Law Commons^™

Infringement As Unfair Competition: A Blueprint For Global Governance?, Sean Pager, Eric Priest

Sean Pager

INFRINGEMENT AS UNFAIR COMPETITION: A BLUEPRINT FOR GLOBAL GOVERNANCE?

Sean A. Pager Michigan State University College of Law

Eric Priest University of Oregon School of Law

ABSTRACT

This Article examines a new approach to address persistent regulatory failures in global supply chains. In a series of recent cases, unfair competition actions have been brought in U.S. court against foreign manufacturers who infringe software overseas under the theory that the cost savings from infringement confers an unfair advantage in U.S. markets. While this theory has been advanced in the intellectual property context, the same approach could work to target abuses in …

Traditional Knowledge Rights And Wrongs, Sean Pager

Sean Pager

SourceURL:file://localhost/Users/sean/Documents/Folklore%20TK/Unpacking%20ABSTRACT.doc

Traditional Knowledge Rights and Wrongs

Sean A. Pager, Michigan State University

ABSTRACT

Should the intangible heritage of indigenous people be subject to intellectual property rights? After years of effort, international delegates are poised to complete a pair of ambitious treaties that would accomplish this goal. This Article provides the first detailed analysis and critique of the draft treaties, which provide for exclusive rights in traditional knowledge and cultural expression, respectively. Proponents of such protection often invoke both cultural integrity and economic justice rationales. Yet, these rationales dictate conflicting imperatives. To resolve these conflicts, the Article argues for greater differentiation …

Copyright In Pantomime

Brian L. Frye

Why does the Copyright Act specifically provide for the protection of “pantomimes”? This article shows that the Copyright Act of 1976 amended the subject matter of copyright to include pantomimes simply in order to conform it to the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. It further shows that the Berlin Act of 1909 amended the Berne Convention to provide for copyright protection of “les pantomimes” and “entertainments in dumb show” in order to ensure copyright protection of silent motion pictures. Unfortunately, the original purpose of providing copyright protection to “pantomimes” was forgotten. This Article argues that …

Traditional Knowledge Rights And Wrongs, Sean Pager

Sean Pager

Should the intangible heritage of indigenous cultures be subject to intellectual property rights? After years of effort, international delegates are poised to complete a pair of ambitious treaties that would accomplish this goal. This Article provides the first detailed analysis and critique of the draft treaties, which provide for exclusive rights in traditional knowledge and cultural expression, respectively. Proponents of such protection often invoke both cultural integrity and economic justice rationales. Yet, these rationales dictate conflicting imperatives. To resolve these conflicts, the Article argues for greater differentiation between the two draft treaties based on subject matter. Just as copyright and …

Ip Piracy & Developing Nations: A Recipe For Terrorism Funding, Brandy G. Robinson

Brandy G Robinson

When events such as 9/11 hit the U.S., no one thought that terrorists funded these activities through intellectual property piracy. On the surface, intellectual property (IP) piracy and terrorism are two distant topics. However, these topics are not distant but closely connected, as terrorist groups thrive on IP piracy, especially in developing nations, which has led to successful terrorist funding opportunities. Because IP piracy evades normal detection and developing nations do not thoroughly understand it, terrorist groups gravitate towards IP piracy for funding, which presents a distinct global dilemma.

Intellectual property rights and laws, namely criminal enforcement mechanisms, are essential …

Innovation Cooperation: Energy Biosciences And Law, Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

This Article analyzes the development and dissemination of environmentally sound technologies that can address climate change. Climate change poses catastrophic health and security risks on a global scale. Universities, individual innovators, private firms, civil society, governments, and the United Nations can unite in the common goal to address climate change. This Article recommends means by which legal, scientific, engineering, and a host of other public and private actors can bring environmentally sound innovation into widespread use to achieve sustainable development. In particular, universities can facilitate this collaboration by fostering global innovation and diffusion networks.

Parallel Importation, Patent Right Exhaustion, And Strategies For Navigating The Evolving Landscape, Bryan J. Su

Bryan J Su

Parallel importation provides a means for purchasers and consumers of commercial goods protected by intellectual property law to acquire products for prices lower than the price set by intellectual property right holders. This form of “legal piracy” of grey-market goods is conducted by legally purchasing products in jurisdictions with lower prices, which allows distributors to import products into jurisdictions with higher prices, leading to a competitive advantage. The doctrine of patent exhaustion, especially when applied internationally, allows this practice by giving authorized purchasers of products unfettered ownership and control over the specific articles they acquire.

Analysis of how the United …

Presentation: U.S. Licensing Regulation As A Model For Developing Countries, Benton C. Martin

Benton C. Martin

Highlights differences between legislation regulating goverment labs and universities and discusses the implications of these differences for developing countries seeking to emulate United States technology transfer legislation. Concludes that diversity amongst countries based on historical context and infrastructure is vital, just as it has been in regulating different types of institutions in the United States.

Evaluate Patentability Of Your Invention, Umakant Mishra

Umakant Mishra

The patent system is designed to encourage inventions that are useful to society by granting inventors absolute right to make profit from their inventions. While disclosing the invention benefits the society, protecting the invention benefits the inventor. But patents cannot protect each and every person who conceives an invention. While there are some common criteria of accepting an invention for patenting, the laws of patenting differ from country to country to some extent. The concept of patentability is also very vague in some instances of the legal system. Hence it is important to check the patentability of your invention in …

Patentability Criteria In Different Countries, Umakant Mishra

Umakant Mishra

The patent system is designed to attract inventors to disclose and protect their inventions. While disclosing the invention benefits the society, protecting the invention benefits the inventor. However, the invention must fulfill certain criteria to be patentable. Hence, patentability assessment is extremely important before filing a patent application. Although there are some commonalities in the criteria of patentability there are some differences from country to country depending on the law of the land. In many cases the criteria are very vague and the patent application may be rejected for several unforeseen reasons. A proper patentability assessment helps the inventors assessing …