Intellectual Property Misuse

Book excerpt: Misuse is an increasingly important topic because of the central role intellectual property plays in our economy. The consequences of a misuse finding are severe: unenforceability of the patent or copyright involved, and defense to a suit to recover royalties in a license. The defense continues to arise in patent cases, has led to the dismissal of several recent copyright cases, and is now being asserted in trademark cases. The misuse defense thus represents a nexus of intellectual property and antitrust law and has the potential to affect business practices involving computer copyrights and other areas highly relevant in today's economic environment. This timely handbook covers the origin and development of the misuse doctrine, the debate about its scope and existence in relation to antitrust law, and its present status in patent, copyright, and trademark law. It also gives practical insights into how the doctrine affects both licensing and litigation practice.