Developments And Directions In Intellectual Property Law

Developments and Directions in Intellectual Property Law celebrates the 20th anniversary of award-winning intellectual property (IP) blog, The IPKat, originally founded in 2003. Over the past two decades, The IPKat has covered and commented on several of the most topical developments in the IP field from substantive, practical, and policy standpoints. Today, The IPKat is considered the “Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg” of all time (source: Justia) and its readers are academics, members of the judiciary, policy and law-makers, practitioners, and students from all over the world. By bringing together several of the current and past contributors to The IPKat, this book reflects on the developments and directions that have emerged in the IP field over the past twenty years. Topics covered include changes within substantive IP rights, as well as IP law, policy, and practice broadly intended and from a global perspective. From copyright to trade marks, patents to designs, image and publicity rights to geographical indications, and developments in IP practice and the court system to contract drafting, readers of this book will find expert insights into some of the most notable developments in IP since the inception of The IPKat blog.

Developments and Directions in Intellectual Property Law celebrates the 20th anniversary of award-winning intellectual property (IP) blog, The IPKat, originally founded in 2003. Over the past two decades, The IPKat has covered and commented on several of the most topical developments in the IP field from substantive, practical, and policy standpoints. Today, The IPKat is considered the "Most Popular Intellectual Property Law Blawg" of all time (source: Justia) and its readers are academics, members of the judiciary, policy and law-makers, practitioners, and students from all over the world. By bringing together several of the current and past contributors to The IPKat, this book reflects on the developments and directions that have emerged in the IP field over the past twenty years. Topics covered include changes within substantive IP rights, as well as IP law, policy, and practice broadly intended and from a global perspective. From copyright to trade marks, patents to designs, image and publicity rights to geographical indications, and developments in IP practice and the court system to contract drafting, readers of this book will find expert insights into some of the most notable developments in IP since the inception of The IPKat blog.

This volume surveys recent international developments in intellectual property law, including forum shopping, unfair competition, Hag II, Mercosur and the development of trademark and patent law in different sectors of industry

Intellectual Property Law is written in an informal, engaging and lively manner with an emphasis on explaining the key topics covered on intellectual property law courses with clarity. It focuses on the practical issues of United Kingdom law at the same time as demonstrating how the subject is being shaped by outside forces.

In 2009, the Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP) dedicated its yearly congress to the theme Horizontal Issues in IP Law; Uncovering the Matrix. That theme and the main concern of the so-called Intellectual Property of Transition Project have been brought together by the editors of the current book under the intriguing title The Structure of Intellectual Property Law Questioned, is whether the apparent compartmentalisation and fragmentation of actual intellectual property law can be based upon a coherent system that supports the entire field. In other words: it is questioned whether one organising principle which underlies the different parts of this domain of law can be found. Not surprisingly, the answers given by the various experts that contribute to this book tend to differ, mainly depending on their field of interest: copyright law, patent law, trademark law, the main tendency being in favour of tailoring instead of unifying both from the perspective of efficiency and that of economics. However, even more interesting than the answers to the question posed, are the stimulating and thought-provoking analyses which the book offers. This is really a book one should read if one is interested in the conjunction of the basic principles of intellectual property law and how they work out in practice. Willem Grosheide, Utrecht University, The Netherlands Today, intellectual property is a broad genus embracing various more specific species - invention patents, copyright, trade marks and so forth. Anyone concerned with how this ever-expanding grouping is developing should read the fourteen essays in this book. Written by leading scholars, they tackle not only the relationships between the species, but also those between sub-species. Originally presented as papers to the Association for Teaching and Research in IP, the writing is both subtle and full of verve. Strongly recommended. William Cornish, Cambridge University, UK This well-researched and highly topical book analyses whether the ever-increasing degree of sophistication in intellectual property law necessarily leads to fragmentation and inconsistency, or whether the common principles informing the system are sustainable enough to offer a solid and resilient framework for legal development.

The book presents an impressive line-up of experts in the increasingly relevant field of law and economics, an area that has particular relevance to the issue of IP rights. . . an excellent collection of cutting-edge research. . . an essential read for those interested in the economic impact of IPRs. . . a highly recommended collection. Andrés Guadamuz, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice Intellectual property policy has been framed too commonly in terms of refining and strengthening legal rights. As intellectual property grows in scope and importance, the limitations of this narrow approach have become all too apparent. This important collection puts the policy problems in proper perspective by assembling the work of leading scholars and researchers who examine intellectual property rights in terms of how they actually work in legal, economic, and institutional contexts. Brian Kahin, University of Michigan and formerly White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, US For a long time we have thought about IPRs as a policy instrument to avoid a "tragedy of commons". The essays collected by Birgitte Andersen show that in the XXI century economy there is another, and so far underestimated, danger: a sort of "tragedy of markets" where every knowledge or cultural expression becomes privatised. This will generate a greater knowledge and culture divide, with an increased corporate dominance. Those who are afraid of the dangers of exclusion and believe that open access to science, technology and culture will lead us in a more intriguing world will find convincing arguments and explanations in this volume. Daniele Archibugi, Italian National Research Council, Italy There is a growing need to understand the role of the regulation of intellectual property rights (IPRs), in order not only to achieve economic performance, growth and sustainable development at corporate, sectoral and global levels, but also to provide a higher quality of life for communities worldwide. Intellectual Property Rights is cutting edge in addressing current debates affecting businesses, industry sectors and society today, and in focusing not only on the enabling welfare effects of IPR systems, but also on some of the possible adverse effects of IPR systems. The main areas covered in the book are: the global commons in an era of corporate dominance and privatisation of the public domain, including science, culture, and healthcare under TRIPS the rationales for IPRs, and the importance of an appropriate design of an IPR regime in achieving its objectives opening the black box of IPR offices and critically reviewing how they affect economic performance in both theory and practice coordinating the institutions (state versus sector institutions, knowledge networks, innovation systems) creating and extracting financial and non-financial value from patents and copyrights. This book challenges the existing mainstream thinking and analytical frameworks dominating the theoretical literature on IPRs within economics, management, politics, law and regulation theory. It is relevant for policymakers, business analysts, industrial and business economists, researchers and students.

'Intellectual Property Law' is the definitive textbook on this subject. It clearly sets out the law in relation to copyright, patents, trade marks, passing off and confidentiality, whilst enlivening the text with illustrations and diagrams.