This book addresses the growing importance of trade secrets in today's society and business and the related increase in litigation, media and scholarly attention, using the new EU Trade Secrets Directive as a prism through which to discuss the complex legal issues involved. Written by a team of international experts, it discusses and analyses national implementation of the Directive and explores the effects of the new regime on contentious issues and crucial sectors such as big data and AI.

With the rise of international trade and innovation, there has been an increase in cross border trade secret violations. Using common trade secret scenarios as a springboard for analysis, the book questions whether EU private international law rules can be interpreted to facilitate the objective of the EU Trade Secret Directive and in doing so provides a detailed examination of both regimes.

Although the law on infringement is relatively straightforward in relation to the copying of literal and textual elements of software, it is the copying of non-literal and functional elements that poses complex and topical questions in the context of intellectual property (IP) protection. In many cases, it is these non-literal and functional elements that contain the real value of a software product. This book concerns the copying of non-literal and functional elements of software in both the United States and European Union, using a holistic approach to address the most topical questions facing experts concerned with legal protection of software products across a range of technological platforms. The book focuses on six distinct but interrelated areas: contract, copyright, patents, trade-dress, designs and trade secrets, discussing these areas separately and in relation to one another. The book discusses software as a multilayered functional product, setting the scene for other legal discussions by highlighting software's unique characteristics. It examines models for the provision of software, addressing licensing patterns and overall enforceability, as well as the statutory and judicial tools for regulating the use of such licences. It assesses the protection of non-literal and functional software elements under EU and US laws, focusing on internal architecture, interfaces, behavioural elements and GUIs.

Governing Intellectual Property Rights Within Publicly Funded Biobanks R. Neethu The boom in biobanks and health databases as research infrastructures have evoked various legal and ethical debates. Since then numerous new developments have emerged such as digitalization, big-data research and artificial intelligence which has important implications for biobank-based research and collaborations. This new paradigm offers new legal challenges for commercial involvement particularly within a publicly funded setting. In this innovative book, the author shows that securing maximum social benefit out of the knowledge emanating from the use of biobank resources lies in managing intellectual property inputs and outputs effectively in keeping with the values core to such research. Focusing on the challenges of involving intellectual property rights (IPRs) particularly in the precompetitive phase of biobank-based research, the book offers an extensive understanding of the role of different IPRs and identifies the gaps in the law and its implications for biobanks. The analysis covers important aspects in relation to biobanks such as: Digital integration and biomedical data storage; Ownership of biological samples; Commercialization and benefit sharing; Partnership models; Public sector research; Disposition of samples; Consent; Cross-border exchange; Trade secrecy; Privacy; Regulatory stewardship; Business strategies; Ethical considerations over biological resources; Patenting of inventions relating to personalized medicine; Ethical parameters within patent law; and Rights regarding genetic data and databases. The book includes observations, case studies and interviews conducted by the author. In conclusion, the author offers cogent recommendations for legal interoperability of IP rules and research practices designed to enhance the ability of biobanks to share, access and reuse data. This book is the first of its kind to explore the organizational and legislative choices for biobanks particularly while engaging in the protection of research results and technology transfer within a publicly funded setting. It will be of substantial interest to all stakeholders in biobanking, especially policymakers, biobankers and researchers working in the field of health law as well as for legal practitioners, academics and patient interest groups.

This fresh and insightful Research Handbook delivers global perspectives on information law and governance, delving into principles of information law in the areas of trade secrecy, privacy, data protection and cybersecurity.

This study offers unique up-to-date analysis of the impact on global trade of counterfeit and pirated products, known as "fakes" by the general public. Using statistical analysis and drawing on a global dataset covering almost half million customs data on seizures, the study estimates the huge share of international trade commandeered by counterfeit and pirated goods. In 2013, international trade in such products represented up to 2.5% of world trade, or as much as USD 461 billion. This is the equivalent of the GDP of Austria, or the combined GDP of Ireland and the Czech Republic. Above all, it highlights that right holders, governments and the formal economy as a whole suffer from significant economic and social losses. It also gives an idea about the potential financial revenues collected by criminal networks that are behind such trade.^More specifically, counterfeit and pirated products amounted to up to 5 % of imports in 2013 in the European Union, or as much as EUR 85 billion (USD 116 billion). This suggests that the relative impact of counterfeiting is twice as high for a group of developed countries, such as the EU, than it is for the world as a whole. The scope of the phenomenon appears to be greater than a decade ago. Back in 2008, a previous OECD study estimated that counterfeit and pirated goods accounted for up to 1.9 % of world imports, or up to USD 200 billion, relying on the best data and more limited methods available at that time. In the context of today's revival of international trade in the global economy, there is no shortage of opportunities for counterfeiters and criminals. Counterfeit and pirated trade is a major threat to any modern, knowledge-based economy. Counterfeiting and piracy matter in an innovation driven global economy.^Intellectual property (IP) is a key value generator for firms, helping them succeed in competitive markets. At the macroeconomic level, IP protection and enforcement is one of the main drivers of innovation, which contributes to long term economic growth. Given the fundamental economic importance of IP, counterfeiting and piracy must be directly targeted as a threat to sustainable IP-based business models.

This book analyses the legal approach to personal data taken by different fields of law. An increasing number of business models in the digital economy rely on personal data as a key input. In exchange for sharing their data, online users benefit from personalized and innovative services. But companies’ collection and use of personal data raise questions about privacy and fundamental rights. Moreover, given the substantial commercial and strategic value of personal data, their accumulation, control and use may raise competition concerns and negatively affect consumers. To establish a legal framework that ensures an adequate level of protection of personal data while at the same time providing an open and level playing field for businesses to develop innovative data-based services is a challenging task.With this objective in mind and against the background of the uniform rules set by the EU General Data Protection Regulation, the contributions to this book examine the significance and legal treatment of personal data in competition law, consumer protection law, general civil law and intellectual property law. Instead of providing an isolated analysis of the different areas of law, the book focuses on both synergies and tensions between the different legal fields, exploring potential ways to develop an integrated legal approach to personal data.