This book seeks to fill a gap in the existing literature by describing the formulation, interpretation and enforcement of the rules on consumer contracts in China and the EU, and by mapping key similarities and differences. The study addresses selected issues regarding consumer contracts: sources of law in the two jurisdictions are first discussed to set the scene. Afterwards, one preliminary issue - how to define the concept of a consumer contract - and two substantive topics - unfair terms and withdrawal rights - are dealt with. Apart from the descriptive analysis, the book also provides possible explanations for these comparative findings, and argues that the differences in consumer contract rules can be primarily attributed to a disparity of markets. The book offers a valuable resource, particularly for researchers and practitioners in the fields of private law and comparative law.

There has been an explosion of interest in recent years regarding the origin and of intellectual property law. The study of copyright history, in particular, has grown remarkably in the last twenty years, with a flurry of activity in the last ten. This Handbook takes stock of the field of copyright history as it stands today, as well as examining potential developments in the future. The contributions feature copyright and history experts from across the UK, Australia, the United States, France, Spain and Italy. Covering European, US and international copyright history and traversing from the 16th Century to the early 20th century, this book offers a broad survey of the field and a solid foundation for future research. Students and scholars of copyright law, authorship, art, and the book and music trades will find this book to be an invaluable resource. It will also be of use to practising lawyers and judges with an interest in the doctrinal history of copyright law. Contributors: I. Alexander, J. Bellido, C. Bond, K. Bowrey, O. Bracha, E. Cooper, I. Gadd, J.C. Ginsburg, H.T. Gomez-Arostegui, B. Lauriat, N.A. Mace, H. MacQueen, A.J. Mann, S. Ricketson, F. Rideau, C. Seville, M. Woodmansee

This book explores the intellectual history of contract law in ancient China by employing archaeological and empirical methodologies. Divided into five chapters, it begins by reviewing the origin of the contract in ancient China, and analyzing its name, primary form, historical premise and functions. The second chapter discusses free will and lawfulness in the establishment of a contract, offering insights into the impact of contracts on social justice. In turn, the third chapter addresses the inner core of the contract: validity and liability. This allows readers at all levels to identify the similarities and differences between contracts from different eras and different parts of the world, which will also benefit those pursuing comparative research in related fields. Chapters four and five offer a philosophical exploration of contract history in ancient China, and analyze key aspects including human nature and ethical justice.

This book offers a new look at the legal and cultural implications of bequests that crossed the color line. ""Fathers of Conscience"" examines high-court decisions in the antebellum South that involved wills in which white male planters bequeathed property, freedom, or both to women of color and their mixed-race children. These men, whose wills were contested by their white relatives, had used trusts and estates law to give their slave partners and children official recognition and thus circumvent the law of slavery. The will contests that followed determined whether that elevated status would be approved or denied by courts of law.Bernie D. Jones argues that these will contests indicated a struggle within the elite over race, gender, and class issues - over questions of social mores and who was truly family. Judges thus acted as umpires after a man's death, deciding whether to permit his attempts to provide for his slave partner and family. Her analysis of these differing judicial opinions on inheritance rights for slave partners makes an important contribution to the literature on the law of slavery in the United States.

Winner, 2021 Lawrence S. Wrightsman Book Award, given by the American Psychology-Law Society Bridges family law and current psychological research to shape understanding of legal doctrine and policy Family law encompasses legislation related to domestic relationships--marriages, parenthood, civil unions, guardianship, and more. No other area of law touches so closely to home, or is changing at such a rapid pace--in fact, family law is so dynamic precisely because it is inextricably intertwined with psychological issues such as human behavior, attitudes, and social norms. However, although psychology and family law may seem a natural partnership, both fields have much to learn from each other. Our laws often fail to take into account our empirical knowledge of psychology, falling back instead on faulty assumptions about human behavior. This book encourages our use of psychological research and methods to inform understandings of family law. It considers issues including child custody, intimate partner violence, marriage and divorce, and child and elder maltreatment. For each topic discussed, Eve Brank presents a case, statute, or legal principle that highlights the psychological issues involved, illuminating how psychological research either supports or opposes the legal principles in question, and placing particular emphasis on the areas that are still in need of further research. The volume identifies areas where psychology practice and research already have been or could be useful in molding legal doctrine and policy, and by providing psychology researchers with new ideas for legally relevant research.

