Foreword

AuthorDavid Vaver
Pages23-25
xxiii
FOR E WOR D
In a world which trades on brand reputat ion, cultural products and
high technology, intellectu al property has increasingly become a sub-
ject of greater n ational and international importance. More than ever
before, fortunes are made through products of intellect, whether it be
in art, science, or business. Indeed, in 1997, the year the f‌irst edition of
David Vaver’s Intellectual Property Law was published, two university
students had just chosen a new name for t heir internet search engine:
Google. In this world, intellectual property has become vastly more
important, not only for law yers, but for consumers, businesses, and
countries, and this growth shows no signs of slowing.
The i ncreasing importance of intellectual property i s readily ap-
parent when examining the potential scope of protection under each of
the three intellect ual property regi mes. By challengi ng the boundarie s
of what is protected, litigants are questioning what ex actly intellectual
property i s. In the second edition of Intellectual Property Law, Profe s-
sor Vaver addresses these new questions which challenge every facet
of intellectual property and legal imagin ation: Can a sound be a trade-
mark? Ca n a smell? Are e-mails protected by copyright? What about
text messages or “tweets”? Is wrapping the Reichstag in fabric a work of
art? Is a house design? Is a life form patentable? Is a business process?
As always, the answer to these questions is, “it depends.” But Professor
Vaver’s discussion of existing boundar ies, and the bases on which new
boundaries may be dr awn stand s to serve as a va luable guide in grap-
pling with these diff‌icult issues.

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