Course description
Does anyone own ideas, or only the literary, artistic, musical, or inventive works that express ideas? This course examines the concept of intellectual property and the legal and social means that have developed over time to encourage and control it. We consider copyright, patent, and trademark regimes, together with related areas such as licensing and trade secrets. Case studies include the problems of the patent system, the growth of university licensing, the unique status of music, the emerging international law of intellectual property, the protection of design and fashion, and the tension between originality and creativity.
