Derecho Mercantil. (DerMerUle).

Lesson 4 (2) Intellectual Property.

 UNDER CONSTRUCTION 

(Compulsory readings. Supplement to classroom notes and course materials)

I Introduction

Intellectual Property is intangible property resulting from creations. Its owners and holders have specific rights, as established by the Law. Please note the differences:

• (Propiedad Industrial) industrial property, ie: patents on inventions, designs and models, protected designations of origin;  new varieties of vegetal, etc
• (Signs), trademarks, registered trademarks, service brands etc
• (Propiedad intellectual) copyright and related rights, ie: music, literature, paintings, sculptures.
• Commercial strategies and other immaterial property rights: trade secrets, know-how, confidentiality agreements, or rapid production.

Gijón, Asturias

Intellectual Property rights (IPRs) allow titleholders (inventors, creators, artists, or other rightsholders) – to decide how, when and where their creations are used and/or exploited. Such rights have a negative and a positive manifestation

IP protection varies from one IP right to another. In very general terms we say that:

• patents allow the holder to stop third parties from making, using or selling the holder’s invention for a certain period (maximum of years (20)
• trademarks  protect the  «hallmark» (signo distintivo) of protected product/service by preventing other business from the offering, etc  services/products under the same hallmark
• copyright / neighbouring rights.
  • moral or paternity contents
  • economic content,

• Other IP
  • Classroom notes
• Please note: licence / cession