Law Commons^™

Nevada’S Employee Inventions Statute: Novel, Nonobvious, And Patently Wrong, Mary Lafrance

Scholarly Works

In its Seventy-First Session, the Nevada Legislature enacted a new statute, S. B. 558, granting employers complete ownership of any work-related inventions created by their employees, regardless of whether the employer contributed any resources whatsoever to the inventive process. This stunning reversal of longstanding common law was little noticed by the public, and was debated only superficially in the state legislature before receiving its overwhelming vote of approval.

This Article examines Nevada's new employee invention statute from the perspectives of common law and public policy. It compares Nevada's new statute with the traditional common law rules governing employee inventions, as …

Congress Trips Over International Law: Wto Finds Unfairness In Music Licensing Act, Mary Lafrance

Scholarly Works

Intellectual property law reform in the United States frequently involves balancing the interest rights of holders against the interests of users. As international agreements play an increasingly important role in the development of domestic intellectual property law, striking this balance has become a more complicated process.

Whereas, a few decades ago, resolving the competing needs of owners and users often could be accomplished purely as a matter of domestic policy – whether the outcome was based on high-minded principle, interest group politics, or simple pragmatism – today the proposed resolution to such a conflict more often than not must be …

Authorship And Termination Rights In Sound Recordings, Mary Lafrance

Scholarly Works

In late 1999, Congress amended the definition of "works made for hire" in § 101 of the Copyright Act to make explicit its intent to include sound recordings as a category of works eligible for this status. The amendment was repealed with retroactive effect less than a year later. All this happened—pardon the expression—in record time.

This odd course of events was precipitated by a request from the record industry, represented by the Recording Industry Association of America ("RIAA"), which persuaded Congress, shortly before passage of the Intellectual Property and Omnibus Communications Reform Act of 1999, to add a "technical …

Recent Developments In Copyright Law: Technology And International Trade Play Starring Roles, Mary Lafrance

Scholarly Works

The once staid field of copyright law has undergone a dramatic revolution in recent years, as new technologies and international trade pressures have spurred legislative change, while challenging the federal courts to find answers to those questions that Congress has not resolved or, in some cases, to questions that recent acts of Congress have created. This article explores recent developments in copyright law in 2002.

New Laws, New Technology: Copyright Law Struggles With Change, Mary Lafrance

Scholarly Works

This article examines the development of copyright law in 2000 and 2001.