Domain names are still a relatively unknown occurrence and despite being a natural part in most people’s every-day life, there are few who reflect over their importance. The original function of domain names was merely to serve as technical addresses and to facilitate the locating of websites on the Internet. Today domain names are much more than this. In addition to the address function, domain names may also serve as indications of goods, services, businesses or information. The domain name is usually the first contact one gets with a website and it has become crucial for businesses to have their company name or trade marks registered as domain names. The issue of the legal status of domain names has mainly been discussed from an American point of view and in Sweden this discussion has almost entirely fallen under the radar. If the legal status of a domain name were clear, it would be easier for businesses to avail themselves of the value of that domain name. It would possibly even contribute to strengthening the legal protection for the domain name holder, in for example insolvency or bankruptcy procedures. Intellectual property exists in many different forms, the main being patents, trade marks, copyright and design rights. Although there are many differences between them, they all have in common that they establish property protection over intangibles such as ideas, inventions, signs and information. As a domain name is not a physical object, there can be no doubt that it is an intangible. The question is whether it is property. Intellectual property is not a static area and it can, in line with societal and technological development, be expanded to include new types. The legal status of domain names is generally discussed in the light of the close connection they have with trade marks. Except from their original function, the trade mark function of domain names can probably be considered as one of the most commonly accepted. It is indicated in this thesis that that function contributes to that a domain name can be considered as a distinctive sign and thereby obtain protection, in the same way as an unregistered trade mark. According to current accounting rules, businesses may, to some extent, avail themselves of the value of a domain name. Domain names are under certain circumstances identified as intangible assets and even as ‘similar rights’ to for example trade marks and patents in accounting and taxation situations. At this time it is not possible to legislate on the area of the legal status of a domain name on a Community level, as this most likely would have to include a consideration of the existence of property rights and consequently fall outside the legislative powers of the Community. Both the legal development and the legal discussions on the topic of the legal status of domain names in Sweden have been relatively sparse. Nonetheless, there have been some interesting opinions. By investigating what positions the different authorities, academics and practitioners have taken on the legal status of domain names it can be concluded that the prevailing opinion in Sweden is that domain names are not considered as property. The reason for this seems to be that domain names as such, are in fact no more than technical constructions and that by registering a domain name the registrant only becomes the holder of a contractual right. However, there are some diverging opinions which could suggest that the legal status of domain names in Sweden is not yet settled. The aspects which are then taken into consideration include that domain names have developed to become important and valuable assets for an increasing number of businesses. A domain name is a precondition for the creation of a website and therefore of crucial importance for, in particular, online based businesses. However, they are of increasing importance for all businesses to reach out to and compete over the same customers. It is advocated that the fact that domain names are freely traded with indicates that domain names are property. It has also been questioned whether an asset with a true economic value, such as a domain name, can exist without being considered as an item of property. The steps taken in other jurisdictions have shown that the legal status of domain names is not even clear in some of the countries with the greatest experience of domain names. Nonetheless, the legal status is given attention in those countries and the discussion has been initiated. In general, it can be concluded that the development seems to go toward higher awareness of the value of domain names.

No description available.

