Constructing Intellectual Property

434 Pages·2012·2.381 MB·English

by  Alexandra George

CONSTRUCTING INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
What is ‘intellectual property’? This book examines the way in which this
important area of law is constructed by the legal system. It argues that intel-
lectual property is a body of rules, created by the legal system, that regu-
lates the documented forms of abstract objects, which are also dei ned into
existence by the legal system. Intellectual property law thus constructs its
own objects of regulation, and it does so through the application of a collec-
tion of core concepts. By analyzing the metaphysical structure of intellectual
property law and the concepts the legal system uses to construct ‘intellectual
property’, this book sheds new light on the nature of this fascinating area of
law. It explains anomalies between social and intellectual property uses of
concepts such as authorship – here dubbed ‘creatorship’ – and originality, and
it helps to explain the role of intellectual property from a structural (rather
than the traditional normative) perspective.
Dr. Alexandra George is a Senior Lecturer in Law at the University of New
South Wales, Australia. She is the editor of the book G lobalization and
Intellectual Property (2006), and her works have been published in numer-
ous journals, including Oxford Journal of Legal Studies , Res Publica , Archiv
f ü r Rechts- und Sozialphilosophie , Santa Clara Journal of International Law ,
UTS Law Review , Journal of Brand Management , and S ydney Law Review .
Her main areas of scholarly interest are the applied legal philosophy of
intellectual property, globalization, and international intellectual property
law and policy, as well as issues concerning copyright piracy and trademark
counterfeiting.

Constructing
Intellectual Property
Alexandra George
University of New South Wales
cambridge university press
Cambridge, New York, Melbourne, Madrid, Cape Town,
Singapore, S ão Paulo, Delhi, Mexico City
Cambridge University Press
32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473, USA
www.cambridge.org
Information on this title: www.cambridge.org/9781107014619
© Alexandra George 2012
This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception
and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements,
no reproduction of any part may take place without the written
permission of Cambridge University Press.
First published 2012
Printed in the United States of America
A catalog record for this publication is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication data
George, Alexandra.
Constructing intellectual property / Alexandra George.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-107-01461-9 (hardback)
1. Intellectual property – Philosophy. I. Title.
K1401.G46 2012
346.04′8–dc23 2011030302
ISBN 978-1-107-01461-9 Hardback
Cambridge University Press has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs
for external or third-party Internet websites referred to in this publication and does not
guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
To my parents,

Charles and Elizabeth George

Brief Contents

1. I ntroduction page 1
2. T he Diffi culty of Defi ning ‘Intellectual Property’ 31
3 . T he Metaphysics of Intellectual Property 81
4 . I ntellectual Property’s Core Criteria 137
5. ‘ Family Resemblance’ and Intellectual Property 2 55
6. C oncluding Remarks 329

vii

Contents
List of Figures page xvi
Acknowledgements xix
List of Authorities xxi
List of Abbreviations xxvii
1. I ntroduction 1
1.1. An Intellectual Property Fairy Tale 2
1.2. Drawing Analogies and Questioning Assumptions 7
1.2.1. Assumptions About the Existence of
Intellectual Property 8
1.2.2. Assumptions About the Authority of
‘Intellectual Property’ 9
1.2.3. Compliance with Assumptions and Social
Norms 11
1.3. Exploring the Nature of Intellectual Property 15
1.4. Structure of This Book 15
1.4.1. Overview of the Argument 15
1.4.2. Introduction 17
1.4.3. What Is ‘Intellectual Property’? (Chapter 2) 17
1.4.4. The Metaphysics of Intellectual Property
(Chapter 3) 18
1.4.5. Intellectual Property’s Core Criteria
(Chapter 4) 18
ix