Cambridge Handbook of Intellectual Property in Central and Eastern Europe: (Cambridge Law Handbooks)

Intellectual property law faces serious challenges worldwide, with many in the international community arguing that the law fails to provide much-needed support for either individual rights or the public interest in the technological environment. The Cambridge Handbook of Intellectual Property in Central and Eastern Europe offers a novel look at intellectual property issues through the lens of the post-socialist and transitional experience in Central and Eastern European countries. Contributors include both recognized and emerging leaders in their jurisdictions of interest, and experts on US, European Union, and international law. Taken together, they offer a thought-provoking critique of current approaches and build a compelling case for cogent policymaking. This important work reflects the formative experiences of a difficult history, demonstrating the courageous optimism of scholars in a region that has repeatedly overcome the challenges of the past, while consistently looking to its authors and innovators for leadership and inspiration.

Table of Contents:
1. General introduction – intellectual property in Central and Eastern Europe: a new era of post-socialist transition Mira T. Sundara Rajan; 2. The patent system in pre-1989 Czechoslovakia Marketa Trimble; 3. The development of Hungarian copyright law until the creation of the First Copyright Act (1793–1884) Péter Mezei; 4. Moral rights and the cultural aspects of Hungarian copyright law: 1945–2000 Péter Munkacsi; 5. The Polish struggle with the concept of copyrightable work – a brief look at the history and contemporary issues Tomasz Rychliski and Grzegorz Pacek; 6. Comparing concepts of originality in EU, Lithuanian, and US law: photographs, news clips, databases, plot lines, TV formats, and other new uses of copyright works Azuolas Cekanavicius and Lois Fishman; 7. The comparative lessons of Itar-Tass Russian News Agency v Russian Kurier Peter Yu; 8. Communication to the public under union law from the perspective of Austrian and German copyright law – a notion in transition Michel M. Walter; 9. Collective management of copyright in Hungary Gabor Faludi; 10. Exceptions and limitations: a consideration of copyright theory and practice in the Czech Republic Matěj Myška; 11. Digitization of Czech cultural heritage and new forms of information exclusivity Radim Polcak; 12. The treatment of authors' moral rights in Georgia Nino Tsaturova; 13. Performers' rights – a Central European export Rudolf Leška; 14. The white elephant in the room: implications of the digital single market strategy for film and television distribution in the Czech Republic Pavel Zahradka and Petr Szczepanik; 15. A Central and Eastern European perspective on EU copyright reform: the case of Lithuania Rita Matulionyte; 16. The painter, the one horn cow and ole Hank Wilson's back lot – the future of library digitization in Hungary and the European Union Péter Mezei; 17. Does paying innovative employees pay off? A brief look at Czech and Slovak IP law on employee remuneration Vojtěch Chloupek; 18. Intellectual property rights in Albania: the 'B-52 energy drink' trademark case Viola Prifti and Denisa Asko; 19. The protection of geographical indications for agricultural products in the European Union Natalie Nathon; 20. Legal protection of the traditional knowledge and traditional cultural expressions of the indigenous peoples of the former Soviet Union Michael Newcity; Index.

About the Author :
Mira T. Sundara Rajan is a Canadian law professor who developed an interest in intellectual property in post-socialist countries while completing her DPhil at the University of Oxford. She has held professorships in the UK and Canada, including the Canada Research Chair in Intellectual Property Law, and her visiting appointments include Stanford University, California and New York University. She is a leading expert on copyright law.

Review :
'A dazzling collection of expert insights into intellectual property in the post-socialist order of Central and Eastern Europe. An important contribution to the comparative law of intellectual property in transition.' Paul Goldstein, Lillick Professor of Law, Stanford University, California