This book examines the history of the concepts of intellectual property and the current state of U.S. and international intellectual property law.

In this timely and readable volume, law professor Aaron Schwabach explores the three traditional categories of intellectual property—copyright, patent, and trademark. He traces their historical development from medieval times to the present and observes how intellectual property law has responded to successive waves of technological change.



Intellectual Property examines all sides of current controversies and crises in this fast-changing field, particularly those resulting from the digital information revolution. Because ideas are not constrained by national borders, the author focuses on intellectual property, including trade secrets, as an international phenomenon, emphasizing the experiences and contributions of a wide variety of countries and cultures. An essential resource for students and researchers—and anyone else who needs to know how to use and/or protect intellectual property.









Fourteen original documents, including the Supreme Court's opinion in the file-sharing case MGM v. Grokster



A detailed chronology that covers important events from a global perspective