<p>Domain names are still a relatively unknown occurrence and despite being a natural part in</p><p>most people’s every-day life, there are few who reflect over their importance. The original</p><p>function of domain names was merely to serve as technical addresses and to facilitate the</p><p>locating of websites on the Internet. Today domain names are much more than this. In</p><p>addition to the address function, domain names may also serve as indications of goods,</p><p>services, businesses or information. The domain name is usually the first contact one gets</p><p>with a website and it has become crucial for businesses to have their company name or</p><p>trade marks registered as domain names. The issue of the legal status of domain names has</p><p>mainly been discussed from an American point of view and in Sweden this discussion has</p><p>almost entirely fallen under the radar. If the legal status of a domain name were clear, it</p><p>would be easier for businesses to avail themselves of the value of that domain name. It</p><p>would possibly even contribute to strengthening the legal protection for the domain name</p><p>holder, in for example insolvency or bankruptcy procedures.</p><p>Intellectual property exists in many different forms, the main being patents, trade marks,</p><p>copyright and design rights. Although there are many differences between them, they all</p><p>have in common that they establish property protection over intangibles such as ideas,</p><p>inventions, signs and information. As a domain name is not a physical object, there can be</p><p>no doubt that it is an intangible. The question is whether it is property. Intellectual</p><p>property is not a static area and it can, in line with societal and technological development,</p><p>be expanded to include new types.</p><p>The legal status of domain names is generally discussed in the light of the close connection</p><p>they have with trade marks. Except from their original function, the trade mark function of</p><p>domain names can probably be considered as one of the most commonly accepted. It is</p><p>indicated in this thesis that that function contributes to that a domain name can be</p><p>considered as a distinctive sign and thereby obtain protection, in the same way as an</p><p>unregistered trade mark.</p><p>According to current accounting rules, businesses may, to some extent, avail themselves of</p><p>the value of a domain name. Domain names are under certain circumstances identified as</p><p>intangible assets and even as ‘similar rights’ to for example trade marks and patents in</p><p>accounting and taxation situations.</p><p>At this time it is not possible to legislate on the area of the legal status of a domain name</p><p>on a Community level, as this most likely would have to include a consideration of the</p><p>existence of property rights and consequently fall outside the legislative powers of the</p><p>Community.</p><p>Both the legal development and the legal discussions on the topic of the legal status of</p><p>domain names in Sweden have been relatively sparse. Nonetheless, there have been some</p><p>interesting opinions.</p><p>By investigating what positions the different authorities, academics and practitioners have</p><p>taken on the legal status of domain names it can be concluded that the prevailing opinion</p><p>in Sweden is that domain names are not considered as property. The reason for this seems</p><p>to be that domain names as such, are in fact no more than technical constructions and that</p><p>by registering a domain name the registrant only becomes the holder of a contractual right.</p><p>However, there are some diverging opinions which could suggest that the legal status of</p><p>domain names in Sweden is not yet settled. The aspects which are then taken into</p><p>consideration include that domain names have developed to become important and</p><p>valuable assets for an increasing number of businesses. A domain name is a precondition</p><p>for the creation of a website and therefore of crucial importance for, in particular, online</p><p>based businesses. However, they are of increasing importance for all businesses to reach</p><p>out to and compete over the same customers.</p><p>It is advocated that the fact that domain names are freely traded with indicates that domain</p><p>names are property. It has also been questioned whether an asset with a true economic</p><p>value, such as a domain name, can exist without being considered as an item of property.</p><p>The steps taken in other jurisdictions have shown that the legal status of domain names is</p><p>not even clear in some of the countries with the greatest experience of domain names.</p><p>Nonetheless, the legal status is given attention in those countries and the discussion has</p><p>been initiated. In general, it can be concluded that the development seems to go toward</p><p>higher awareness of the value of domain names.</p>

The Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) represents one of the biggest challenges facing today's globalized world. Meanwhile, transnational drug companies have strengthened their market positions in developing countries as a result of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property (or TRIPS). Patent protection provided by TRIPS has led to higher prices and reduced access to essential medicines. Low- and middle-income countries are under increased pressure to provide expensive life-saving medicines to their citizens. Brazil's AIDS program is deemed successful in reducing morbidity and mortality rates through universal provision of free AIDS medicines. The program's sustainability came under threat as the result of TRIPS, pressures by transnational corporations, and trade threats by the US government. The research question that drove my dissertation centered on the impact of these threats on policy space available to Brazilian government to sustain its universal social program. How has the incorporation of patent protections for drugs affected the ability of local firms to develop pharmaceutical technology and challenged states like Brazil to fulfill social democratic obligations? Under what conditions can a developing country challenge the interests of transnational drug companies? I employed mixed methods for gathering and analyzing data. These included ethnographic field techniques, content analysis, and archival research. My findings are threefold. First, TRIPS has increased the power of foreign firms to secure monopoly positions in Brazil’s drug markets and weakened Brazil's labs to quickly make generic copies of essential medicines. Second, policy space, though curtailed due to external pressures and treaty obligations, expanded through the development of symbolic power, or what I call "reputational dividends," based on a successful social program. Third, by adroitly marketing its banner AIDS program by employing human rights principles, health officials constructed a triple alliance between the state, local private drug manufacturers, and domestic activists tied into transnational advocacy networks. I employ institutional and power analyses to examine the changing sources of power for transnational capital, social movements, and state actors, as well as analyze the impact patent protection has on the ability of Brazilian firms to produce medicines locally. I posit that globalization results in the formation of strong domestic coalitions who are capable of exploiting the "reputational dividends" of a successful social program in order to contest transnational corporate power. This symbolic form of power appears particularly well-disposed for "middle-income" countries that lack the material forms of power held by a global hegemon or transnational corporations. / text

<p>This research work addresses the problem being faced by developing countries in the commercial exploitation of their traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) by third parties without giving due attribution to nor sharing benefits with the communities from which these TCEs originate. This problem stems from the inability of customary law systems which regulates life in such communities to adequately cater for the protection of these TCEs. The legal systems of the developing countries have also proven to be ineffective in the protection of TCEs from such misappropriation and unauthorized commercial exploitation. This mini-thesis examines how TCEs have been protected domestically through national legislation and internationally through treaties and proposes means by which they can be protected in a manner that would preserve them, while promoting the dissemination of those which can be shared without destroying their inherent nature. This mini-thesis thus explores avenues through which the protection of TCEs would contribute to economic and human development in developing countries.</p>

No description available.

xviii, 510 p. : ill. (some col.) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 3.0 License (United States). / This study analyzes the culture, history, and technology of the hip hop DJ in order to tease out the relationships between industrial and cultural practices. The following research questions structured the investigation: 1) What historical developments in intellectual property rights and music playback and delivery formats contribute to a political economy of the hip hop DJ; 2) what has been the role of intellectual property exchange and standardization in the DJ product industry relevant to hip hop DJs; 3) how are the meanings involved in the consumption of and production with analog and digital technologies related; and 4) does hip hop DJ culture represent convergence and collective intelligence? Employing various qualitative methods, the research includes interviews with influential hip hop DJs, executives at record labels, distributors, retailers, and DJ technology manufacturers. The study also reviews the histories of music playback technologies and standardization in relation to intellectual property laws. With political economic, cultural Marxism and new media theories as its framework, this study analyzes hip hop DJs as the intersection of corporate culture and youth culture. The research broadly addresses the hip hop DJ's role in building the industries that cater to hip hop DJing. Specifically, the study analyzes the politics of how hip hop DJs' intellectual properties and subcultural capital have been harnessed by companies in various industries as a way to authenticate, improve, and sell product. The study also examines consumption as production, collective intelligence, and how digital technologies are negotiated within this culture. The research suggests that hip hop DJ culture and the DJ technology and recording industries are not necessarily discrete entities that exert force upon one another. Rather, they are involved in a cultural economy governed by technocultural synergism, which is a complex interplay between agency and determinism guided by both corporate and cultural priorities. The study also offers a networked theory of innovation and creation over the individual genius emphasized in U.S. intellectual property laws to suggest that hip hop DJ culture is an open source culture. / Committee in charge: Dr. Janet Wasko, Chairperson; Dr. Julianne Newton, Member; Dr. Biswarup Sen, Member; Dr. Daniel Wojcik, Outside Member

