", in Copyright, Related Rights and Media convergence in the digital context, publication by Swedish Copyright Society and Nordic Intellectual Property Law Review, 2001 (pp. 87 - 108).
• " Implementation of the 1996 Database Directive into Belgian Law", IIC - International Review of Industrial Property and Copyright Law (D.), vol. 31, 2000/1, (pp. 52-62).
• " Les exceptions et restrictions au droit d'auteur en Belgique", in The Boundaries Of Copyright - Les Frontières du Droit d'Auteur, ALAI - Australian Copyright Council, 1999, pp. 175 - 293.
• " Les chercheurs dans les universités et les centres de recherche : un cas particulier du droit d'auteur des salariés? Etude en droit français et belge", RIDA (Revue Internationale du Droit d'Auteur - Parijs), juli 1995, vol. 165, pp. 3-93 - co-author: F. GOTZEN.
• " Le droit d'auteur des chercheurs dans les universités et dans les centres de recherche en France et en Belgique", in European Research Structures - Changes and Challenges. The Role and Function of Intellectual Property Rights, Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, 1994, pp. 64-93 (co-author: F. GOTZEN).
• "Commentaar bij artt. 21, 22, 22bis, 23bis, 55-61quater" in Brison F. en Vanhees H. (ed), Huldeboek Jan Corbet. De Belgische auteurswet. Artikelsgewijze commentaar , Larcier, Brussel, 2de herwerkte uitgave 2009 (pp. 131-162; 167-168; 301-342).
• "De Belgische auteurswet doet zijn intrede in het tijdperk van de informatiemaatschappij” , Computerrecht 2006, n° 1, pp. 3-12.
• "De uitzonderingen op het auteursrecht anno 2005. Een eerste analyse” , Auteur&Média 2005, pp. 482-511.
• "Auteursrecht en Onderwijs met bijzondere aandacht voor de internetomgeving”, Tijdschrift voor Onderwijsrecht en Onderwijsbeleid , 2003-2004, pp. 168-176 (mede-auteur: M. Carly).
• "Transparantie in het auteursrecht: een brug te ver?”, AMI (Tijdschrift voor auteurs-, media- & informatierecht), 2004/6, pp. 205-213.
• "De beschermingsomvang in het auteursrecht. Een balans na tien jaar toepassing van de wet van 1994” in Tien jaar Auteurswet en nu?, themanummer Auteur&Media, 2004, nr.5
• " Implementatie van de Auteursrechtrichtlijn 2001/29/EG in België en Nederland". Een vergelijkend onderzoek, Computerrecht 2002.
• " De auteursrechtelijke vermogensrechten (verder) geharmoniseerd in de E.U. Wat mogen we van de Belgische wetgever verwachten?", Auteur & Média, 2002/2, pp. 121- 134.
• De omzetting in Belgisch recht van de richtlijn van 22 mei 2001. Verslag werkgroep "uitzonderingen", 26 april 2002, beschikbaar op http://alai.ca/pubPub-a.php.
• " Recente ontwikkelingen van auteursrecht", in Handels- en Verzekeringsrecht, Themis cahier n°12, Die Keure 2002, pp. 22- 28.
• " Richtlijn betreffende de harmonisatie van bepaalde aspecten van het auteursrecht en de naburige rechten in de informatiemaatschappij: een feuilleton met veel afleveringen", Auteurs & Media, 2001, nr. 1, pp. 15-33.
• " Uitzonderingen@auteursrecht@internet", in Internet en Recht, BYTTEBIER, FELTKAMP, JANSSENS (ed), MAKLU uitg., 2001, (pp. 337-366).
• " Auteursrecht", in Wegwijs Recht, DILLEMANS, R. & DE MOOR, A. (eds), Davidsfonds, Leuven, 2000 (pp. 508-518).
• " Harmonisatie auteursrecht : van databanken naar informatiemaatschappij", I.R.D.I. 1998, n° 2, pp. 114 - 130.
• " De betekenis van de expoitatierechten van de auteur in de informatiemaatschappij", in Intellectuele rechten in de informatiemaatschappij. Les droits intellectuels dans la société de l'information. Intellectual property rights in the information Society, M.C. JANSSENS (ed), Bruylant, Brussel, 1998, pp. 39-92.
