The First Twenty Five Years Of The World Intellectual Property Organization 1967 1992

The Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organization was signed in Stockholm on July 14, 1967. This book has been written to commemorate the 25th anniversary of that event.

In order to place the 25 years in a historical context, the essay does, exceptionally, deal also with pre-1967 events and with post-1992 possibilities.

The aim of this Guide is to present, as simply and clearly as possible, the contents of the Berne Convention and to provide a number of explanations as to its nature, aims and scope.

Covering the World Intellectual Property Organization, this volume introduces a much ignored element of the contemporary structure of global governance to scholars of international political economy. Christopher May discusses: how the World Intellectual Property Organization works, its antecedents and history the debates about the role and justification of intellectual property the role of WIPO within contemporary global politics the key elements of its relations with the World Trade Organization the Agreement on Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. The analysis then examines the recent political economy of the organization and argues that far from being the neutral or technical agency that it often presents itself as, the WIPO is highly politicized and acts to socialize policy makers and civil servants into a specific view of intellectual property. However, the recent proposal to establish a Development Agenda at the WIPO is an important development, and the book concludes by examining the problems which have promoted this agenda, suggesting that these reforms of the WIPO should be welcomed. The World Intellectual Property Organization is a clear and accessible volume that will confirm the WIPO as one of the global institutions which any student of global governance must understand.

Ours is an era when human genes can be copied and patented. From genetically modified foods to digital piracy, the concept of intellectual property (IP) and the laws upholding it play a foundational role in our society, but its political and ideological dimensions have rarely been understood outside of specialist circles. This collection cuts through the legal jargon that so often surrounds IP, to provide both a comprehensive history and analysis that explores the corporate interests that shape its conception and the movements that are developing alternatives. As the nature of industry changes, we might ask: what are the wider implications of the concept of IP, be it for agribusiness and pharmaceutical companies or the film and music industries? Has IP law has been used to safeguard and assert the ownership of ideas and creativity, or is it an essential foundation of our culture? Today, with mounting challenges from the growth of free software and open source movements, this collection provides an accessible and alternative guide to IP, exploring its significance within the wider struggle between capital and the commons.

The principle of Access to Knowledge (A2K) has become a common reference point for a diverse set of agendas that all hope to realize technological and human potential by making knowledge more accessible. This book is a history of international copyright focused on principles of A2K and their proponents. Whilst debate and discussion so far has covered the perspectives of major western countries, the author's fresh approach to the topic considers emerging countries and NGOs, who have fought for the principles of A2K that are now fundamental to the system. Written in a clear and accessible style, the book connects copyright history to current problems, issues and events.

We live in an age in which expressive, informational, and technological subject matter are becoming increasingly important. Intellectual property is the primary means by which the law seeks to regulate such subject matter. It aims to promote innovation and creativity, and in doing so to support solutions to global environmental and health problems, as well as freedom of expression and democracy. It also seeks to stimulate economic growth and competition, accounting for its centrality to EU Internal Market and international trade and development policies. Additionally, it is of enormous and increasing importance to business. As a result there is a substantial and ever-growing interest in intellectual property law across all spheres of industry and social policy, including an interest in its legal principles, its social and normative foundations, and its place and operation in the political economy. This handbook written by leading academics and practitioners from the field of intellectual property law, and suitable for both a specialist legal readership and an intelligent but non-specialist legal and non-legal readership, provides a comprehensive account of the following areas: - The foundations of IP law, including its emergence and development in different jurisdictions and regions; - The substantive rules and principles of IP; and - Important issues arising from the existence and operation of IP in the political economy.

First signed in 1886, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works is still the cornerstone of international copyright law. Set against the backdrop of Canada's development from a British colony into a middle power, this book reveals the deep roots of conflict in the international copyright system and argues that Canada's signing of the convention can be viewed in the context of a former British colony's efforts to find a place on the world stage. In this groundbreaking book, Sara Bannerman examines Canada's struggle for copyright sovereignty and explores some of the problems rooted in imperial and international copyright that affect Canadians to this day.