Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Digital Technologies

This Research Handbook provides a scholarly and comprehensive account of the multiple converging challenges that digital technologies present for intellectual property (IP) rights, from the perspectives of international, EU and US law. Despite the fast-moving nature of digital technology, this Handbook provides profound reflections on the underlying normative legal dilemmas, identifying future problems and suggesting how digital IP issues should be dealt with in the future. Written by leading international academics, commentators and practitioners, the Handbook is organised into clear thematic parts that address the most prominent types of IP rights: copyrights and related rights; patents and trade secrets; and trade mark law and designs.

Chapters analyse a range of key technologies and their impacts within these areas, including big data, artificial intelligence, streaming, software, databases, user-generated content, mass digitisation, metatags, keywords and 3D printing. The Handbook concludes by exploring issues of competition and enforcement that cut across all of these technologies, particularly in the light of online exploitation and infringement. Scholars and doctoral students of law will find this Handbook an invaluable introduction and guide to the field of digital IP. Practitioners will also find its thoughtful coverage practically relevant.