NEW BOOKS - PUBLISHING LAW; LAW OF PATENTS

Publishing Law

The IPKat has been reading the third edition of Publishing Law, an easy-to-read work for non-lawyers by Hugh Jones and Christopher Benson. Hugh is copyright counsel to the Publishers Association in the UK, while Christopher Benson is a solicitor with Anglo-German based international law practice Taylor Wessing.

The IPKat's comment. This is emphatically a book for non-lawyers who are concerned about keeping the right side of the law as they go about their daily activities within the various sectors of the printing, publishing and distribution industries: this means that anyone who hopes to be blinded by legal science or to gaze admiringly at tables of statutes, cases and treaties will be disappointed. The reader is instead treated to some clear, non-footnoted legal guidance, aimed at intelligent readers who will appreciate the informed and industrially aware tone taken by the authors. The content of the advice is responsibly cautious, too - despite quoting the old Hugh Cudlipp "Publish and be Damned" line, you won't find the authors suggesting that you may as well take a chance because of the low probability of being sued for copyright infringement, defamation or infraction of data protection laws. In other words, the book is pleasant to read, informative and reliable. There's also a short list of further non-technical reading matter, a helpful glossary and a list of useful addresses (this list includes the address of the World Intellectual Property Organization - a little joke, perhaps? It also includes a place called Also the Patent Office and gives the address of the Patent Office itself as 25 Southampton Buildings, now a smart office block).

What the publisher says:

"This welcome second edition [er, shouldn't that read "third"?] now includes coverage of electronic rights and e-commerce, as well as recent changes in legislation, and provides a comprehensive guide to the law as it affects the publishing process.

Legal points are explained with reference to important statutes, cases and relevant trade practices, and the new edition now contains a revised glossary amd lists of useful addresses and further reading.

... this work will serve as a comprehensive handbook for all those who need a practical understanding of where and how the law may apply, including publishers, authors, and agents".

Bibliographic facts. Price £75. ISBN 0415384257. xii + 337 pages, paperback. Rupture factor: no problem - the book is neat, light and comfy to lift.

Buy this book from Routledge here


Law of Patents

It's not often the IPKat encounters a real live law book from India, so he was intrigued when Elizabeth Verkey's Law of Patents arrived in his mailbox. Published in 2005, it is a pretty comprehensive work on India's new Patent Law, including much recent case-law and a chapter dedicated to the Patent (Amendment) Act 2005. The author, Dr Elizabeth Verkey, is an Advocate, Kerala High Court, and a visiting faculty member of the Mahatma Gandhi University. She has also held a visiting Research Fellowship at the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

What the IPKat says. There's always a problem in writing a book when the footprint of an author's knowledge spills over beyond the subject matter of a book, and it's plain that Elizabeth Verkey's scholarly interests run a good deal wider than contemporary Indian patent law and practice. However, exercising a good deal of self-restraint, she has touched only very lightly upon extraneous issues such as justifications of patent protection [Merpel says, necessary because patents are still quite unpopular in parts of India], Lockean theory and early patent history, saving her main energies for the task at hand - explaining the current state of Indian patent law and practice. This book is not however of interest only to the Indian practitioner - it contains frequent and helpful analysis of decisions from the United Kingdom, the Privy Council and the United States, which have found their way into the rich and colourful tapestry of Indian patent case law. The author deserves congratulations for her efforts.

What the publisher says:

"The book is a perfect blend of a detailed and updated commentary and case-law on the Patent Act (in various jurisdictions) and also explains the mechanism for applying for protection. It aims to inform the readers of the legal position of the patent law in India, United Kingdom and United States and also International treaties like TRIPS agreement, WIPO, etc.

The work has been structured to meet the requirements of both the practitioners and the academicians. A must read for lawyers, judges and all those who would like to prevent any sort of infringement of their right to intellectual property".

Bibliographic details. ISBN 81 7012 870 6. Hardback, 650 rupees. xxxiv + 491 pages. Rupture factor: low to medium - the book is only a little heavier than it looks.

Order this book directly from the Eastern Book Company here