In the case of Agilent Technologies Deutschland GmbH v Waters Ltd (2005), the claimant, the proprietor of a European patent for a pump and control system, brought proceedings against the defendant for patent infringement. The patent is for a pump for delivering solvent under pressure to high-pressure liquid chromatography columns. In particular, the patent relates to the control of the flow rate of the pump by altering the stroke volume and the frequency of reciprocation of the pistons.
The legal protection known has “copyright” has come front and center over the past few years with major legal rulings regarding peer-to-peer networks on the Internet. Copyright protection, however, can be a confusing area of the law. This article details what can and cannot be protected by copyright.
Copyright Protection? - Yes
Copyright protects “original works of authorship” in a tangible, fixed form of expression. The material does need to be directly perceptible as long as it can be expressed with the aid of technology. A good example of this is a movie, which requires a projection device of some sort.
Intellectual Property (often just called “IP”) is a general term covering patents, trademarks, designs, copyrights, geographical indications and in some countries the concept of “unfair competition”. It is, as the name suggests, the intangible personal property arising from intellectual creation. Since intangible, owner of intellectual property cannot build a fence around it as with real estate or place it in a bank locker as with valuables. To address the situation, governments have created a variety of forms of intellectual property protection.
Types of Intellectual Property Protection
Some of the more common types of intellectual property protection are Patents, Trade Marks, Designs, Copyrights and Geographical Indications.
Chemical and pharmaceutical companies protect their investment in research and development and the future of the companies by securing patents on their inventions. Success or failure of the company often depends on the strength of the patent or in its ability to resist competition.
Recently, the United States Patent and Trademark Office proposed changes to the way patents will be processed with a view to reduce patent Examiner’s work load. These changes could drastically limit the company’s ability to secure strong patents. Under the current practice, if the company is not happy with the Examiner’s refusal to grant a patent, the company can file one, two, or more continuation patent applications so that additional exchanges can take place between the applicant and the Examiner.
Society is currently moving through a transition from a community whose wealth is based in tangible goods, such as the means of production, to a community whose true wealth lies in intangible forms of property. We are moving toward a period where knowledge and ideas are more valuable than physical objects. Intellectual property, such as patents, copyright, trademarks and even trade secrets are what drive many of this country’s booming sectors. With widespread internet access, the creation of intellectual property is no longer restricted to large corporations or wealthy people who can afford to develop such property. Any person can develop value through a copyright, a patentable invention or a trademark. As intellectual property continues to grow as a wealth creation tool, individuals will be faced with the challenge of determining the value of the property, and the effect that such property will have on estate taxes.