This book provides international perspectives on the law of copyright in relation to three core themes - copyright and developing countries; the government and copyright; and technology and the future of copyright. The third theme includes an examination of the extent to which technology will dictate the development of the law, and a re-examination of the role of copyright in fostering innovation and creativity. As a critique, one chapter discusses how certain rights can create or reinforce social inequality under copyright royalty systems. Underlying these themes is the role the law of copyright has in encouraging or impeding human flourishing.

This textbook examines the legal and regulatory approaches to digital assets and related technology taken by United States regulators. As cryptoassets and other blockchain applications mature, and regulatory authorities work hard to keep pace, Daniel Stabile, Kimberly Prior and Andrew Hinkes invite students to consider the legal approaches, challenges and tension points inherent in regulating these new products and systems. The authors explore the attempts to apply securities laws and money transmission regulation, the growth of smart contracts, the taxation of digital assets, and the intersection of digital assets and criminal law. This innovative and unique textbook features: Commentary and analysis by three leading attorneys engaged with the regulation of digital assets and blockchain technology, offering practical, real-world acumen A comprehensive overview of the origins, key features and mechanisms of blockchain technology, as well as a broad intimation of the divisive debates that will shape the future of digital assets, to guarantee a thorough introduction to the topic for students Excerpts of authorities and other materials from key regulators, including the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodities Futures Trade Commission, and the Internal Revenue Service, to add insight and nuance to classroom discussions. In this, the first textbook of its kind, students of law, business, or technology will find crucial insights into the law and regulation of blockchain and a comprehensive overview of significant public debates on the topic.

For developing countries, a stable and secure supply of electricity is crucial for industrial and commercial development, and for the well-being of their populations. Since the early 1990s, the main mechanism for constructing power generation facilities in developing countries has been the independent power project (IPP) model, where a foreign private entity enters into long term investment contracts with host government entities. This model has succeeded in attracting investment, but raises complex regulatory and contractual challenges in addition to public concerns. This book - drawing on project contracts, available information about relevant contractual practices (including private interview sources), case law from disputes between investors and host countries, and literature commenting on the legal and economic aspects of the investment's structure - analyzes the IPP model's consequences for development. The author identifies six main consequences for development: * The IPP model has led to private investment, which has increases reliability, modernization and introduced private standards; * It contains an intrinsic structural weakness in times of economic downturns; * It has shown a tendency to lead to overinvestment in generation capacity; * It has shown a tendency to lead to to expensive and suboptimal solutions regarding choice of design and technology; * The model (and its institutional surroundings) contains insufficient disincentives against moral hazard and exploitative behavior (including corruption); and * The IPP model does not facilitate the further development of the host country's power sector. The author argues that these consequences for development can be improved without detrimentally compromising the private sector's willingness to continue to invest. While pursuing this analysis, the author also explores such issues as the following: * the web of parties and contracts constituting the IPP model; * the extent of the host country's legal obligations; * the private investors' legal investment protection, including political risk insurance; * the aggregate allocation of risk and responsibility,including to what extent foreign investors also are protected . against commercial and credit risks; * the competing needs of predictability and flexibility; * how the IPP model, and its institutional surroundings, have reacted to nummerable and * credible allegations of corruption during procurement * the role an investor's home government including its national export credit institution; * incentives as catalysts of moral hazard, observable in Indonesia's IPP program; and * identification of factors reducing, or increasing, the IPP model's tendency to fail during severe economic recessions

Rather suddenly (since 1990 or so), intellectual property rights have asserted their legal presence in countries throughout Asia. However - even though the TRIPs agreement has in many cases been the catalyst - their legal framework has come with complex, inescapable influences from Asian history, including religious factors, traditional bureaucracies, and the heritage of colonialism and communism. More often than not, it is these distinct cultural aspects that continue to raise difficulties for business people and their counsel as they seek to protect their intellectual property rights in these vibrant growing markets. This text is a country-by-country survey of the essentials of intellectual property law in the developed and developing nations of eastern and southern Asia. Separate chapters, each written by an authority or authorities in the law of the country he or she covers, clearly explain the intellectual property law regimes in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, The Philippines, Indonesia, and India.

