Law Commons^™

The New Servitudes, Molly Shaffer Van Houweling

Molly Van Houweling

In the age of electronic commerce, consumers routinely acquire intangible products without engaging in any direct human interaction. These products-computer programs, digital music, et cetera—often arrive bearing terms that purport to limit the sticks in the consumers' bundles of rights in ways that depart from the background limitations imposed by intellectual property law. For example, a consumer who has downloaded a computer program from the Internet might be presented with a screen of text imposing myriad restrictions on how the program may be used; installation commences only when the consumer clicks “I agree.” Courts in the United States have increasingly …

Touching And Concerning Copyright: Real Property Reasoning In Mdy Industries, Inc. V. Blizzard Entertainment, Inc, Molly Shaffer Van Houweling

Molly Van Houweling

No abstract provided.

La Insoportable Levedad Del Legislador Argentino En Materia De Derecho De Autor Digresiones Jurídico-Económicos En Torno Al Proyecto Legislativo Que Propone Extender La Duración De Las Obras Fotográficas, Maximiliano Marzetti

Maximiliano Marzetti

Este aporte tiene una doble finalidad, catártica y educativa. Por un lado quiero desahogarme al ver como la historia se repite: la vetusta ley de propiedad intelectual N° 11.723 sólo se retoca para extender privilegios económicos de un sector y no en beneficio del bien común. Por otro, continúo mi prédica para intentar convencer a colegas y legisladores para que se adentren en el fabuloso mundo de la multidisciplina. Necesitamos legisladores que sepan de derecho, economía y ciencias sociales, o al menos que sepan escuchar a quienes saben.

El Derecho Al Secreto Y La Teoría Del Cono, Juan Carlos Riofrío Martínez-Villalba

Juan Carlos Riofrío Martínez-Villalba

El presente estudio contiene una teoría general del derecho de los secretos, que sirve para determinar el peso específico de cada secreto, a efectos de realizar una correcta ponderación de derechos. La teoría explica las relaciones que existen entre los diversos tipos de secreto, utilizando y desarrollando la teoría del cono de García Morente, que se muestra como una herramienta apropiada para dilucidar cuándo hay derecho al secreto, cuando no lo hay y en qué medida. La metodología utilizada es inductiva. El análisis se estructura de la siguiente manera: (i) se recapitula la teoría general del derecho de los secretos; …

Proposed Secondary Liability Regimes For Trademark Infringement Online: Commentary, Irene Calboli, Jane Ginsburg, Amy Cotton, Bob Weigel, Bruce Rich, Miguel Peguera

Irene Calboli

No abstract provided.

Sharing Research Data And Intellectual Property Law: A Primer, Michael W. Carroll

Michael W. Carroll

Betty Boop And The Return Of Aesthetic Functionality: A Bitter Medicine Against "Mutant Copyrights"?, Irene Calboli

Irene Calboli

This article offers a brief overview of the history and developments of the doctrine of aesthetic functionality in the United States and examines the recent decisions in Fleischer Studios, Inc v AVELA, Inc . In particular, the article argues that the courts in Fleischer added an important element to the interpretation of the doctrine, namely the fact that the courts seemed willing to resort to aesthetic functionality to counter the consequences resulting from the practice of using trade mark law as an additional form of protection for copyrighted, or once copyrighted, creative works.

In Territorio Veritas? Bringing Geographical Coherence Into The Ambiguous Definition Of Geographical Indications Of Origin, Irene Calboli

Irene Calboli

In this article, I touch upon a topic that remains highly controversial in international intellectual property law—the legal protection of geographical indications of origin (GIs): Chianti wine, Champagne sparkling wine, Gorgonzola cheese, Parma ham, Darjeeling tea, Colombian coffee, and other terms that indicate (or are supposed to indicate, as I will develop in this article) the geographical origin of the products they identify. In line with the theme of this special issue of the WIPO Journal, I focus on the requirement of “geographical origin” upon which the protection of GIs has been historically built and is generally justified. In particular, …

Overlapping Copyright And Trademark Protection: A Call For Concern And Action, Irene Calboli

Irene Calboli

In this Article, I tackle a controversial topic-the overlapping trademark and copyright protection that can apply to creative works such as fictional characters, pictures, video clips, and songs. In particular, I highlight the possible negative consequences that granting trademark protection to these works-concurrently or after the expiration of copyright protection- can have on the societal bargain upon which copyright protection is built and justified. To date, scholars have only limitedly addressed these consequences, and more academic attention is needed in this area. In contrast, the advantages of trademark rights in creative works (in their entirety or in separated features of …

Recent Developments In The Law Of Comparative Advertising In Italy – Towards An Effective Enforcement Of The Principles Of Directive 97/55/Ec Under The New Regime?, Irene Calboli

Irene Calboli

On February 25, 2000, the Italian Government adopted Legislative Decree No. 67, which enacted Directive 97/55/EC amending Directive 84/450/EEC concerning misleading advertising, so as to include comparative advertising. Contrary to what one could have expected in a country that has traditionally banned comparison in advertisements, Italy was one of the first among the Member States to implement Directive 97/55/EC. In order to allow consistent enforcement practices, however, the adoption of the new law must be followed by a profound change in the ways Italian courts and legal operators have approaches this issue so far. This Article explores this issue and …

The Property Rights Movement's Embrace Of Intellectual Property: True Love Or Doomed Relationship, Peter S. Menell

Peter Menell

No abstract provided.

