Copyright and Designs Law:A Question of Balance

Universally, the law of copyright is one big balancing trick, trading off the opposing economic interests of access to works and incentives to create works. Rapid technological advances on an international scale have distorted existing regulation so as to require a massive legislative response at national levels. One such act is the UK Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, probably the most recent, major restatement of the current law.

<p class=copymedium>This significant and authoritative work sets out theprinciples governing modern copyright and designs law, drawing from the common law experience, and makes particular reference to the UK's 1988 Act.

<p class=copymedium>It examines the underlying policy considerations, social, economic, cultural and international influences behind the developments in modern copyright and designs law, and this piece of legislation. In its analysis this work answers the long-stated need, from practitioners and judiciary alike, for a clear, comprehensive work on copyright and designs law: how we arrived at the 1988 Act in order to understand and work with the current law.

<p class=copymedium>The intention behind the legislation is distilled. In particular, the work's contextual approach, coverage of moral rights, designs, international aspects, and the significant collection of statutory instruments perhaps for the first time made readily available under one cover in the appendices, render this thoroughly researched work an invaluable working tool for law practitioner and academic alike.