• " Moet een geschiedenisleraar nu ook (al) auteursrecht kennen?", Hermes - Tijdschrift voor geschiedenis, 1998, n° 4, pp. 41 - 44.
• " De zaak 'Central Station': een toepassing van het auteursrecht van de journalist op het Internet", noot bij Brussel, 28 oktober 1997, I.R.D.I. 1998, n° 1, p. 49-55.
• " Copyright in cyberspace - Le droit d'auteur en cyberspace. Verslag van het ALAI Congres te Amsterdam (5-7 juni 1996)", I.R. D.I. , 1996, pp. 147-151.
• Hoofdstukken "Auteursrecht" en "Bescherming van computerprogramma's en databanken", in Valorisatie van onderzoek, DESCHEEMAEKER, K., OLEO, M. en RASPOET, D. (eds.), Garant Leuven, 1995.

Publications related to trademark law

• “Kroniek Merkenrecht (2005-2008)”, Rechtskundig Weekblad, 2008-2009, 898-921.
• Wetgeving Merkenrecht, Mijnwetboek.be, Knops Publishing, 2009 (161p).
• " Protection de la marque et liberté d'expression" , in A. Cruquenaire (ed), La protection des marques sur l'internet, Cahier du CRID n°28, bxl, Bruylant, 2007, pp. 65-116.
• " Comment résoudre les conflits entre la liberté d'expression et le droit des marques? Une réponse du Benelux" , in Proceedings of the ALAI Study Days June 2006, Barcelona (22p).
• “ The ‘Toblerone’ Chocolate Bar Case In Belgium”, E.I.P.R. (European Intellectual Property Rights Revue), 2004, issue 12, pp. 554-559.
• " Des goûts et des couleurs on de dispute point ... c'est à voir!", noot onder Cass. 20 décembre 2000, R.C.J.B. 2002, pp. 667 - 697.
• " The OHIM Boards of Appeal & the concept of distinctiveness", in The Changing faces of trade marks, ECTA 20th Annual Conference 13-16 June 2001, Rotterdam, pp. 135 - 164 (co-author J. VERBRUGGEN). " Het merkenrecht na het Beneluxverdrag inzake de intellectuele eigendom", I.R.D.I. , 2006, n° 3, pp.
• " De oppositieprocedure in de Benelux op de rails gezet” , noot bij de eerste twee beslissingen gewezen door de oppositieafdeling van het Beneluxmerkenbureau, I.R.D.I. 2005, n° 4, pp. 462-467.
• “Kroniek Intellectuele Rechten - Merkenrecht (2003-2004)”, R.W. 2005-2006, 681-705.
• "Kroniek Intellectuele Rechten - Merkenrecht (2001-2002)", R.W. 2003-2004, 567-579.
• " Recente ontwikkelingen van merkenrecht", in Handels- en Verzekeringsrecht, Themis cahier n°12, Die Keure 2002, pp. 16-22.
• "Merkenrecht in de Kering. Le droit des Marques en mutation" , Janssens, M.C. (ed), Bruylant, Brussel, 2001 (254 blz.)
• "Merkenrecht", syllabus voor de studenten van de VAO-opleiding intellectuele rechten, K.U.Brussel (jaarlijkse hernieuwing) - co-author : F. GOTZEN.
• " Inbreukcriteria in de Benelux na de beslissingen van het Hof van Justitie: rechtspraak in België", in Janssens, M.C. (ed) Merkenrecht in de Kering. Le droit des Marques en mutation, Bruylant, Brussel, 2001, pp. 81-100.
• " Recente ontwikkelingen in het merkenrecht (1998-2000)", in Recht in Beweging, Verslagboek 8ste VRG Alumnidag, Leuven, 2001, (pp. 247-257).
• " In welke mate kan men zich specialist of gespecialiseerde in automerk X noemen? Een merkenrechtelijke stand van zaken na de beslissing BMW / Deenik", I.R.D.I. 2000/4, p. 229-234.
• " Vermindering van onderscheidend vermogen als een feitelijke, alternatieve, grond tot verval van het merkrecht bij vormmerken?", noot bij Benelux-Gerechtshof 19 december 1997, R.W. 1997-98, pp. 1436 - 1438.
