Game Theory Lecture; Novel Book

1 Game theory: forthcoming lecture

On Th 24 November, from 6pm to 7pm, IPKat co-blogmeister Jeremy is giving a lecture hosted past times University College London inwards the Current Legal Problems series. The lecture is on ‘How to Win at Monopoly: Applying Game Theory to the Enforcement of Intellectual Property Rights’. According to the Abstract:

"This lecture summarises the tenets of game theory together with the basic principles of intellectual belongings law. It tests the applicability of game theory to some basic intellectual belongings enforcement problems such equally dealing alongside counterfeit goods, parallel importation together with (if fourth dimension together with resources permit) cybersquatting. Finally, it volition present that intellectual belongings owners are to a greater extent than probable to “win” if they larn how to play the game amend nether existing rules than past times repeatedly demanding increased levels of legal protection".

Please bring this respect equally a personal invitation: you're to a greater extent than than welcome to attend.


2 New Tottel title

One of the IPKat's recent postbags contained a surprise: Engelman's Intellectual Property Update, written past times London barrister Mark Engelman (left) together with published past times Tottel Publishing. Costing £79 inwards paperback together with published this October, this Update covers legislation together with instance police over roughly the past times xviii months. According to the publishers, "it's the quick reference direct that no IP police practitioner should hold upwardly without". Described equally "time-saving", it offers detailed coverage of both noun together with procedural issues.

"With this fully up-to-date quick reference direct you lot volition cause got immediate access to related legislation together with cases, helping you lot to lay a topic into context forthwith away".

feels that this projection has been totally misconceived and, for the well-nigh part, poorly executed. In the days earlier the cyberspace together with online services were available, in that location mightiness cause got been some role for a mass of this nature together with perhaps a marketplace for it. But in that location is no excuse for it now. Databases similar BAILII, the Patent Office together with OHIM complement the subscription-based services such equally LexisNexis, Lawtel together with Westlaw, making it far easier to position materials online than past times using this mass which, incidentally, gets woefully few words per page together with is far from ideal for whatever practitioner who needs to photocopy items.

The format for each instance is inwards the form of an 'Engelman number' (e.g. 5.16 is the 16th instance digested inwards Chapter 5, Trade Marks), Case Name, Details of whether it is reported, Date of judgment, Court, Abstract, Comment, Result together with Cited Authorities. On the addition side, the abstracts themselves are often quite succinct, though pressure level of infinite must inevitably require them to hold upwardly equally brief equally reasonably possible. However, the compilers of this mass cause got often given no cite for cases noted, inserting the instance number instead. Another puzzle is equally to why the names of members of OHIM Boards are given, spell the names of Lord Chancellors' Appointed Persons are non - the IPKat would cause got stance that the latter would hold upwardly far to a greater extent than interesting together with useful to practitioners than the former.

As for information equally to whether the instance is reported, this mass is frankly appalling. Sometimes a citation is given to All England Direct. More often the case's neutral citation reference is given. Still to a greater extent than frequently, however, no reference is given at all, despite the fact that the instance has already been reported inwards the European Trade Mark Reports, the European Copyright together with Design Reports, the Fleet Street Reports or the Reports of Patent Cases (all specialist IP reports). Another meaning omission is that of whatever abstracts of, or reference to, European Patent Office decisions - which must presumably hold upwardly of some role to patent practitioners. If OHIM decisions are featured, why non EPO decisions too? H5N1 farther omission is that of whatever clear guidance on the exterior of the mass itself equally to the catamenia it covers.

It's obvious that a lot of difficult travel has gone into preparing this book, but that its planning together with execution has permit it down. If this mass is to hold upwardly "the source of many hereafter annual editions", the IPKat hopes that its publishers together with planners volition lay some long, difficult stance into sorting it out. Merpel adds, how tin give the axe this mass hold upwardly the source of whatever future editions? The source hereafter edition volition hold upwardly the side past times side ane ...