Intellectual Property: Law in Context

Intellectual property (IP) law is often viewed as static, when it is actually chameleon-like, constantly changing to reflect technological and social developments. This chapter discusses how IP as we know it today – in the classical fields of copyright, patent, trade marks, and in their interaction and beyond – has developed alongside changes in technology, globalisation and society, taking into account their interrelated nature and how they spur propertisation and affect the balancing of interests (both economic and non-economic). It specifically looks at challenges relating to software and the internet, biotechnology and overlaps in IP, before taking a brief look at what the future may bring