Brands, Trademark Law, and Sustainability - Lessons from/for the Global South

Course dates

19 January 2026 – 6 March 2026

Registration period

1 December 2025 – 5 January 2026

Coordinating university

Hanken School of Economics

Instructors

Nari Lee
Vera Sevastianova

Credits

5 ECTS

Course dates: 19.1. - 6.3.2026
Registration dates: 1.12.2025 - 5.1.2026
Coordinating university: Hanken School of Economics Course code on SISU: 37060
Responsible teacher: Nari Lee (if.neknah@eel.iran), Vera Sevastianova (if.neknah@avonaitsaves.arev)
Credits: 5 ECTS
Course offered: 1/3

Don’t want to miss the enrolment period for this course? Let us send you an email notification when registration opens. Read more and fill in the brief form at the end of this page.

Course summary:

This course provides students with a combined knowledge of trademark law and branding as part of business operations to bring legal and marketing knowledge closer to each other. The task is to let lawyers and marketing professionals understand each other better. Moreover, in the age of sustainability and attention to the Global South, the course will equip students with answers not only to the question ‘What can the Global South learn from the North in terms of trademark law’ but also to the question ‘What should trademark law and broader branding practices in the North consider, given examples from the Global South?’

More specifically, the course will cover the basics of trademarks under European Union (EU) law, keeping the wider understanding of brands in mind. The course will also introduce contractual aspects of branding, particularly trademark licensing. Regarding sustainability, this course will provide a comprehensive understanding of how a single trademark can become a powerful symbol inspiring responsible practices or, conversely, obstructing them. For instance, the course will cover environmental issues (e.g., greenwashing through ‘green’ trademarks or obstructing upcycling through trademark law) and human rights issues (supressing free speech through trademark law). Along with examples from the EU, cases from the Global South with respect to trademarks will be discussed to help understand global challenges and encourage critical thinking.

There are no formal prerequisites and all key concepts will be explained during the course. However, it is recommended that students take a basic course in intellectual property law beforehand.

The course is open to both bachelor’s and master’s students.

Learning outcomes:

After completing the course, students will be able to:

• Describe major concepts of trademark law.
• Identify relevant trademark law rules for protecting, enforcing, and licensing trademarks.
• Explain the interplay between trademark law and branding practices.
• Apply fundamental principles of trademark law to real-world branding practices.
• Analyze how branding strategies and trademark law interpretations can either promote or hinder sustainable practices, including in the Global South.
• Evaluate perspectives (e.g., counter-hegemonism) that challenge unsustainable business and legal practices within the trademark and branding domains.

Learning methods:

Preliminarily, learning methods will include watching online materials and attending classes, reading assigned materials, participating in online and in-class discussions, as well as working on the group/individual project to apply the new knowledge.

• Various materials will be assigned in advance, ensuring that students come to classes and participate in online and in-class discussions with foundational knowledge.
• A flipped classroom approach may be employed to promote a learning-centered, rather than teaching-centered, study process.
• A group/individual project will include writing a short paper.

Completion methods:

• Online materials will include quizzes to track completion.
• Participation in online forums/in-class discussions will be mandatory.
• The main course project will likely involve a group/individual assignment, allowing students to apply the acquired knowledge to a real-life situation.

Study material:

• The preliminary plan is to provide 12 sets of lectures as online materials, along with 12 corresponding case studies. These materials will be tied to a broader weekly theme.
• Three live sessions will be arranged to help students’ learning.
• The lectures and sessions will be supplemented with easily accessible scholarly articles, book chapters, and excerpts from court cases.
• The course materials will, among other things, include examples from the Global South to ensure a diverse and globally relevant perspective.

Assessment criteria:

The preliminary assessment structure will be as follows.

• Quizzes: Automatically graded and contributing approximately 40% to the overall grade.
• Online forum and in-class participation: Graded based on formal participation to encourage engagement and stimulate reflective thinking, contributing about 10% to the grade.
• Group and/or Individual project: Assessed based on the quality of work and application of the course knowledge, accounting for approximately 50% of the grade.

Maximum number of students:

60

Preliminary course timetable:

The course materials will be distributed over seven weeks. One additional week will be devoted to completing the final assignment.

Preliminary dates for live sessions: These are preliminary dates for 3 sessions and one reserve date: Thursday morning (10:15-11:45) on January 22, February 05, February 19, 5 March 2026.

Let us remind you when registration for your course(s) of interest opens. Fill in the brief form below, and we’ll send you an email notification so you don’t miss the enrolment period!

Virtual Studies Course Catalogue →