This volume thoroughly covers and systematically displays the three main areas of intellectual property law - patents, trade marks and copyright - without leaving other rights of the intellectual property family aside, as it also explores geographical indications, industrial designs, trade secrets and databases. The book offers a full and complete picture of European intellectual property law, discussing the treatment of intrinsic issues on harmonization, transborder disputes, collectiveness and individualization in the different fields of intellectual property law. With an original introduction by the editor, this book has been carefully designed to offer law students as well as practitioners a valuable instrument to understand contemporary intellectual property law within the EU.

Intellectual Property at the Crossroads of Trade focuses on the elements of intellectual property that impact on trade and competition.The book comprises thoughtful contributions on varying commercial aspects of IP, from parallel imports of pharmaceuticals to exhaustion of rights, and from trade in goods of cultural heritage to regulation of goods in transit. There is detailed discussion of licensing, including cross-border elements, online licensing, and the potential for harmonization in Europe. This precedes a multi-layered analysis of the Anti-counterfeiting Trade Agreement. This stimulating collection of work will have strong appeal to academics and researchers interested in some of the most pressing issues in intellectual property law, as well as all those with an interest in the intersection of trade and IP. Contributors include: M. Barczewski, D. Beldiman, I. Calboli, J. de Werra, J. Drexl, C. Geiger, G. Mazziotti, C.R. McManis, J. Pelletier, I. Stamatoudi, S. Sykuna, P. Torremans, G. Westkamp

Individualism and Collectiveness in Intellectual Property Law embraces fundamental, eternal and yet very contemporary elements in IP law dealt with in all parts of the world. There are certain classic values embedded in the protection of human effort and the creativeness of individuals. This book examines the relationship of those values to the questions inherent both in individual creativeness in a collective setting, and in the tendency to build national, regional or global monopolies based on IP rights. The respect for original ownership, the occasional need for collective management of IP rights, the idiosyncrasies of co-ownership of rights and the ever present tension to be found in encounters between exploitation of IP rights and competition law are extensively exposed in this book. This innovative collection of work will strongly appeal to scholars and researchers in intellectual property law, as well as all those with an interest in the dynamics of the creative process. Contributors include: I. Calboli, L. Carlsson, J. Cross, L.S. Gomez Madrigal, M. Graner, W. Grosheide, S. Hetcher, R.M. Hilty, O.A. Krauss Torres, S. Nerisson, J.R. Peritz, A. Peukert, O.A. Rognstad, J. Rosen, J. Schovsbo, G. van Overwalle, A. Oyewunmi, S. von Lewinski, K. Weckstrom, S. Wolk, H. Xue