Intellectual property

Intellectual property is one of the most dynamic law disciplines undergoing exponential changes, characterized by a rapid growth of bodies of laws and practical importance worldwide. Despite the wealth of excellent literature and textbooks in intellectual property law available, the aim of this truly international book is to fulfil the long-standing need of a complete and comprehensive textbook covering all areas of IP law from a global, European and U. S. American perspective. It has been developed at the Munich Intellectual Property Law Center (MIPLC) as an innovative and unique collection designated for general use in academia and private practice for a worldwide IP community. It is indeed a textbook which aims to meet the needs of both students and professionals interested in intellectual property law as an easy-to-use reference source. The book is innovative in terms of content and presentation. Regarding content, the book is divided in two sections. Part one is devoted to a presentation of the „general part“ of IP law: The laws of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the European Union, which set the frame for many important national and international provisions. Namely the Paris Convention, the TRIPS agreement and - from a European perspective - Article 81 and 82 of the EC Treaty are corner stones of the law of intellectual property. For easy understanding, the difficult contractual networks of the World Trade Organization and the European Union have been outlined in clearly arranged charts. Part two is the systematic section of this book, which aims to give a comprehensive presentation of all areas of IP law: patent, plant variety protection, copyright, trademark, design and competition law. Each chapter starts with the international treaties and conventions, followed by specific European and U. S. American provisions.