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  4. BLACA Bursary Award

Stationers' Company - BLACA Bursary in Copyright Law

This bursary is supported by The British Literary and Artistic Copyright Association & The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers, in cooperation with The Centre for Commercial Law Studies, Queen Mary University of London and The Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London.

  • Course: Intellectual Property LLM
  • Number: one or more
  • Value: Up to £9,000 towards tuition fees
  • Home students
  • Deadline: midnight BST 9 August 2026

blaca and stationers company logosThe full designation of the Stationers' Company is The City of London Livery Company for the Communication and Content Industries. Through its Charitable Foundation the Company supports selected postgraduate courses that are related to a range of trades from paper, print, publishing, packaging, office products, newspapers, broadcasting and online media.

The British Literary & Artistic Copyright Association, BLACA, is the UK national group of the International Literary and Artistic Association (ALAI) founded in Paris in 1878 under the Presidency of Victor Hugo. It provides a British forum for the examination of matters affecting authors’ rights and neighbouring rights. The Stationers' Company - BLACA postgraduate bursary award scheme is designed in line with the institutional aims and objectives of the two organisations. It aims to benefit candidates in the relevant cohort who can show commitment to developing professional and transferable skills in the content industries.

Eligibility and Nature of Award

The award consists of a bursary from the Stationers' Foundation fund of up to £9,000 payable as a contribution towards the tuition fees of the successful applicant(s). The award is only eligible in the following cases:

  • The successful student will be enrolled during the academic year 2026-2027, resident in the UK, classified as paying UK tuition fees. They should hold an unconditional offer for a qualifying course.
  • The bursary is available for students enrolled for:
    • the LLM in Intellectual Property Law, at Queen Mary University of London;
    • either the Masters of Laws (LLM) in Intellectual Property and Information Law, or Master of Arts (MA) in UK, EU and US Copyright Law at King’s College London (KCL); or
    • LLM in Intellectual Property Law at University College London (UCL).
  • Students must take the requisite minimum number of credits in specified modules as set out in Schedule A below.

The award is only eligible to the above students - no other type of programme will be considered. Payment direct to the college will occur upon confirmation from Queen Mary, KCL or UCL that the student has elected to read the requisite minimum of credits in the specified modules.

Criteria and application procedure

The following criteria will be taken into consideration:

  • academic merit;
  • financial need;
  • the quality of the application; and
  • the applicant’s interest in becoming an active member of the Stationers' Company.

Short-listed candidates will be required to provide documentary evidence to substantiate their financial needs and to give information about other sources that will support their participation in the chosen course.

Applicants should submit their application using this form: Stationers' Company - BLACA Bursary in Copyright Law application form [DOC 159KB], to their relevant College administrator listed by midnight BST on 9 August 2026. The information required by the form includes Curriculum Vitae information, evidence of financial need (examples are given) and a short statement of motivation (maximum 600 words).

College selectors

Interview

Shortlisted applicants will be invited for interview in August 2026. The interviews will be held on 28 August 2026. Interviews will be conducted remotely. The interview panel will include representatives of the Stationers’ Company, BLACA’s Executive Committee and the Schools of Law of Queen Mary, KCL, and the Faculty of Laws UCL.

Offer and acceptance

There is no obligation on BLACA and the Stationers’ Company to make any award in the absence of a suitable candidate. Offers will be made within 14 days of interview and will be deemed to have been refused if not accepted within a further 14 days.

Mentor

The bursary holder will be part of the Stationers' mentor scheme whereby we will identify a member of the Stationers' Company and the legal or copyright industry, who will help you to make connections in the Stationers' Company and in the industry that you are planning to enter following your studies. They will be a helpful sounding board as you work through your course and transition into the world of work, offering encouragement and support.

Expectations from the Award holder

Stationer’s Company

Bursary holders will be invited to relevant events during their postgraduate year. Subject to successful completion of your course and evidence of your interest in and engagement with the Company, your mentor may also recommend that you be invited to receive the Freedom of the Company. Payment of the annual membership fee will be waived for the first three years.

BLACA

As a Bursary award holder, the student will be an automatic member of BLACA’s student mailing list for the year of their studies. The Award recipient will be announced over BLACA’s social media. We hope that students will also take part in a post-award interview to be made available for future applicants. 

See interviews with past holders of the award.

Schedule A: Choice of subjects

Queen Mary University of London

Students must elect a minimum of 90 credits in the copyright-related modules listed below (students can of course elect more of the listed modules):

LLM Taught Modules:

  • International and Comparative Copyright Law (30 credits).
  • Music Industry Contracts (15 credits).
  • EU Digital Copyright Law (15 credits).
  • Intellectual Property and the Creative Industries (30 credits).
  • A 10,000 word dissertation (on a copyright law focused topic) (30 credits).

King’s College London

Students enrolled on the Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Intellectual Property and Information Law will need to take a minimum of 90 credits in copyright related modules as stated below:

  • International and Comparative Copyright Law (30 credits).
  • Copyright and the Music Industry in the Digital Era (15 credits).
  • Commercialisation of IP (15 credits).
  • A 10,000 word dissertation (on a copyright law focussed topic) (45 credits).
  • A 15,000 word dissertation (on a copyright law focussed topic) (60 credits).

Students enrolled on the Master of Arts (MA) in UK, EU and US Copyright Law will be deemed to satisfy the minimum number of credits required.

University College London

Students must elect a minimum of 90 credits in the copyright-related modules. To that end, students must elect both of the listed modules below:

LLM Taught Modules:

  • Law of Copyright and Related Rights (45 credits).
  • Research essay (on a copyright law focussed topic) (45 credits).
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