• " TRIPs en het merkenrecht", I.R.D.I., 1997/3, pp. 147-161 (co-author C. DE MEYER).

Publications related to patent law and IPR in general

• "The relationship between Intellectual Property Law and International Private Law viewed from a Belgian perspective", national report for the XVIIIth International Congress of the International Academy of Comparative Law, Washington 2010 (87 pp).
• “Hoe ver kan/wil men gaan in de strijd tegen namaak”, noot bij Gent 7 mei 2008, Nullum Crimen 2009, pp. 127-134.
• "Regulatory Framework regarding ownership of inventions conceived at universities", in Internationalisation of R&D, Federal Science Policy (ed), Elsevier, 2005, pp. 66-96.
• “Les droits des employeurs dans le domaine de la propriété intellectuelle ", rapport pour l'AIPPI ( Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle) sur la question Q 183” (co-authors: Ch. Du Jardin; Victor-Vincent Dehin), Yearbook 2004/II, pp. 701 e.v. (see also www.aippi.org).
• "University inventions: a comparative analysis of the legal situation in the Netherlands, Germany, France and Belgium", in Facing The Facts, Second Annual Conference on Best Practices of Science-based Technology Transfer, ASTP, 2001 (18blz.).
• "De metamorfose van artikel 96 WHPC ten gevolge van de nieuwe over handhaving van intellectuele rechten", in Straetmans, Stuyck en Terryn (ed.), De wet handelspraktijken anno 2008, Kluwer 2008, pp. 187-218.
• “Drie wetten inzake handhaving van intellectuele rechten openen in 2007 nieuwe horizonten in de strijd tegen namaak en piraterij”, R.W. 2007-2008, pp. 930-944.
• “Het Internationaal en Europees kader van de nieuwe Belgische wetten inzake de handhaving van intellectuele rechten”, in Sanctions et procédures en droits intellectuels/Sancties en procedures in intellectuele rechten, F. Brison (ed), pp. 11-28.
• “Wie kan de vordering(en) tot handhaving van intellectuele rechten instellen?”, in Sanctions et procédures en droits intellectuels/Sancties en procedures in intellectuele rechten, F. Brison (ed), Larcier, Brussel, pp. 29-66.
• “De nieuwe wetgeving over handhaving van intellectuele rechten en haar impact op de WHPC”, in A. De Boeck en Y. Montangie (ed), De nieuwe bepalingen in de Handelspraktijkenwet, in Collectie Bedrijfsrecht, Brugge, Vanden Broele, 2008, pp. 125-159.
• Wegwijs in het intellectueel Eigendomsrecht , tweede herwerkte uitgave, Collectie Bedrijfsrecht, Vanden Broele, Brugge, 2009  (292p) (co-author: F. Gotzen).
• Beteugeling van intellectuele rechten – Combattre les atteintes à la propriété intellectuelle, M.C. Janssens (ed), Bruylant, Brussel, 2004 (213 blz).
• "Een decretale regeling voor vindingen aan universiteiten. De Gemeenschappen/Gewesten bevoegd voor intellectuele rechten?", T.O.R.B. 2001, pp. 405-413.
• " Bescherming van computerprogramma's: (lang) niet alleen maar auteursrecht", Tijdschrift voor Belgisch Handelsrecht (TBH), 1998, pp. 420-437.
• Intellectuele rechten in de informatiemaatschappij. Les droits intellectuels dans la société de l'information. Intellectual property rights in the information Society, M.C. JANSSENS (ed), Bruylant, Brussel, 1998 (261 blz.).
• " Uitvindingen van werknemers - Een 'notoire' lacune in de Belgische wetgeving - Pleidooi voor een wettelijke regeling", R.W., 1996-1997, nr. 26, pp. 865 - 878.
• Uitvindingen in dienstverband en aan Universiteiten - Employee and University Inventions , Bruylant Brussel, 1996 (670 blz.).
• " De intellectuele rechten van werknemers", in Valorisatie van onderzoek, DESCHEEMAEKER, K., OLEO, M. en RASPOET, D. (eds.), Garant Leuven, 1995.