Intimate details about the personal lives of medieval people are frustratingly rare. We seldom know what the men and women of the middle ages thought about marriage, let alone about sex. The records of the church courts of the province of York, mainly dating from the fourteenth century, provides a welcome light on private, family life and on individual reactions to it. They include a wide range of fascinating cases involving disputes about the validity of marriage, consent, sex, marital violence, impotence and property disputes. They also show how widely the laws of marriage were both known and accepted. Marriage Disputes in Medieval England offers a remarkable insight into personal life in the middle ages.
"' Then Maud said, "God forbid that you should have the power to know me carnally unless you will marry me." Robert answered, "Behold my oath that if I take anyone to be my wife I will take you if you will yield to me." Maud answered, "Behold my oath that I will be at your disposal." And Robert took her in his arms and threw her to the ground in "Le Kowbos" and knew her carnally.' " --Maud Schipyn and Robert Smyth, October 17, 1355

This book explores the evolution of contract law in England, France, Germany and Italy during the last one hundred years from the perspectives of law and its context. Dr Niglia's treatment of contract law is fundamentally distinct from that in legal comparativist studies. It reassesses classical descriptive, analytical and normative positions and thoroughly submits that contract law is not a legal abstraction. It is part of a more concrete story of societal developments, the reflection of each polity's legal and political order. In particular, the book discovers an interaction between the core area of contract law, the law of standard form contracts, and the socio-economic and political history of the past century of England, France, Germany and Italy. As such, it is argued that the law has been strongly influenced by defining state 'choices' about the citizenry's welfare and security. The key argument is provided that during the course of the last decade--as a result of the epoch-making impact of Community 're-regulatory' processes--a major transformation of the legal structure has been gaining ground, alas yet unnoticed in legal comparative studies. In the first instance, the book engages those interested in contract law and its 'Europeanisation', in the law of standard form contracts, and in comparative and economico-legal aspects of contract law. However, this book will also interest the reader expert in Community law, even if unconcerned with contract law. It is a studious investigation into one of the 'underworlds' of which European integration is composed. It looks at certain aspects which are central to Community consumer policy, and it presents an in-depth analysis of themaking and enforcement of the directive on unfair terms in consumer contracts.

This fully updated book offers a compact and accessible account of EU intellectual property law and policy. The digital age brings many opportunities, but also presents continuing challenges to IP law as the EU's programme of harmonisation unfolds. As well as addressing the main IP rights (copyright, patents, designs, trade marks and related rights), the book also considers IP's relationship with the EU's rules on free movement of goods and competition, as well as examining the enforcement of IP rights. Taking account of numerous changes, this timely second edition covers the substantive provisions and procedures which apply throughout the EU, making extensive reference to the case law. The author considers how the exploitation of intellectual property is increasingly global; harmonisation, in contrast, is only partial, even at the EU level. In response, the book sets EU IP law in its wider international context. It also seeks to highlight policy issues and arguments of relevance to the EU, in its relations both within the Union and with the rest of the world. Designed as a compact and approachable account of these difficult and technical areas, and with advice on further reading and research, this unique book is useful both as a work of reference and for more general study. It is essential reading for postgraduate students, academic researchers and legal practitioners alike.

'This book guides us expertly through the controversial area of originality, a concept which lies at the very foundation of copyright law, but which has never before been analysed in any depth as a topic in its own right. Originality has however now become a hot topic, given the controversial recent case law of the EU Court of Justice on it, and the manner in which some national courts in the EU are seeking to apply it, which makes this book especially timely.' - Trevor Cook, Bird & Bird LLP, UK 'This text has been well drafted and documented, the legal analysis is sound and competent and the author manages to provide useful insights into UK and US law. She also manages to put her subject in perspective, taking into account the inevitable policy issues, which, however, could be extended to what the actual role of the court is in the much-debated EU copyright harmonisation. I strongly recommend reading this book.' - Irini Stamatoudi, European Intellectual Property Review Full harmonization of the copyright laws of EU Member States has long been a holy grail for copyright lawyers, but with the reality thus far being only limited harmonization resulting from ad-hoc legislative interventions, there are serious questions over the feasibility and indeed desirability of this goal. Notwithstanding, as this book makes eloquently clear, whilst legislative initiatives have been limited, the CJEU has been acting proactively, establishing through its decisional practice the de facto harmonization of an important principle of copyright: the originality requirement. Through an assessment of the originality requirement, this work guides the reader in interpreting judicial decisions which are of fundamental importance to current and future understanding of EU copyright. The book's holistic approach and methodology takes in analysis of; recent decisions of the CJEU in light of broader EU copyright reform debate; the implications of CJEU case law in Member States which have traditionally adopted different approaches to copyright (eg the UK); the originality requirement in EU, UK and continental Member States; recent UK decisions from an EU perspective; and academic copyright reform projects, both in Europe and the US. Originality in EU Copyright will appeal to academics, policymakers and EU officers, students, practitioners and in-house counsels. Contents: Foreword Table of Cases (in Chronological Order) Table of EU/EC/EEC Legislation (in Chronological Order) Table of EU/EC Policy Documents (in Chronological Order) Introduction 1. The Challenges of EU Copyright: 'United in Diversity' - Does it Work? 2. Originality as a Policy Tool: Shaping the Breadth of Protection 3. Originality in a Work, or a Work of Originality: The Effects of the Infopaq Decision 4. The CJEU Goes Ahead: The Decisions in Murphy, Painer, Football Dataco and SAS 5. Challenging the UK Understanding of Copyright: Originality and Subject-matter Categorization at the Forefront of the Debate 6. The Future of Copyright at the EU Level: The Shape of Harmonization Bibliography Index

