Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin - Prof. Dr. Axel Metzger

Prof. Dr. Axel Metzger, LL.M. (Harvard)

Professor for Civil Law and Intellectual Property Law, especially Industrial Property Law

 

Photo: Wilhelm Böttcher

 

Prof. Metzger's research focuses on intellectual property law, particularly industrial property rights. In addition to the long-standing research project on innovative development and distribution models in the field of software, particularly open source licensing models, he has published a series of articles since 2014 on the role of patent and plant variety protection rights in the development of innovative plants. In recent years, Prof. Metzger has also been focusing on legal issues relating to data markets and related areas of private law. His research methods are interdisciplinary and have an international focus.

In addition to his research and teaching activities, Prof. Metzger is active in advising on legislative procedures at the national and European level and as an expert witness in court proceedings, for government agencies, industry associations, international organizations, and NGOs. He has been invited several times as an expert witness to hearings of the German Bundestag. He regularly acts as an expert witness on German intellectual property law and private law before common law courts (in the US, UK, and most recently Malaysia).

 

  • Born in 1971

  • 1993–1998 law studies in Hamburg and Paris I (Panthéon-Sorbonne), 1st and 2nd state exam in Hamburg

  • 1999–2002 Doctor iuris at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and Université Paris II (Panthéon-Assas) in copyright law

  • 2001–2007 Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for comparative and international Private Law, Hamburg

  • 2005–2006 LL.M. program, Harvard Law School

  • 2008 Habilitation at the Universität Hamburg: Venia legendi for civil law, business law, especially intellectual property law, private international law and comparative law, legal methodology

  • 2008-2014 Professor for civil law, intellectual property law, information technology law and international private law at the Faculty of Law, Universität Hannover

  • 2011 Visiting Professor at the Universität Basel

  • 2012 Visiting Professor at the Bucerius Law School, Hamburg

  • 2016 Visiting Professor at the Tongji University, Shanghai

  • Since 2014: Professor for civil law and intellectual property law, especially industrial property law at the Faculty of Law, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

  • 2022–2024 Dean of the faculty of law 
  • 2017-2019 Founding Director Weizenbaum-Institute, Berlin