TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Third MPI/EUI Conference on IP, Competition and Innovation
15–16 October 2026 Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich
1. Organizer
The conference is organized by the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science represented by the:
Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition
Herzog-Max-Str. 4
80333 Munich, Germany
(hereinafter referred to as the “Organizer”)
The Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition is a non-commercial scientific research institution and part of the Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science. These Terms and Conditions govern the contractual relationship between the Organizer and each registered participant.
2. Conference Details
- Conference title: Third MPI/EUI Conference on IP, Competition and Innovation
- Dates: 15–16 October 2026
- Venue: Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Herzog-Max-Str. 4, 80333 Munich, Germany
- Character: Non-commercial, scientific/academic conference
3. Registration and Participation
3.1 Registration Process
Registration is completed by submitting the online registration form available on the conference website and paying the applicable conference fee. Upon successful registration and receipt of payment, participants will receive a written confirmation by email. A binding registration agreement is formed upon dispatch of the confirmation email by the Organizer.
3.2 Eligibility
The conference is primarily directed at academics, researchers, legal practitioners, and professionals with an interest in intellectual property, competition law, and innovation policy. The Organizer reserves the right to decline registrations at its sole discretion, particularly where capacity limits are reached.
3.3 Capacity
Participation is subject to available capacity. Should the conference be oversubscribed, the Organizer may operate a waiting list and will notify affected applicants accordingly.
3.4 Transfer of Registration
Participants may transfer their registration to another eligible person by notifying the Organizer in writing at least 7 days before the conference. The Organizer must be informed of the substitute participant’s name and contact details.
4. Conference Fee and Payment
4.1 Fee
A uniform conference fee of € 150 (one hundred and fifty euros) applies to all participants. The fee covers attendance at all conference sessions, conference materials, as well as an evening social event, meals, and refreshments at the venue.
4.2 VAT
The conference fee is exempt from German Value Added Tax (VAT) in accordance with applicable tax regulations. No VAT will be charged.
4.3 Payment
The conference fee is payable within 14 days of receipt of the registration confirmation. The Organizer accepts payment by bank transfer, credit card, Google Pay, and Apple Pay. Payment instructions for bank transfers will be provided in the confirmation email. Bank transfer payments will only be accepted for registrations completed by 4 September 2026. Registration shall be deemed confirmed only upon receipt of full payment.
4.4 Invoicing
An invoice or payment receipt will be issued automatically and send by email. It is also available in the conference account.
5. Cancellation and Refund Policy
5.1 Cancellation by the Participant
Cancellations must be submitted in writing by email to the Organiser. The following refund policy shall apply:
- More than 40 days before the conference start date (i.e., before 5 September 2026): the conference fee shall be refunded in full.
- 40 days or fewer before the conference start date (i.e., on or after 5 September 2026): no refund shall be payable.
The date of receipt of the written cancellation by the Organizer shall be the decisive date for determining eligibility for a refund.
5.2 No-Show
Participants who do not attend the conference without prior written cancellation are not entitled to a refund of the conference fee.
6. Cancellation or Changes by the Organizer
6.1 Program Changes
The Organizer reserves the right to make changes to the conference program, speakers, or schedule at any time. Such changes do not entitle participants to cancel their registration or claim a refund, unless the changes fundamentally alter the nature of the event.
6.2 Cancellation of the Conference
The Organizer reserves the right to cancel the conference in full in cases of force majeure (including, but not limited to, natural disasters, pandemics, governmental prohibitions, or other events beyond the Organizer’s reasonable control) or due to insufficient registrations. In the event of cancellation by the Organizer, participants will receive a full refund of the conference fee paid. The Organizer’s liability is limited to the refund of the conference fee; in particular, the Organizer shall not be liable for travel costs, accommodation expenses, or other ancillary costs incurred by participants.
7. Liability
The Organizer shall only be liable for damages caused by willful misconduct (Vorsatz) or gross negligence (grobe Fahrlässigkeit) on the part of the Organizer or its legal representatives or vicarious agents (Erfüllungsgehilfen). Liability for damages resulting from ordinary negligence is excluded to the extent permitted by applicable law, except in cases of injury to life, body, or health.
The Organizer assumes no liability for loss of, theft of, or damage to personal belongings brought to the conference venue. Participants are advised to arrange their own insurance cover where appropriate.
8. Data Protection
The Organizer processes personal data provided during registration in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and applicable German data protection law. Personal data (including name, professional affiliation, email address, and payment information) will be used exclusively for the purposes of conference organization, communication with participants, and administration of the conference fee.
Data will not be sold or transferred to third parties, except where necessary for conference operations (e.g., venue management, catering providers, or co-organizing institutions) or where required by law.
Participants have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing of, and port their personal data, as well as the right to object to processing, in accordance with Articles 15–21 GDPR. These rights may be exercised by contacting the Organizer at the address set out in Section 1 or via the email address provided on the conference website.
For full details, please refer to the Organizer’s Privacy Policy, which is available on the conference registration website.
The Data Protection Officer of the Max Planck Society may be contacted at: datenschutz@mpg.de
9. Photography, Video, and Audio Recording
The conference may be photographed, filmed, or audio-recorded for documentation, academic, and publicity purposes. By registering for the conference, participants acknowledge this practice and consent to the use of such recordings in which they may incidentally appear, including on the Organizer’s website and in publications, in accordance with § 22 of the German Art Copyright Act (Kunsturhebergesetz, KUG) and the GDPR.
Participants who do not wish to be photographed or recorded should inform the Organizer in writing before the conference or notify the designated contact person on-site. The Organizer will make reasonable efforts to accommodate such requests.
10. Intellectual Property and Publications
Copyright in presentations, papers, and other materials submitted by participants remains with the respective authors. By submitting materials or agreeing to present at the conference, participants grant the Organizer a non-exclusive, royalty-free right to reproduce and distribute such materials in the conference Program, unless expressly agreed otherwise.
Any arrangements regarding publication in a conference proceedings volume or academic journal will be subject to separate agreements.
11. Code of Conduct
All participants are expected to engage with each other respectfully and professionally throughout the conference. Harassment, discrimination, or any form of inappropriate conduct on the basis of gender, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic will not be tolerated.
The Organizer reserves the right to exclude any participant who violates this Code of Conduct from the conference without entitlement to a refund of the conference fee.
Concerns or incidents may be reported to the designated contact person, whose details will be provided in the conference materials.
12. Accessibility and Special Requirements
The Organizer is committed to making the conference as accessible as possible. Participants with disabilities or specific requirements (including dietary restrictions) are encouraged to indicate these at the time of registration or by contacting the Organizer in advance. The Organizer will make reasonable efforts to accommodate such needs.
13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction
These Terms and Conditions are governed by the laws of the Federal Republic of Germany.
The place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising in connection with these Terms and Conditions, to the extent legally permissible, is Munich, Germany.
The European Commission provides an online dispute resolution (ODR) platform at https://ec.europa.eu/consumers/odr/. The Organizer is not obliged to participate in alternative dispute resolution proceedings before a consumer arbitration board and does not generally do so.
14. Severability
Should any provision of these Terms and Conditions be or become invalid or unenforceable, the validity of the remaining provisions shall not be affected. The invalid or unenforceable provision shall be replaced by a valid provision that most closely reflects the economic purpose of the original provision.
15. Amendments
The Organizer reserves the right to amend these Terms and Conditions at any time. The version in force at the time of registration shall apply to each participant. Any material amendments after registration will be communicated to registered participants by email.
Version: June 2026 · Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, Munich