Niklas Bruun - Böcker

The nature and content of intellectual property (IP) law, which is heavily contingent on the state of technology and on social and market developments, has always been subject to ongoing transitions. How those transitions are effected and the shape they take is crucial to the ability of IP to achieve its stated goals and provide the necessary climate for investment in creativity, innovation and brand differentiation. Yet the need for change can run headlong into a desire for coherence. A search for coherence tests the limits of the concept of "intellectual property," is imperiled by overlaps between different IP regimes, and calls for a unifying normative theme. This volume assembles contributors from across IP and the globe to explore these questions, including whether coherence is desirable. It should be read by anyone interested in understanding the conceptual underpinnings of one of the most important and dynamic areas of the law.

The nature and content of intellectual property (IP) law, which is heavily contingent on the state of technology and on social and market developments, has always been subject to ongoing transitions. How those transitions are effected and the shape they take is crucial to the ability of IP to achieve its stated goals and provide the necessary climate for investment in creativity, innovation and brand differentiation. Yet the need for change can run headlong into a desire for coherence. A search for coherence tests the limits of the concept of "intellectual property," is imperiled by overlaps between different IP regimes, and calls for a unifying normative theme. This volume assembles contributors from across IP and the globe to explore these questions, including whether coherence is desirable. It should be read by anyone interested in understanding the conceptual underpinnings of one of the most important and dynamic areas of the law.

This collection addresses the potential of the European Social Charter to promote and safeguard social rights in Europe. Drawing on the expertise of the ETUI Transnational Trade Union Rights expert network from across Europe, it provides a comprehensive commentary on these fundamental rights. Taking a two part approach, it offers an in-depth legal analysis of the European Social Charter as a new social constitution for Europe, investigating first the potential of the general legal frame in which the Charter is embedded. In the second phase a series of social rights which are related to the employment relation are examined in particular in light of the jurisprudence of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), to demonstrate the crucial but difficult role of the Charter's supervisory bodies to secure the respect and promotion of social rights and national level, bearing in mind the reciprocal influence of other international social rights instruments. This examination is timely, given the pressure exerted on those rights during the recent period of economic crisis. Furthermore, in the light of the predominantly economic vision of Europe, such analysis is crucial. The collection is aimed at stimulating academic scrutiny and raising awareness amongst practitioners and trade unions about this important and equally necessary anchor of the social dimension of Europe in legal and political practice.

The current economic and financial crisis erupted several years ago. Its effects impacted deeply upon society, in which legal rules and social patterns have developed to enable the establishment of civilisation, justice and peace. Over time it has become more and more obvious that policy, financial and economic actors have adopted austerity measures as a main tool to solve the ensuing problems, and that these measures have hit social policy standards sometimes dramatically.Recent analyses have dealt with several aspects of this issue. This book focuses on one important element: the impact on collective labour law. It seeks to add to the debate by presenting mainly legal arguments derived from different sources and backgrounds, examining the EU and ‘Troika’ measures, the economic and political background and the sometimes dramatic consequences of austerity measures on democracy, collective bargaining and the right to strike. Against the framework of EU law, the relevant ILO Conventions, (Revised) European Social Charter and European Convention on Human Rights provisions, the non-compliance of these measures is analysed and demonstrated. The book is also dedicated to procedural questions, and in particular, how legal approaches may be used to challenge austerity measures.

This collection addresses the potential of the European Social Charter to promote and safeguard social rights in Europe. Drawing on the expertise of the ETUI Transnational Trade Union Rights expert network from across Europe, it provides a comprehensive commentary on these fundamental rights. Taking a two part approach, it offers an in-depth legal analysis of the European Social Charter as a new social constitution for Europe, investigating first the potential of the general legal frame in which the Charter is embedded. In the second phase a series of social rights which are related to the employment relation are examined in particular in light of the jurisprudence of the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR), to demonstrate the crucial but difficult role of the Charter's supervisory bodies to secure the respect and promotion of social rights and national level, bearing in mind the reciprocal influence of other international social rights instruments. This examination is timely, given the pressure exerted on those rights during the recent period of economic crisis. Furthermore, in the light of the predominantly economic vision of Europe, such analysis is crucial. The collection is aimed at stimulating academic scrutiny and raising awareness amongst practitioners and trade unions about this important and equally necessary anchor of the social dimension of Europe in legal and political practice.

This book by the ETUI Transnational Trade Union Rights Expert Network analyses enforcement as a key element making EU labour law effective or ineffective. Enforcement is the key ingredient that makes rights effective and ensures compliance. It can make or break a legal system. Despite this, enforcement of EU labour law has received little scholarly attention in recent decades and has rarely been examined in a comprehensive way. This book aims to fill this gap.Intended for academics and practitioners alike, the book adopts a threefold approach to examine this issue. First of all, it explores the idea of effective enforcement and sets out the wider context in which EU labour law enforcement takes place. Secondly, it analyses how enforcement operates in particular areas, including non-discrimination, health and safety, information and consultation rights, and the rights of migrating workers. Thirdly, it critically assesses the role of specific actors (in particular collective actors like trade unions, as well as whistle-blowers and the European Labour Authority) and settings (public procurement, economic and monetary policy) regulated by EU law. Drawing on the insights produced by these analyses, the book concludes by proposing a comprehensive Draft for a Model Directive on 'Effective Enforcement of EU Labour Law' as an inspiration for policy development and scholarly debate in this area.

