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Full-Text Articles in Legal History
The Great Pharmaceutical Patent Robbery, And The Curious Case Of The Chemical Foundation, Christopher Wadlow
The Great Pharmaceutical Patent Robbery, And The Curious Case Of The Chemical Foundation, Christopher Wadlow
Christopher Wadlow
In 1918, the United States confiscated virtually all German-owned intellectual property assets within its jurisdiction. Out of 6,000 patents in the chemical field, 4,500 were assigned for a very modest consideration to an newly-established entity, the Chemical Foundation, which was incorporated with the objective of licensing and managing them for the benefit of the United States chemical industry. This article describes the origins and activities of the Chemical Foundation, and considers whether it provides a useful model, or at least useful lessons, for the collective management of patents today.
International News V Associated Press: A Theme And Variations Over Four Days, Christopher Wadlow
International News V Associated Press: A Theme And Variations Over Four Days, Christopher Wadlow
Christopher Wadlow
A series of four classes at the University of Trier (Germany) for undergraduate law students, using the International News v Associated Press case 248 U.S. 215 (1918) to discuss some principles of unfair competition and copyright law, as well as some more fundamental doctrines from the common law, and American Constitutional law.
’Including Trade In Counterfeit Goods’: The Origins Of Trips As A Gatt Anti-Counterfeiting Code, Christopher Wadlow
’Including Trade In Counterfeit Goods’: The Origins Of Trips As A Gatt Anti-Counterfeiting Code, Christopher Wadlow
Christopher Wadlow
Like corruption, commercial counterfeiting has no apologists and no redeeming features. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) TRIPs Agreement incorporates provisions intended to address the problem of counterfeit goods in international trade, but these seem to have achieved little more than to slow the trajectory of its growth. However, the low profile of these provisions within TRIPs disguises the fact that TRIPs itself may ultimately be traced to a modest initiative by American business interests to include an “anti-counterfeiting code” within the GATT Tokyo round. This article describes the origins and history of the code, and its gradual metamorphosis into the …
The British Empire Patent 1901-1923: The ‘Global’ Patent That Never Was, Christopher Wadlow
The British Empire Patent 1901-1923: The ‘Global’ Patent That Never Was, Christopher Wadlow
Christopher Wadlow
Reflects on the lessons which unsuccessful efforts to introduce a British Empire patent prior to 1923 may offer for the European Community patent. Reviews the origin of the proposal in 1901, the state of patent law across the Empire at the time, the progress made at several Imperial conferences, key features of the 1919 memorandum and the issues discussed at the 1922 patent conference. Outlines the reasons for the failure of the 1923 proposals, including the problems created by Canada's claim for reciprocal treatment for its patents, and considers whether the EC Community patent has a greater prospect of success.