In a world where powerful intermediaries like Google and Facebook are de facto regulators of the communication of copyright-protected works, the democratization of access to content has both substantially expanded the availability of new markets and dramatically increased copyright infringements. Does this mean that the long-sought ideal of a “universal” copyright regulation, which would harmoniously combine effective protection of intellectual creations with public interest goals, is a lost cause? Taken together, the contributions to this insightful and thoroughly researched book suggest that despite the prevailing labyrinthine mosaic of divergent national responses to fragmentation at international level, the foundations of a universal approach can be found in the interaction of regional, national and international copyright law instruments when responding to current and emerging technologies. Emphasizing the adaptation of copyright law to the needs of the information society, this volume provides critical approaches by leading copyright scholars on whether pluralism or universalism is the appropriate path to follow for the development of international copyright law. The authors deal with such issues and topics as the following: the application of core copyright law principles worldwide; authorship, rights and exceptions in the international copyright acquis; Internet copyright enforcement; global collective management of copyright; copyright contracts; database and design rights; intermediary liability; the global reach of the U.S. Fair Use doctrine; World Intellectual Property Organization’s role and strategy in international copyright lawmaking; and bilateral trade and investment agreements involving copyright. Specific evolutions and emerging trends in national and regional digital copyright laws are analyzed and assessed as they have developed in the European Union, the United States, Canada and Australia, as well as in several Asian and African countries. Throughout, attention is paid to compatibility with the Berne Convention, the perceived core of copyright law in the international copyright acquis, and the key question of the balancing of copyright law with fundamental rights from an international and comparative law perspective. As a comprehensive analysis of how core copyright law concepts and principles function in today’s fragmented copyright legal system, this book has no peers. Its detailed treatment of numerous specific instruments and regimes, as well as its insightful approaches to the future of international copyright lawmaking, will prove of immeasurable value to lawyers, judges, policy makers, academics and researchers working in the field of copyright law.

This volume brings together various perspectives to re-conceptualise IP protection beyond borders within a broader public international law framework.

This book critically evaluates the EU regulatory framework for the liability of host Internet Service Providers (ISPs) for copyright and trade mark infringements and provides a cluster of novel recommendations for its improvement. The book recommends the imposition of a duty of care to host ISPs to curb the dissemination of unauthorised works and counterfeit goods, the ascription of a transparency obligation to host ISPs towards their users, and the establishment of a supervisory authority for host ISPs. Host ISPs have facilitated the dissemination of content amongst users and the purchase of goods online, enabling copyright holders and brand owners to attract a greater audience for their works and goods. However, their services have attracted a high number of copyright and trade mark violations, too. Neither Article 14 of the e-Commerce Directive nor Article 17 of the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive provide a solid response to the issue of host ISPs' liability. This book is a valuable resource for researchers in IT and IP law and offers a new perspective for resolving online IP disputes.

This significantly revised and updated second edition addresses the rapid development of EU copyright law in relation to the advancement of new technologies, the need for a borderless digital market and the considerable number of EU legal instruments enacted as a result. Taking a comparative approach, the Commentary provides comprehensive coverage and in-depth commentary on each of the EU legal instruments and policies, both from an EU and an international perspective. Alongside full legislative analysis and article-by-article commentary, the Commentary illustrates the underlying basic principles of free movement and non-discrimination and provides insights into the influence of copyright on other areas of EU policy, including telecoms and bilateral trade agreements.

This book gathers and builds on research into distinct national and regional traditions in regulating innovation. It is an early attempt at a comprehensive legal history of the uneven trans-Atlantic harmonization of IP law. Authors explore harmonization as a legal mandate and a progressive ideal, and imagine areas in which coherent regulatory webs could build a more vibrant trans-Atlantic knowledge economy.

The Routledge Handbook of EU Copyright Law provides a definitive survey of copyright harmonization in the European Union, capturing the essential and relevant issues of this relatively recent phenomenon. Over the past few years, two themes have emerged: on the one hand, copyright policy and legislative initiatives have intensified; on the other hand, the large number of references to the Court of Justice of the European Union has substantially shaped the EU copyright framework and, with it, the copyright framework of individual EU Member States. This handbook is a detailed reference source of original contributions which analyze and critically evaluate the state of EU copyright law with a view to detecting the key trends and patterns in the evolution of EU copyright, weighing the benefits and disadvantages of such evolution. It covers a broad range of topics through clusters focused on: the history and approaches to EU copyright harmonization; harmonization in the areas of exclusive rights, exceptions and limitations, and enforcement; copyright policy and legacy of harmonization. With contributions from a selection of highly regarded and leading scholars in this field, the Routledge Handbook on European Copyright Law is an essential resource for students and scholars who are interested in the field of copyright law.

This comprehensive Research Handbook examines moral rights since their establishment in the 19th century and considers the roles they play in the 21st century in relation to the technological environment in which copyright exists. Drawing together rich perspectives on intellectual property law around the world, this Research Handbook provides new insights on the traditional issues of moral rights and analyses more recent challenges in copyright law, patent law, and trademark law.

Examining how trade agreements are interpreted both in trade tribunals and in the United Kingdom, this innovative book provides a well-rounded exploration of the numerous UK free trade agreements, including the UK–EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement, and their legal and policy implications for intellectual property.

The economic right of a copyright holder to communicate to the public has become an increasingly important and complex issue in recent years, this is partially due to changes in the way that content is accessed and consumed online. This innovative book analyses the right of communication to the public, taking account of what legal standing an autonomous legal concept can hold, and how this is impacted by wider harmonisation efforts at an EU level.

Intellectual Property Law and Human Rights Fourth Edition Edited by Paul L.C. Torremans Once regarded as a niche topic, the nexus of intellectual property and human rights now lies in the eye of the storm that is today’s global economy. In this expanded new edition of the pre-eminent work in this crucial area of legal theory and practice – with nine completely new chapters – well-known authorities in both intellectual property law and human rights law present an in-depth analysis and discussion of essential and emerging issues in the convergence of intellectual property law and human rights law. The fourth edition is fully updated to address current matters as diverse as artificial intelligence, climate change, and biotechnological materials, all centred on the relations between intellectual property and freedom of expression and the fundamental right to privacy in an intellectual property environment. The contributors address such topics as the following and more: the status of copyright as a fundamental right; fair use, transformative use, and the US First Amendment; intellectual property in the jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights; freedom to receive and impart information under the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights; how to mitigate the risks article 17 of Directive 2019/970 poses to freedom of expression; fair dealing defences; algorithmic copyright enforcement and free speech; developing a right to privacy for corporations; expanding the role of morality and public policy in European patent law; and ethical and religious concerns over patenting biotechnological inventions. As human rights issues continue to arise in an intellectual property context, practitioners, academics, and policymakers in both fields will continue to recognize and use this well-established cornerstone work in the debate as a springboard to the future development of the ever more prominent interface of intellectual property and human rights.