Innovation, Competition and Consumer Welfare in Intellectual Property Law

Book excerpt: Professor Ghidini has long since made himself a worldwide reputation as a leading scholar. He is a profound critic of intellectual property protection that follows rigid property logic, and favours the functionalist competition/innovation logic. Innovation, Competition and Consumer Welfare in Intellectual Property Law is truly enriching reading. Hanns Ullrich, College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium We in the United States have much to learn not only from Gustavo Ghidini s careful analysis of modern trends in the European IP regime but also from his thoughtful development of the thesis that free competition should be understood as the overarching principle guiding both IP protection and what we call antitrust law. Rudolph J.R. Peritz, New York Law School, US and author of Competition Policy in America This authoritative book provides a comprehensive critical overview of the basic IP paradigms, such as patents, trademarks and copyrights. Their intersection with competition law and their impacts on the exercise of social welfare are analysed from an evolutionary perspective. The analyses and proposals presented encompass the features and rationales of a legal field in constant evolution, and relate them to increasingly rapid technological, economic, social and geo-political developments. Gustavo Ghidini highlights the emerging trends that challenge the traditional all-exclusionary vision of IP law and its application. The author expertly combines holistic, evolutionary and constitutionally oriented approaches, with the search for a rebalancing of the IP rights holders positions with citizens and users rights. This book will appeal to academics, scholars and lawyers specializing in the realm of intellectual property, competition and comparative law.