This book by the ETUI Transnational Trade Union Rights Expert Network analyses enforcement as a key element making EU labour law effective or ineffective. Enforcement is the key ingredient that makes rights effective and ensures compliance. It can make or break a legal system. Despite this, enforcement of EU labour law has received little scholarly attention in recent decades and has rarely been examined in a comprehensive way. This book aims to fill this gap.Intended for academics and practitioners alike, the book adopts a threefold approach to examine this issue. First of all, it explores the idea of effective enforcement and sets out the wider context in which EU labour law enforcement takes place. Secondly, it analyses how enforcement operates in particular areas, including non-discrimination, health and safety, information and consultation rights, and the rights of migrating workers. Thirdly, it critically assesses the role of specific actors (in particular collective actors like trade unions, as well as whistle-blowers and the European Labour Authority) and settings (public procurement, economic and monetary policy) regulated by EU law. Drawing on the insights produced by these analyses, the book concludes by proposing a comprehensive Draft for a Model Directive on 'Effective Enforcement of EU Labour Law' as an inspiration for policy development and scholarly debate in this area.

This book is the first comprehensive academic treatment of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and employment rights, which has a global vocation demonstrated by having been ratified by 173 States since it was adopted in 1966.Workers’ rights need protection and reinforcement. To achieve this aim, international human rights standards can play an important role. The ICESCR is the most important global UN instrument in this respect. It covers a wide range of employment rights, including the right to strike, and has global application. But it is not sufficiently developed and used, and national implementation often needs improvement.Part 1 of the book analyses general issues related to the Covenant, such as context, development, challenges, influences at the global and regional levels, interpretation and procedural elements. Part 2 deals with the specific provisions which are directly linked to the employment relation. The book is based on a thorough analysis, mainly, but not exclusively, of the case law of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR), that is monitoring the national implementation of the Covenant. Together, the chapters in this book will empower academics and practitioners in labour law to find answers to relevant and practical problems in order to better enforce and improve workers’ rights.The book is the result of a project by the ‘Transnational Trade Union Rights’ experts Network (TTUR), linked to the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI).

This comprehensive Research Handbook explores the rights of employers and employees with regard to intellectual property (IP) created within the framework of the employment relationship. Investigating the development of employee IP from a comparative perspective, it contextualises issues in the light of theoretical approaches in both IP law and labour law.Leading academic experts examine the most crucial building blocks of the regulation of employee IP, such as authorship, inventorship and creatorship, as well as individual, corporate and collective works. Chapters focus on US and European law, but also offer insights from Chinese, Japanese and Korean law. The Research Handbook also tackles new and developing global challenges in the field, including labour mobility, trade secrets, non-compete clauses, university employees, cross-border business matters, and choice of law issues.Scholars and students in both IP and labour law, and particularly those working at the intersection of these fields, will find this Research Handbook invaluable. It will also provide important insights for legislators, business practitioners and university management.

Intellectual property (IP) law has been widely discussed in recent scholarship, though many recent works explore the topic from a largely descriptive perspective. This book provides an analytical and comparative study of Chinese and European IP law, as well as an analysis of system reforms in China.The book highlights, in three parts, intellectual property for innovation and creativity in China, comparing concepts and norms in Chinese and European IP law, and governance of practices and IP enforcement. Demonstrating that the governance of IP rights requires the adoption of a set of norms, the contributors also argue that success is dependent on a transformation of the perspectives and implementation.Students and scholars of IP law, and Chinese IP law in particular, will find this book to be a valuable resource to their work. It will also be of interest to IP practitioners looking for an insight into system reforms in China.Contributors include: D.O. Acquah, R.M. Ballardini, N. Bruun, Y. Guan, K. He, K. Larson, N. Lee, M. Li, Y. Li, M. Oker-Blom, B.P.-W. Liu, L. Tammenlehto, W. Wu, P.K. Yu, L. Zhang, Q.-S. Zhao, Y. Zhao, L. Zhou

On 1 December 2009 the Treaty of Lisbon entered into force. Although often described as primarily technical, it significantly amended the Treaty on the European Union (TEU) and the old EC Treaty (now the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, TFEU). The authors' aim in this book is to explore what the Treaty means for social law and social policy at the European level. The first part of the book on the general framework looks - at a time of financial crisis - for new foundations for Europe's Social market economy, questions the balance between fundamental social rights and economic freedoms, analyses the role of the now binding Charter of Fundamental Rights, maps the potential impact of the horizontal clauses on social policy and addresses the possibilities for social partners to enlarge their role in labour law and industrial relations. The second part, on the social framework of the Treaty, focuses on the development of the Union's competences. In it the authors evaluate the consequences of the new general framework on social competences, analyse the evolution of the principle of subsidiarity and its impact in the new Treaty, look at the coordination of economic policies in the light of fundamental rights, and analyse the adoption in the Treaty of a new architecture for services of general interest.

The current economic and financial crisis erupted several years ago. Its effects impacted deeply upon society, in which legal rules and social patterns have developed to enable the establishment of civilisation, justice and peace. Over time it has become more and more obvious that policy, financial and economic actors have adopted austerity measures as a main tool to solve the ensuing problems, and that these measures have hit social policy standards sometimes dramatically.Recent analyses have dealt with several aspects of this issue. This book focuses on one important element: the impact on collective labour law. It seeks to add to the debate by presenting mainly legal arguments derived from different sources and backgrounds, examining the EU and ‘Troika’ measures, the economic and political background and the sometimes dramatic consequences of austerity measures on democracy, collective bargaining and the right to strike. Against the framework of EU law, the relevant ILO Conventions, (Revised) European Social Charter and European Convention on Human Rights provisions, the non-compliance of these measures is analysed and demonstrated. The book is also dedicated to procedural questions, and in particular, how legal approaches may be used to challenge austerity measures.