Fashioning Intellectual Property
Exhibition, Advertising and the Press, 1789–1918

Examines the relationships between intellectual property law, international exhibitions, advertising practices and the press during the 'long nineteenth century'.

Megan Richardson (Author), Julian Thomas (Author)

9780521767569, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 19 January 2012

204 pages, 12 b/w illus. 1 table
23.5 x 15.5 x 1.8 cm, 0.46 kg

'The in-depth and rigorous treatment of the legal aspects with emphasis on the soft and hard provisions in various international agreements along with the succinct examples makes the book a valuable read for researchers, practitioners and policy makers alike.' Vijayalakshmi Asthana, Journal of Intellectual Property Rights

Vigorous public debate about intellectual property has a long history. In this assessment of the shifting relationships between the law and the economic, social and cultural sources of creativity and innovation during the long-nineteenth century, Megan Richardson and Julian Thomas examine the 'fashioning' of the law by focusing on emblematic cases, key legislative changes and broader debates. Along the way, the authors highlight how, in 'the age of journalism', the press shaped, and was shaped by, the idea of intellectual property as a protective crucible for improvements in knowledge and progress in the arts and sciences. The engagement in our own time between intellectual property and the creative industries remains volatile and unsettled. As the authors conclude, the fresh opportunities for artistic diversity, expression and communication offered by new media could see the place of intellectual property in the scheme of law being reinvented once again.

Part I. The Journalism Age: 1. Grub Street biographers
2. Author-journalists
3. Agitators and dissenters
4. End of the property right
Part II. The Exhibition-Effect: 5. Patent inadequacies
6. Exhibition fever
7. Lessons and compromises
8. Rise of advertising
Part III. The Author-Brand Continuum: 9. Rethinking 'romantic' authorship
10. The artist in an age of mechanical reproduction
11. From fashion to brand
12. Closing the categories
Epilogue
Appendices.

Subject Areas: Intellectual property law [LNR], Law [L]