Products Liability

2025/2026

Content, progress and pedagogy of the module

  • To supplement the student’s knowledge and skills in a way that may form part of the student’s choice of educational and professional profile

Learning objectives

Knowledge

  • This course will give the students an international perspective on this area of law, which is indeed an international and internationalized area of law, making the students able to address relevant legal issues in relation to practical problem based issues as judges or attorneys.
  • The course addresses all main areas of potential liability before and after the product is sold. This includes design defects, manufacturing defects, defects in warnings and instructions and post-sale negligence. There will also be discussions about product safety regulation and the development of product liability and product safety regulation around the world.
  • Due to the fact that goods flow easily across borders around the World, the area of Products Liability is a very internationalized legal institution. Therefore, the course will examine the regulation of the area in Europe in general and for specific European states as well as the regulation of the area in the US and Japan will be examined.

Skills

  • A general introduction to the area of Products Liability
  • European Products Liability in general
  • The European Products Liability directive
  • Danish Products Liability
  • Products liability in England, France and Germany
  • US Products Liability
  • Japanese Product Liability
  • Warranties, agreed documents and terms of sales and delivery
  • The defects-test
  • The role of middle-men
  • Defenses
  • Remedies – loss, the economic loss problem and punitive damages

Competences

  • Describe the development in the area of products liability law in Europe, Japan and the US
  • Describe the content of the Directives, Reinstatements and Regulations within the products liability law
  • Explain the consequences of the international perspectives in relation to Danish national company law
  • Explain the differences between the Danish national law and the international regulation

Type of instruction

  • Lectures

Extent and expected workload

  • 270 hours

Exam

Exams

Name of examProducts Liability
Type of exam
Oral exam
20 minutes exam
ECTS10
Permitted aids
Without aids
Assessment7-point grading scale
Type of gradingExternal examination
Criteria of assessmentThe criteria of assessment are stated in the Examination Policies and Procedures

Facts about the module

Danish titleProduktansvar
Module codeKA-EJ-20-S12
Module typeCourse
Duration1 semester
SemesterSpring
ECTS10
Language of instructionEnglish
Empty-place SchemeYes
Location of the lectureCampus Aalborg
Responsible for the module

Organisation

Education ownerMaster of Science (MSc) in Business Administration and Commercial Law
Study BoardStudy Board of Law
DepartmentDepartment of Law
FacultyFaculty of Social Sciences and Humanities

Litterature

NB literature will be announced 3 weeks prior to start on semester

  • Selected literature and materials from English, Pan-European, US and Japanese authors. A compendium will be available.