Tailoring Legal Protection For Computer Software, Peter S. Menell

Peter Menell

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property And The Law Of Land, Peter S. Menell

Peter Menell

The author expresses opinion on an essay by professor Richard Epstein on intellectual property and property rights movement. He says the professor acknowledges that governance of intellectual property involves a complex public policy balance that varies from real property governance. He stresses Epstein should agree that the uniform structure of patent law across all innovation may be a significant issue. He notes the demand for more adjustments to the patent system to distinguish among the various fields of inventive activity covered by patent law.

Intellectual Property And The Property Rights Movement, Peter S. Menell

Peter Menell

The article discusses why the effort to equate protecting intellectual property (IP) and tangible property differ in significant ways. The author criticizes the property rights movement for trying to equate IP protection with real property. He discusses the differences between philosophical, legal, economic and political bases for protecting both types of property. He also tackles the various characteristics of intellectual resources.

Private Value Determinations And The Potential Effect On The Future Of Research And Development, Amy L. Landers

Amy L. Landers

Although the promise of an emerging patent market is thought to provide future benefits to invention, innovation, and the public, this essay examines the possibility that the aggregate influence of this activity could instead destabilize patent values in a manner that mirrors the "bubble" phenomenon that occurred in certain markets in the past. To the extent that this occurs, this would destabilize the patent system and might have negative consequences for the future of investment in research, development and innovation.

The International Enclosure Movement, Peter K. Yu

Peter K. Yu

No abstract provided.

Constitutionalizing Patents: From Venice To Philadelphia, Craig Allen Nard, Andrew P. Morriss

Andrew P. Morriss

Patent law today is a complex institution in most developed economies and the appropriate structure for patent law is hotly debated around the world. Despite their differences, one crucial feature is shared by the diverse patent systems of the industrialized world even before the recent trend toward harmonization: modern patent regimes include self-imposed restrictions of executive and legislative discretion, which we refer to as "constitutionalized" systems. Given the lucrative nature of patent monopolies, the long history of granting patents as a form of patronage, and the aggressive pursuit of patronage in most societies, the choice to confine patents within a …

Constitutionalizing Patents: From Venice To Philadelphia, Craig Allen Nard, Andrew P. Morriss

Andrew P. Morriss

Patent law today is a complex institution in most developed economies and the appropriate structure for patent law is hotly debated around the world. Despite their differences, one crucial feature is shared by the diverse patent systems of the industrialized world even before the recent trend toward harmonization: modern patent regimes include self-imposed restrictions of executive and legislative discretion, which we refer to as "constitutionalized" systems. Given the lucrative nature of patent monopolies, the long history of granting patents as a form of patronage, and the aggressive pursuit of patronage in most societies, the choice to confine patents within a …

International Intellectual Property Scholars Series: Reviewing The (Shrinking) Principle Of Trademark Exhaustion In The European Union (Ten Years Later), Irene Calboli

Irene Calboli

Ten years ago, I published an article in the Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review titled “Trademark Exhaustion in the European Union: Community-Wide or International? The Saga Continues.” In that article, I described the development of the principle of trademark exhaustion in the European Union (EU) and analyzed the interplay among trademark protection, trademark territoriality, and the treatment of the parallel importation of gray market products—unauthorized genuine goods imported from foreign countries—under Article 7 of the Trademark Directive (Article 7). In this Essay, I continue to explore, ten years after my 2002 article, the development of the principle of trademark exhaustion …

To Waive And Waive Not: Property And Flexibility In The Digital Era: 23rd Annual Horace S. Manges Lecture, April 6, 2010, Robert P. Merges

Robert P Merges

No abstract provided.

The Concept Of Property In The Digital Era, Robert P. Merges

Robert P Merges

No abstract provided.

Individual Creators In The Cultural Commons, Robert P. Merges

Robert P Merges

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Rights And The New Institutional Economics, Robert P. Merges

Robert P Merges

No abstract provided.

Battle Of Lateralisms: Intellectual Property And Trade, Robert P. Merges

Robert P Merges

No abstract provided.

Autonomy And Independence: The Normative Face Of Transaction Costs, Robert P. Merges

Robert P Merges

No abstract provided.

Rent Control In The Patent District: Observations On The Grady-Alexander Thesis, Robert P. Merges

Robert P Merges

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Arbitrage: How Foreign Rules Can Affect Domestic Protections, Pamela Samuelson

Pamela Samuelson

No abstract provided.

Preliminary Thoughts On Copyright Reform, Pamela Samuelson

Pamela Samuelson

The article discusses the relevance of revising the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. According to the author, the Copyright Act of 1976 has already undergone more than 20 amendments since it was ratified into law which compromises its regulations because of the diverse inter and intra industrial negotiations as well as increases controversial issues on law and policymaking. Moreover, the author stresses that revision of the legislation is necessary because it contains lapses and insufficient policies in addressing advanced technological innovations and digital applications. It also cites the codification development model of copyright law and the guidelines to consider in …

Comparing U.S. And Ec Copyright Protection For Computer Programs: Are They More Different Than They Seem, Pamela Samuelson

Pamela Samuelson

No abstract provided.

Digital Media And The Changing Face Of Intellectual Property Law, Pamela Samuelson

Pamela Samuelson

No abstract provided.