32. Remedies in intellectual property litigation

This chapter discusses the enforcement procedures used in relation to intellectual property rights, the civil remedies that apply, and some issues which arise in relation to the gathering of evidence in intellectual property cases. It identifies three essential elements in the relationship between intellectual property rights and remedies. First, there are the traditional remedies headed by damages that are normally granted at the trial. Second, intellectual property infringement often requires immediate action or a pre-emptive strike. Finally, gathering evidence that is vital for the full trial in an infringement case.

30. Computer technology and intellectual property

This chapter discusses five issues: the availability of patent protection for computer hardware and for computer software (computer programs); copyright in computer software; databases and the sui generis right; the Internet; and semiconductor chip protection.

29. Confidentiality and trade secrets

This chapter discusses law on confidentiality and trade secrets. It covers the historical development of the law of breach of confidence; the three essential elements necessary in a claim for breach of confidence; remedies for breach of confidence; and the impact of the internationalization of the law of intellectual property.

20. Design and copyright

Aesthetic designs are protected under the provisions of the Registered Designs Act 1949, while functional designs are governed by the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This chapter discusses the natural overlap between design law and copyright, and the influence of the law reform in s. 51 CDPA 1988 on the defence created in the British Leyland case. It also looks at the reform of s. 52 CDPA 1988.

19. Copyright—an overview

This chapter provides a brief summary of the discussions on copyright. It covers the roots of copyright; the various types of work that attract copyright protection; and the duration of copyright protection.

11. Qualification

This chapter discusses the qualification requirement for copyright protection in the UK. The UK copyright system is based on the principle of national treatment contained in the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works 1886, in the Universal Copyright Convention, and in the TRIPS Agreement. This requires that authors connected with another member state are to be treated in the same way as a member state’s own authors and should receive the same copyright protection. That connection with a member state might be provided in two ways: the author may have a personal relationship with the member state, or the work may be first published in that member state.

9. An introduction to copyright

This chapter first discusses the two roots of copyright. On the one hand, copyright began as an exclusive right to make copies—that is, to reproduce the work of an author. This entrepreneurial side of copyright is linked in with the invention of the printing press, which made it much easier to copy a literary work and, for the first time, permitted the entrepreneur to make multiple identical copies. On the other hand, it became vital to protect the author now that his or her work could be copied much more easily and in much higher numbers. The chapter then outlines the key concepts on which copyright is based.

27. Trade marks—European and international aspects

This chapter discusses the international and European aspects of trade marks. Trade mark law is based on the Paris Convention and the TRIPS Agreement, with the Madrid system offering an international registration system. Inside the EU, one can also register a single trade mark for the whole of the Community by means of the Community Trade Mark Regulation. Trade mark law also has a substantial interaction with the Treaty provisions on the free movement of goods, but minimal conflict with competition law.

17. Rights in performances

This chapter focuses on rights in performances, which covers all aspects of the making of a recording of a performance and its subsequent exploitation. The discussion includes subsistence of rights; term of protection; the qualification requirement; content and infringement; the nature of the performer’s rights and their transfer; and moral rights.

16. Defences to copyright infringement

This chapter discusses defences to copyright infringement. It covers authorization or consent of the owner; public interest; the Copyright and Rights in Performances (Disability) Regulations 2014; the making of temporary copies; fair dealing; incidental inclusion; educational use; exception for libraries, archives, and public administration; the Information Society Directive; and orphan works.