Quick Summary: Intellectual property law is one of the fastest-growing legal specialisms — driven by tech, pharma, and the creative industries. This guide covers every essential book for advanced IP law study, from comprehensive LLM texts to specialist works on copyright, patents, trademarks, and the intersection with human rights.
Intellectual property law — governing patents, copyright, trademarks, design rights, and trade secrets — has become one of the most commercially significant areas of legal practice. From pharmaceutical patent disputes worth billions, to landmark copyright cases involving AI-generated content, to the brand protection strategies of global companies, IP law sits at the centre of the modern economy.
LLM programmes in IP law at Queen Mary University London (home of the Centre for Commercial Law Studies, internationally recognised as the UK’s leading IP law centre) attract students from across the world. The reading list is demanding and the books are expensive — but this guide helps you spend wisely.
In This Guide
Comprehensive IP Law Texts
Most LLM IP programmes begin with a comprehensive text covering all forms of IP before moving to specialist modules. Two books dominate UK LLM programmes — check your reading list to see which your programme uses.
Intellectual Property Law: Text, Cases and Materials (4th ed.) — Aplin & Davis (OUP)
Clear, comprehensive, and extremely well-structured. Covers copyright, patents, trade marks, passing off, design rights, and confidential information. Strong on EU and international dimensions of IP law. The text-cases-materials format means you engage with primary sources rather than just commentary. The fourth edition is thoroughly revised. The most recommended comprehensive IP text for students new to the subject at advanced level.
- ✓ Text-cases-materials format builds research skills
- ✓ Strong on European and international IP law
- ✓ Accessible writing style for a complex subject
- ✓ Fourth edition fully updated including AI and IP developments
- ✗ Less detail on UK-specific patent law than Bently & Sherman
Intellectual Property Law (6th ed.) — Bently, Sherman, Gangjee & Johnson (OUP)
Bently & Sherman is the other major IP text used at advanced level in the UK — more detailed than Aplin & Davis on certain areas, particularly patents and trade marks. The sixth edition is a substantial revision. It is the text of choice for students who want the deepest doctrinal analysis. Used at Queen Mary, UCL, and other programmes. Some modules use Bently & Sherman rather than Aplin — check your reading list. Both are outstanding; the difference is one of depth versus accessibility.
- ✓ Greater doctrinal depth on patents and trade marks
- ✓ More extensive case analysis
- ✓ The scholarly reference of choice
- ✗ Denser and less accessible than Aplin & Davis
Copyright Law
Copyright is perhaps the most contested area of IP law right now — driven by AI-generated content, streaming platforms, and the ongoing debate about the scope of copyright protection in the digital age. Students specialising in copyright law have a rich and rapidly evolving field.
Copyright Law in the Digital Society — Aplin (Hart Publishing)
A specialist text examining copyright law in the digital environment — platforms, streaming, user-generated content, and the challenges posed by AI. Focused and up-to-date. Essential supplementary reading for LLM students focusing on copyright in the digital economy.
Price: ~£45–£60 | View on Amazon UK →
Global Mandatory Fair Use — Bently & Aplin (Cambridge University Press)
An advanced scholarly text examining the right to quote copyright works across jurisdictions. Specialist reading for those focusing on copyright exceptions and user rights at the international level. More appropriate for dissertation research than module study.
Price: ~£80–£110 | View on Amazon UK →
Patent Law
Patent law — particularly pharmaceutical patents and standards-essential patents in tech — is one of the most commercially lucrative areas of IP practice. The litigation stakes are enormous; pharmaceutical patent disputes routinely involve billions of pounds.
Terrell on the Law of Patents (19th ed.) (Sweet & Maxwell)
The definitive practitioner text on UK patent law — exhaustive, authoritative, and cited by the UK courts. Too detailed for LLM study (it is a practitioner reference) but essential for those entering patent law practice or writing dissertations on UK patent law. Expensive: expect £400–£600 for the current edition.
Price: ~£400–£600 | View on Amazon UK →
Patent Law — Bently, Sherman, Gangjee & Johnson (OUP) [extracted chapters]
For LLM students, the patent chapters within the comprehensive Bently & Sherman text (above) provide sufficient depth for most modules. Buying the full book rather than a dedicated patent text is more cost-effective for students covering all of IP law in a single module.
Trade Marks
Kerly’s Law of Trade Marks and Trade Names (16th ed.) (Sweet & Maxwell)
The practitioner’s definitive reference on UK and EU trade mark law. Used by trade mark specialists at major law firms and cited by courts. Like Terrell on patents, this is a practitioner reference rather than a student text — but essential for trade mark-focused dissertations and for students entering trade mark practice.
Price: ~£350–£500 | View on Amazon UK →
IP Law and Human Rights
One of the most intellectually stimulating and rapidly developing areas of IP scholarship examines how intellectual property rights interact with fundamental human rights — particularly freedom of expression, access to medicines and the right to health, and cultural rights. This is where Wolters Kluwer’s key IP contribution sits.
Intellectual Property Law and Human Rights (4th ed.) — Torremans (ed.) (Wolters Kluwer)
The definitive scholarly treatment of how IP law interacts with human rights frameworks — both the ECHR and UN international human rights instruments. The fourth edition is comprehensively revised and covers copyright vs freedom of expression, pharmaceutical patents vs the right to health, TRIPs and access to medicines, and the cultural rights dimensions of IP. Published by Wolters Kluwer, this is widely cited in academic literature and increasingly in judicial decisions. Essential for students interested in the human rights dimensions of IP law or writing dissertations in this area.
- ✓ The definitive text on IP and human rights
- ✓ Contributed chapters by leading international scholars
- ✓ Fourth edition thoroughly revised and updated
- ✓ Covers both ECHR and UN human rights frameworks
- ✗ Specialist text — assumes solid IP law foundations
EU Competition Law and Intellectual Property Rights — Anderman & Schmidt (OUP)
At the intersection of IP law and competition law — an increasingly important area as technology companies have both dominant market positions and extensive IP portfolios. Essential for students interested in the compulsory licensing of patents, the Essential Facilities doctrine applied to IP, and standard-essential patents.
Price: ~£55–£70 | View on Amazon UK →
Which UK university is best for an LLM in IP law?
Queen Mary University London’s Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS) is internationally recognised as the UK’s leading centre for IP law. Its LLM in Intellectual Property Law consistently ranks among the best in the world. UCL and King’s also offer excellent IP law LLM programmes with strong practitioner connections.
Should I buy Aplin & Davis or Bently & Sherman?
Check your reading list first — your programme will typically specify one. If it doesn’t, Aplin & Davis is more accessible and more suitable if you’re coming to IP from a non-IP background. Bently & Sherman provides greater depth and is preferred for dissertation work. Many students use Aplin & Davis as their primary text and consult Bently & Sherman in the library for deeper research.
How is AI changing IP law?
AI is creating legal questions that existing IP frameworks weren’t designed to answer: can AI-generated content be protected by copyright? Who owns a patent for an AI invention? How should training data for AI systems be licensed? These questions are actively being litigated in UK courts and are central to current IP scholarship. Students interested in this area should look at recent UK IPO consultations alongside Aplin’s copyright in the digital society text.