24. Intellectual Property

Author(s):  
James Marson ◽  
Katy Ferris

The final chapter in the book examines matters relating to the intellectual property created and/or owned by a business. Given the value of the outputs from the intellectual creativity of persons (software programs, books, music recordings etc.), this chapter outlines the rights available to protect them and the consequences for infringement. It first identifies the law surrounding creative ideas and work (copyright) before a product’s appearance (design rights) is considered. The chapter continues by assessing the protection of a brand name and image (trademarks) and finishes the substantive issues through examination of inventive ideas and works (patents). Confusion of the public through the unlawful use of an existing business’ name or product can result in the tortious liability of ‘passing-off.’ The chapter concludes with an assessment of the intellectual property produced by employees and the consequences of employment status for the rights to exploit the property.

Business Law ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 647-682
Author(s):  
James Marson ◽  
Katy Ferris

The final chapter in the book examines matters relating to the intellectual property created and/or owned by a business and their responsibilities for the data they access and/or produce. Given the value of the outputs from the intellectual creativity of persons (software programs, books, music recordings etc.), this chapter outlines the rights available to protect them and the consequences for infringement. It first identifies the law surrounding creative ideas and work (copyright) before a product’s appearance (design rights) is considered. The chapter continues by assessing the protection of a brand name and image (trademarks) and finishes the substantive issues through examination of inventive ideas and works (patents). Confusion of the public through the unlawful use of an existing business’ name or product can result in the tortious liability of ‘passing-off’. Intellectual property is produced by employees and the consequences of employment status for the rights to exploit the property must be effectively managed. The chapter concludes with an assessment of developments in data protection—the GDPR, Data Protection Act, and the tactics available to businesses to avoid transgression of the law.


Since its Broadway debut, Hamilton: An American Musical has infused itself into the American experience: who shapes it, who owns it, who can rap it best. Lawyers and legal scholars, recognizing the way the musical speaks to some of our most complicated constitutional issues, have embraced Alexander Hamilton as the trendiest historical face in American civics. This book offers a revealing look into the legal community's response to the musical, which continues to resonate in a country still deeply divided about the reach of the law. Intellectual property scholars share their thoughts on Hamilton's inventive use of other sources, while family law scholars explore domestic violence. Critical race experts consider how Hamilton furthers our understanding of law and race, while authorities on the Second Amendment discuss the language of the Constitution's most contested passage. Legal scholars moonlighting as musicians discuss how the musical lifts history and law out of dusty archives and onto the public stage. This collection of minds, inspired by the phenomenon of the musical and the Constitutional Convention of 1787, urges us to heed Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Founding Fathers and to create something new, daring, and different.


2018 ◽  
Vol 57 (1) ◽  
pp. 140-163
Author(s):  
Mario Biagioli

The scale is the most famous emblem of the law, including intellectual property (IP). Because IP rights impose social costs on the public by limiting access to protected work, the law can be justified only to the extent that, on balance, it encourages enough creation and dissemination of new works to offset those costs. The scale is thus a potent rhetorical trope of fairness and objectivity, but also an instrument the law thinks with – one that is constantly invoked to justify or to question the extent of available IP protection. The balancing act that underlies the legitimacy of IP is, however, literally impossible to perform. Because we are unable to measure the benefits that IP has for inventors or the costs it has for the public, the scale has nothing to weigh. It conveys a clear sense that IP law can be balanced, but in fact propagates only a visible simulacrum of balance – one that is as empty as it is powerful.


Author(s):  
Paul Torremans

This chapter discusses the ways in which the common law, in the form of the law of tort, creates rights of action. It focuses on the torts of passing off and malicious falsehood, although attention is also paid to the ways in which defamation can assist. These rights are supplementary, and complementary, to the statutory formal rights. In particular, trade mark law and passing off closely overlap, although s. 2(2) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 preserves passing off as a separate cause of action.


2019 ◽  
pp. 535-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Jones

This chapter considers the major intellectual property rights in the UK and the protection the law gives to these rights. It explains the meaning of copyright, patents, trade marks, and design rights, and considers the types of works that might be protected by them. It explains whether the rights need to be registered and if so the process of registration. It examines the time limits for the protection of the various rights and the remedies available for infringement of them. It also considers the protection the law gives to intellectual property via the tort of passing off. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the possibilities of protecting intellectual property rights outside the UK.


