For 150 years, from the birth of mass-manufactured consumer goods in
the 1850s until the dot.com crunch at the beginning of the current millennium,
the main focus on intellectual property has been market-based. In jurisdictions
rich and poor, industrialised and agrarian the three big questions asked by
businesses are the same: (i) how do I stop other people copying me, (ii) how
can I sell others the right to copy me and (iii) how can I make sure that other
people can’t stop me in the meantime?...
Undertakings, universities, research centres and researchers from
more than 100 countries all over the world are already involved in EU research
programs. ...
How can we help SMEs, especially those in traditional sectors, like
textiles and clothing, footwear, leather and furniture, find the right way to
protect their products?...
Recently, four series of questions have been referred to the ECJ
regarding the interpretation of the 1988 Directive on trade marks to determine
whether or not the triggering of sponsored links with competitors’ trade
marks as keywords should be considered infringement. ...
On 11th January 2009, Regulation 864/2007 on the law applicable to
non-contractual obligations (Rome II) entered into force. Its main objective is
to provide a uniform body of conflict-of-laws rules to determine the law
applicable to non-contractual obligations in international situations. This
paper is meant to provide a brief explanation...
Rubber, whether natural or synthetic, is a nice material. It can
expand itself to several times its original size. This is, of course, the
result of a chemical characteristic. This material is made up of series of
molecules strongly fastened together in chains but with links that are flexible
enough to let the material stretch or constrict...
Everyone has heard of the Taser, a controversial, non-lethal weapon
that uses high-voltage pulses to response to resistance. Based on a similar
principle, one can imagine a defensive jacket used to protect a person from
violence. When activated, such a jacket produces electric current pulses and
prevents any person from unauthorised...
Traditional knowledge refers to long-established knowledge and
practices that are not necessarily well documented and easily available. What
often happens is that patents are sought for technologies or products that
belong to TK. When such patents are granted, they can create turmoil in
countries where this TK originates from. Appropriation...