This book breaks new theoretical ground by constructing a framework of 'relational vulnerability' through which it analyses the disadvantaged position of those who undertake unpaid caregiving, or 'dependency-work', in the context of the private family. Expanding on existing socio-legal scholarship on vulnerability and resilience, it charts how the state seeks to conceal the embodied and temporal reality of vulnerability and dependency within the private family, while promoting an artificial concept of autonomous personhood that exposes dependency-workers work to a range of harms. The book argues that the legal framework governing the married and unmarried family reinforces principles of individualism and rationality, while labelling dependency-work as a private, gendered, and sentimental endeavor, lacking value beyond the family. It also considers how the state can respond to relational vulnerability and foster resilience. It seeks to provide a more comprehensive understanding of resilience, theorising its normative goals and applying these to different hypothetical state responses.

This kit has everything you need to plan your estate, make decisions about how to divide it, and write your own legal will. It's written by an American lawyer and is 100% legal. Creating an estate plan and writing your own will is easy. You don't have to make a complete inventory of your belongings. Just follow the step-by-step instructions in this book and use the forms to create your own will.

"This is an excellent and rare exploration of a sensitive religious issue from many perspectives - legal, cultural and political. The case studies from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand portray the important and exciting, yet very difficult, negotiation of Islamic teachings in the changing realities of Southeast Asia, home to the majority of Muslims in the world. Interreligious marriage is an important indicator of good relations between communities in religiously diverse countries. This book will also be of great interest to students and scholars of religious pluralism in a Southeast Asian context, which has not been studied adequately." - Zainal Abidin Bagir, Executive Director, Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia "The issue of Muslim-non-Muslim marriages has different connotations in the different Southeast Asian states. For example, in Thailand it is more a fluid cultural issue but in Malaysia it reflects great racial schisms with severe legal implications. This book is a welcome one as it examines the issue not only from the perspectives of various Southeast Asian nations but also from so many angles; the legal, historical, social, cultural, anthropological and philosophical. The work is scholarly, yet accessible. Underlying it, there is a vital streak of humanism." - Azmi Sharom, Associate Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Malaya

This Handbook offers a collection of original writings by leading scholars and practitioners in the exciting, rapidly developing field of cultural heritage law. The detailed essays are the product of a multi-year project of the Committee on Cultural Heritage Law of the International Law Association.Following a comprehensive introduction to cultural heritage law, the book turns to the core topic of international trade. The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and a 1970 UNESCO convention on illegal trafficking in cultural material formed the foundation for progressive development of an impressive and still-evolving legal framework. Building on these and other instruments, the essays focus on import and export controls within specific national legal regimes. Concluding chapters contextualize additional important issues - including human rights, pluralism and nationalism - from a broader, global perspective. Innovative in its combination of comparative and international dimensions of the subject, this book provides a ready, well-documented reference to national and international regimes of control and a scholarly source for teaching and further research. Students, professors and practitioners of trade law, cultural heritage law and general international law will find this Handbook an invaluable resource. Contributors include: T. Adlercreutz, E. Beccerril, M. Beukes, J. Blake, K. Chamberlain, P. Conlan, M. Cornu, P. Davies, J. Ding, T. Einhorn, F. Fiorentini, C. Forrest, M. Frigo, K. Hausler, A. Jakubowski, O. Jakubowski, T. Kono, S. Kozai, E.N. Moustaira, P. Myburgh, J.A.R. Nafziger, R.K. Paterson, M.-A. Renold, B. Schoenenberger, K. Siehr, A.F. Vrdoljak

