Intellectual Property: The Tough New Realities That Could Make or Break Your Business
The world of intellectual property has always been a roller coaster, but the ups and downs are now steeper than ever. Creators of IP–inventors, writers, artists, software engineers, and the companies that employ them–need to protect themselves from those who think nothing of stealing their hard work in the name of “free culture.” At the same time, legitimate users need to know how to protect themselves from overzealous IP owners.
With the rules constantly changing, billions of dollars are at stake, as are the fates of publishers, consumer goods producers, drug companies, even a single employee who takes his or her experience to a new job.
In Intellectual Property, Paul Goldstein draws on forty years’ experience, not only teaching and writing as a Stanford Law School professor, but also practicing as counsel with one of the country’s largest law firms. He provides intellectual property advice to clients ranging from two-person start-ups to Fortune 100 companies.
In this practical book Goldstein explores dozens of contemporary legal cases that illustrate the power of IP. You will learn how:
- Kodak lost over a billion dollars when it trod on Polaroid’s instant-photo turf.
- Amazon.com’s patent suit shut down BN.com’s use of a purchasing tool for two Christmas seasons.
- A series of cases redefined copyright for software and set the stage for today’s open-source movement.
- After investing heavily in a new line of menswear, Tommy Hilfiger was barred from using the line’s name simply because it hadn’t discovered another company’s unregistered use of the trademark.
- A perfume company could use the exact Chanel No. 5 brand name in touting its knockoff product because courts think this “serves an important public purpose.”
Intellectual Property explains how companies can manage each area of IP–patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets–in the face of evolving laws and rapidly changing markets. This is the one book that every nonlawyer in business needs to survive and win in the intellectual property arena.
“Goldstein provides night-vision goggles to interpret the shadow world of intellectual-property law.”
“Protecting and respecting the rights of creators and innovators are among the greatest challenges facing business worldwide today. Intellectual Property is the book to read if you want to know what you need to know without getting bogged down in the details. I recommend this book to every nonlawyer in business (and lawyers as well).”
“More than any other type of asset, intangible assets are defined by change. This book is a field guide to understanding, mapping, and profiting from that change–one that I recommend for everyone who deals with intangible assets. It is a real tool for businesspeople that they can keep on their shelf and refer to again and again.”
“Today, every business is an IP business. The rewards of getting the IP issues right–and the costs of getting them wrong–are greater than ever. This book explains how to get them right. Paul Goldstein’s writing is so clear and his examples so vivid that readers may never again see a Web site, a golf course, or a tube of toothpaste in quite the same way.”
“No business can avoid the challenge presented by the constant changes in IP law. Paul Goldstein’s Intellectual Property is must reading for nonlawyers who create or use IP.”
“Intellectual Property is a must read for businesspeople who deal with intangible assets. Take the book on your next flight–it’s a page-turner–and when you land you will be up to speed on how to make IP law work for your business venture in today’s legal climate. Professor Goldstein combines his scholarly insight and cutting-edge perspective on the law with practical, real-world stories that make this book both an engaging read and a top-notch resource.”