Author(s):  
Олена Тверезенко

During the execution of the state defense order (hereinafter — SDO) may be created objects of intellectual property rights (hereinafter — OIPR), namely: inventions, utility models, industrial designs and topographies of semiconductor products, as well as objects of copyright in the form of computer programs, databases, engineering, technological and software documentation, etc.The Law of Ukraine «On the State Defense Order», adopted in 1999, in no way regulates the legal relationship regarding the creation of OIPR, their use and disposal of economic intellectual property rights to such objects during the SDO. Economic rights to IPR are types of objects of civil rights. Based on the provisions of Art. 178 of the Civil Code of Ukraine objects of civil law are divided into 3 groups depending on degree of their turnover:1) objects that can be freely transferred to another person;2) objects with limited turnover (may belong only to certain participants in the turnover or whose stay in the civil turnover is allowed by special permission);3) objects withdrawn from civil circulation (which are not allowed in civil circulation).Economic rights to certain OIPR are restricted in civil circulation (for example, to a trade name) or withdrawn from civil circulation (for example, to a geographical indication).In addition, the exercise of intellectual property rights may be restricted in certain areas in order to protect the public interest. Such public interest consists, among other things, of the protection of the state interests during the introduction into civil circulation of property rights to OIPR, created during the execution of SDO.Taking into account the provisions of Article 17 of the Law of Ukraine «On Science Parks», we propose to establish an imperative provision in this Law and the draft Law of Ukraine «On Defense Procurement» (Reg. № 2398-d of November 27, 2019). Such changes should stipulate that economic rights to OIPR created during defense procurement are limited in civil turnover. The exercise of rights to such OIPR is possibleonly with the consent of the state customer in the field of defense.Restriction of civil turnover of economic intellectual property rights to these objects should be aimed not only at eliminating the possibility of transferring (assigning) economic rights to such objects, but should also implement other options for their introduction into civil circulation, including the right to use OIPR or to transfer economic rights to the specified OIPR into pledge. In order to improve the legal regulationof these legal relations, it is necessary to amend the legislation of Ukraine in the field of pledge. Peculiarities of securities of intellectual property rights should be enshrined in a separate section of the Law of Ukraine «On Pledge». Such changes should include, inter alia, the obligation to negotiate agreements on pledge of economic rights to OIPR, created during the implementation of the SDO with the public customer. Relevant provisions should be enshrined in the draft Law of Ukraine «On Defense Procurement». The improvement of the legislation studied in the article will contribute to a systematic solving of the issue of establishing the conditions for the execution of economicrights to OIPR, created as a result of SDO, namely the need for such approval of the state customer, that will ensure public interests in the field of national security and defense of Ukraine by the provision of control over the civil turnover of such objects. 


Author(s):  
Tim Press

Passing-off is a common law cause of action that protects traders with goodwill in their business against misrepresentations made by their competitors which confuse customers as to the source of goods or services. The typical passing-off scenario is where a trader, by the use of a brand name, logo, slogan, or packaging, deceives customers into thinking that its products or services are associated with another trader. Trade marks can be registered for signs or symbols that identify products or services as coming from a particular trader, so to be registrable a trade mark must be distinctive of a trader’s goods and not similar to any earlier registered mark, or a non-registered mark that is in use. Registration of a trade mark gives substantial advantages over relying on passing-off. The law of registered trade marks has been harmonized by the European Union.


Author(s):  
Lucy Jones

This chapter considers the major intellectual property rights in the UK and the protection the law gives to these rights. It explains the meaning of copyright, patents, trade marks, and design rights and considers the types of works that might be protected by them. It explains whether the rights need to be registered and if so the process of registration. It examines the time limits for the protection of the various rights and the remedies available for infringement of them. It also considers the protection the law gives to intellectual property via the tort of passing off. The chapter concludes with a discussion of the possibilities of protecting intellectual property rights outside the UK.


Author(s):  
Tim Press

Passing-off is a common law cause of action that protects traders with goodwill in their business against misrepresentations made by their competitors which confuse customers as to the source of goods or services. The typical passing-off scenario is where a trader, by the use of a brand name, logo, slogan, or packaging, deceives customers into thinking that its products or services are associated with another trader. Trade marks can be registered for signs or symbols that identify products or services as coming from a particular trader, so to be registrable a trade mark must be distinctive of a trader’s goods and not similar to any earlier registered mark, or a non-registered mark that is in use. Registration of a trade mark gives substantial advantages over relying on passing-off. The law of registered trade marks has been harmonized by the European Union.


Author(s):  
L. Bently ◽  
B. Sherman ◽  
D. Gangjee ◽  
P. Johnson

This chapter focuses on the tort of passing off as a legal regime for the protection of trade marks. It considers three elements that are required in order to succeed in an action for passing off: the claimant has ‘goodwill’; the defendant made a ‘misrepresentation’ that is likely to deceive the public; and the misrepresentation damages the goodwill of the claimant. It also surveys the law in relation to goodwill. This chapter discusses manifestations of goodwill and describes goodwill associated with packaging, get-up, and trade dress as well as advertising style. It concludes by analysing the scope and ownership of goodwill, together with goodwill as a form of property.


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