Magister Legum - LLM / This research work addresses the problem being faced by developing countries in the commercial exploitation of their traditional cultural expressions (TCEs) by third parties without giving due attribution to nor sharing benefits with the communities from which these TCEs originate. This problem stems from the inability of customary law systems which regulates life in such communities to adequately cater for the protection of these TCEs. The legal systems of the developing countries have also proven to be ineffective in the protection of TCEs from such misappropriation and unauthorized commercial exploitation. This mini-thesis examines how TCEs have been protected domestically through national legislation and internationally through treaties and proposes means by which they can be protected in a manner that would preserve them, while promoting the dissemination of those which can be shared without destroying their inherent nature. This mini-thesis thus explores avenues through which the protection of TCEs would contribute to economic and human development in developing countries. / South Africa

Magister Legum - LLM / Traditional Knowledge (TK) is the long standing wisdom, teachings and practices of indigenous communities which have been passed on orally, in the majority of cases, from generation to generation. TK is expressed in the form, medicine, agriculture, understanding of the ecology, music, dance, stories, folklore, poetry, spiritual, cultural and artistic expressions, and knowledge relating to bio-diversity. This thesis focuses on plant bio-diversity, as part of TK, and the problem of bio-piracy. We attempt a definition of TK; its characteristics; possible measures that can be taken to ensure its protection; and challenges that are likely to be faced in seeking to ensure its protection, first at the global level, then with particular attention to South Africa. Some of the suggested measures include the enactment of sui generis laws to protect plant biodiversity, rather that the adaptation of the existing IP regime. Some of the challenges include unwillingness of some countries to participate in international initiatives, like the US, which is not even a signatory of the CBD, and the difficulty of identifying the persons in whom ownership of the TK should be vested when it is possessed by many communities. This issue is a very sensitive one because there have been numerous cases of bio-piracy in developing countries perpetrated by corporations from industrialised countries. Some of the notable examples of bio-piracy include; The Neem tree from India whose products are used in medicine, toiletries and cosmetics; the Ayahuasca a vine used in India for religious and healing ceremonies; the Asian Turmeric plant used in cooking, cosmetics and medicine, the Hoodia Cactus plant in the Kalahari Desert of southern Africa used by the San people to stave off hunger. These instances have given rise to increased talks about the necessity of a law on the protection of TK relating to bio-diversity in general at the international, regional and national levels. The World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) is working on enacting measures to ensure the protection and conservation of TK at the international level; in 2002 it created nine fact finding commissions on TK in general. These fact finding missions on TK innovation and creativity were undertaken with the intention of seeking possibilities of protecting the intellectual property rights of TK holders. In 2002, The WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore (IGC) was created to continue with this task. The 1993 Convention on Biodiversity (CBD) encourages States to enact measures to implement its provisions on the protection of knowledge, innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities. This trend in protection of TK relating to biological resources has been followed by the Nagoya Protocol of October 2010. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) also makes mention of protecting plant varieties. The research suggests that one could use both Intellectual Property Rights and Sui Generis measures to address and secure protection of TK, and provide compensation to holders for the use of the intellectual property. / South Africa

Magister Legum - LLM / Traditional Knowledge (TK) is the long standing wisdom, teachings and practices of indigenous communities which have been passed on orally, in the majority of cases, from generation to generation. TK is expressed in the form, medicine, agriculture, understanding of the ecology, music, dance, stories, folklore, poetry, spiritual, cultural and artistic expressions, and knowledge relating to bio-diversity. This thesis focuses on plant bio-diversity, as part of TK, and the problem of bio-piracy. We attempt a definition of TK; its characteristics; possible measures that can be taken to ensure its protection; and challenges that are likely to be faced in seeking to ensure its protection, first at the global level, then with particular attention to South Africa. Some of the suggested measures include the enactment of sui generis laws to protect plant biodiversity, rather that the adaptation of the existing IP regime. Some of the challenges include unwillingness of some countries to participate in international initiatives, like the US, which is not even a signatory of the CBD, and the difficulty of identifying the persons in whom ownership of the TK should be vested when it is possessed by many communities.