Traditional knowledge is largely oral collective of knowledge, beliefs, and practices of indigenous people on sustainable use and management of resources. The survival of this knowledge is at risk due to various difficulties faced by the holders of this knowledge, the threat to the cultural survival of many communities, and the international lack of respect and appreciation of traditional knowledge. However, the greatest threat is that of appropriation by commercial entities in derogation of the rights of the original holders. Though this practice is morally questionable, in the absence of specific legal provisions, it cannot be regarded as a crime. Intellectual Property Rights and the Protection of Traditional Knowledge is a collection of innovative research on methods for protecting indigenous knowledge including studies on intellectual property rights and sovereignty rights. It also analyzes the contrasting interests of developing and developed countries in the protection of traditional knowledge as an asset. While highlighting topics including biopiracy, dispute resolution, and patent law, this book is ideally designed for legal experts, students, industry professionals, and practitioners seeking current research on the development and enforcement of intellectual property rights in relation to traditional knowledge.

This collection of essays was written in honour of David Vaver, who recently retired as Professor of Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law and Director of the Oxford Intellectual Property Research Centre at the University of Oxford. The essays, written by some of the world's leading academics, practitioners and judges in the field of intellectual property law, take as their starting point the common assumption that the patent, copyright and trade mark laws within members of the 'common law family' (Australia, Canada, Israel, Singapore, South Africa, the United Kingdom, the United States, and so on) share some sort of common tradition. The contributors examine, in relation to particular topics, the extent to which such a shared view of the field exists in the face of other forces that are producing divergence. The essays discuss, inter alia, issues concerning court practices, the medical treatment exception, non-obviousness and sufficiency in patent law, originality and exceptions in copyright law, unfair competition law, and cross-border goodwill and dilution in trade mark law.

This book shows how governance regimes before the 1970s suppressed rural prospects of housing improvement and created conditions for middle-class capture. Using original archival sources to reveal the intricacies of local and national policy processes, weak rural housing performances are shown to owe more to national governance regimes than local under-performance. Looking `behind the scenes' at policy processes highlights neglected principles in national governance, and shows how investigating rural housing is fundamental to understanding the national scene. With original insights and a new analytical perspective, this volume offers evidence and conclusions that challenge mainstream assumptions in public policy, housing, rural studies and planning.

This work examines the requirements for patentability in the context of biotechnology, with a special focus on the non-obviousness requirement. It analyzes non-obviousness as applied to biotechnology molecular products via a review of the relevant case law. The work begins with a typology of recombinant inventions, useful in determining ultimate non-obviousness and patentability. It distinguishes three categories of recombinant products: (1) "Translation" inventions, obtained by entering a known molecular information into a known process, (2) "Molecular modification" products, obtained by modifying prior art molecules, and (3) "Combination" inventions, obtained by combining several known functional molecular units. Recognizing the risk that many translation inventions will be considered obvious upon maturation of the underlying technology, the author examines possible alternatives for protection. The author critiques and ultimately rejects the idea of lowering the non-obviousness standard, elected by the Federal Circuit in In re Deuel. The work describes several current examples of sui generis intellectual property rights and also examines a "no action" scenario, emphasizing that the rapid changes occurring in biotechnology might ultimately make the current problem obsolete. The text also addresses broader issues such as the growing secrecy in basic science and its link to the disappearance of a clear distinction between basic and applied research. Patent law practitioners, inventors and researchers in the biotech world, and their advisors should appreciate this detailed, analysis.

The fields of intellectual property have broadened and deepened in so many ways that commentators struggle to keep up with the ceaseless rush of developments and hot topics. Kritika: Essays on Intellectual Property is a series that is designed to help authors escape this rush. It creates a forum for authors who wish to more deeply question, investigate and reflect upon the evolving themes and principles of the discipline. This third volume of Kritika again brings together leading scholars from different fields and disciplines. Their essays reflect on some of the big problems in the field, addressing issues such as the way that institutions like WIPO continue with their propertization missions, how the bells of lobbyists toll incessantly for new data rights, and the ways in which discourses of human rights and information justice struggle to turn intellectual property from an instrument of private accumulation into one of service for the common good. Important questions in the field are also tackled, for example, how does the Islamic view of knowledge as life cohere with intellectual property, at a time when, as other essays show, intellectual property grounds new forms of state imperium? With contributions from: Sara Bannerman; Shamnad Basheer; Rahul Bajaj; Mohammed El Said; Blayne Haggart; Thomas Hoeren; P. Bernt Hugenholtz and Fiona Macmillan