LAW5502 Intellectual Property Law — Unit 1: Introduction to Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Law

Unit 1: Introduction to Intellectual Property and Intellectual Property Law

1.1 Concept and Major Forms of Intellectual Property (IP)

IP = the law’s protection of the mind’s products — the creations of the intellect (the inventions, the works, the signs, the designs) given property’s exclusivity for a limited term. The forms’ family: the industrial property (the patents (U2), the industrial designs (U3), the trademarks (U4) — the Paris Convention’s genus) and the copyright-and-neighbouring rights (U5); the newer members: the geographical indications, the layout-designs of integrated circuits, the trade secrets, the plant-variety rights (U6); and the unfair-competition umbrella (U6.6). The constitutional anchor: Article 25’s property right includes the intellectual property (the verified constitutional reference — the IP within the fundamental property’s protection).

1.2 Philosophy and Theories of Intellectual Property

1.2.1 Labour Theory

Locke’s labour-desert (by name): the person who mixes labour with the common owns the product — the creator’s natural right to the mind’s harvest (the author’s-and-inventor’s sweat); the theory’s IP application (the creation’s entitlement) and its critics (the labour’s measure problem; the public’s commons).

1.2.2 Personality Theory

Hegel-and-Kant’s lineage (by name): the work as the person’s extended personality — the author’s will made object; the IP as the personality’s protection (hence the moral rights of U5.3.2 — the integrity-and-attribution as the person’s dignity); the theory’s fit for copyright (the intimate works) and its strain for the industrial-property’s commerce.

1.2.3 Utilitarian Theory

The incentives’ bargain (the Anglo-American engine): the exclusive right as the limited monopoly to incentivise the creation — and the creation’s disclosure-and-diffusion (the patent’s publish-to-protect trade); the theory’s constitutional faces (the US’s “progress clause” by name) and the TRIPS regime’s own logic; the balance’s art: the monopoly’s costs against the innovation’s-and-access’s gains (the public-domain’s defence).
The synthesis (the exam’s frame): the three theories converge-and-compete — the labour’s desert, the person’s dignity, the society’s incentive — the IP statute as their negotiated settlement.

1.3 Meaning, Nature, and Origin of Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs)

The IPR’s nature: the intangible property (the incorporeal — the right to exclude, not the thing’s possession); the territoriality’s rule (the national protection’s principle — each state’s grant within its borders (the Paris-Berne-TRIPS bridges notwithstanding)); the time’s bar (the limited terms (U2–U5’s clocks)); the statutory formality’s spectrum (the registration-dependent (patents-marks-designs) vs the automatic (copyright’s birth with the work)); the assignable-and-licensable character (the property’s alienability); and the dynamic balance’s nature (the exclusive-right vs the public-domain’s frontier — the law’s moving line).
The origin’s history: the privileges’ age (the Venetian-and-English patents-of-monopoly; the stationers’ copyright — the censorship’s unintended parent); the statutes’ modernisation (the Statute of Monopolies 1624-and-the Statute of Anne 1710 — by name, the twin foundations); the internationalisation (1.6.1’s line); and Nepal’s own line (1.6’s-and-U2–U5’s faces: the 1936-era’s first Patent, Design and Trademark Act under the Rana PM Juddha Shumsher; the current Patent, Design and Trademark Act, 2022 B.S. (1965) and the Copyright Act, 2059 (2002)).

1.4 Economic Value and Importance of Intellectual Property

The economics’ case (the exam’s list): (1) the innovation’s engine (the R&D’s-and-creation’s financing — the exclusivity’s revenue); (2) the brand’s-and-goodwill’s asset (the marks’-and-GIs’ value — the marketing’s shorthand); (3) the trade’s currency (the IP-and-FDI’s-and-technology-transfer’s faces — the Investment-Law (LAW5709, Semester 8)’s interface); (4) the creative economy’s livelihood (the copyright industries — the music-film-publishing-software); (5) the national competitiveness (the TRIPS-era’s development stakes — the LDC’s-and-the graduation’s faces (Nepal’s 2026-graduation interface)); and (6) the culture’s-and-heritage’s preservation (the TK-TCE-GR of U6.5 — the Nepali stakes: the ayurveda’s-and-the crafts’-and-the folk-arts’ worlds).

1.5 Concept and Sources of Intellectual Property Law

The sources’ stack: the national statutes (the PDT Act 2022 B.S.; the Copyright Act 2059; the supporting regimes (the unfair-competition faces of the Competition-and-consumer laws; the Contract Act’s faces for the licences)); the international treaties (1.6.2’s-and-each-unit’s instruments — the TRIPS’ direct reach through the WTO membership); the Treaty Act 2047’s domestication (the ratified-treaty-as-law (the Constitutional-Law’s interface)); the subordinate rules (the Department’s registration-procedures; the Copyright Registrar’s rules); and the case law (the Supreme Court’s IP line — the prescribed cases’ world; the doctrine’s slow build).

1.6 International Intellectual Property Regime for the Protection of Intellectual Property

1.6.1 Historical Development of Intellectual Property Laws

The international line: the 1883 Paris Union (the industrial property’s protection — the nationals’ treatment-and-the priority’s invention) and the 1886 Berne Union (the literary-and-artistic works’ protection — the automatic protection’s principle); the BIRPI-to-WIPO evolution (the 1967 Stockholm Convention’s organisation — the UN’s specialised agency (1974) of the International-Institutions world); the TRIPS 1994’s incorporation (the IP into the WTO’s trade-law — the enforcement’s teeth-and-the disputes’ court); the internet treaties’ layer (the WCT-WPPT 1996); and the development agenda’s modern era (the Doha-Declaration’s-and-the LDC’s flexibilities; the TK-GR’s instruments).

1.6.2 Major Conventions on IP (Paris Convention, Berne Convention, and WIPO Convention)

The Paris Convention 1883 (the industrial property’s constitution): the national treatment (the foreigners’ equality); the right of priority (the twelve-months’-patents-and-six-months’-marks-and-designs filing window — the first-filing’s worldwide respect); the common rules (the independence-of-patents; the marks’ protection-and-the well-known marks’ faces (Article 6bis); the unfair-competition’s duty); Nepal’s accession: in force for Nepal since 22 June 2001 (the verified record). The Berne Convention 1886 (the copyright’s constitution): the automatic protection (no-formalities’ principle); the national treatment; the minimum standards (the term’s life-plus-fifty floor; the translation-and-reproduction rights; the moral rights’ Article 6bis); Nepal’s accession: 2006 (the verified record). The WIPO Convention 1967 (the organisation’s charter): the promotion-of-IP’s mandate (the cooperation-the-registration-the-dispute services); Nepal’s membership: since 1997 (the verified record — the WIPO member-and-the Paris-Berne parties’ status).

1.6.3 Role and Functions/Objectives of WIPO and Significance of WTO: TRIPS Agreement

The WIPO’s role-and-functions (the exam’s list): the treaties’ administration (the Paris-Berne-and-the PCT-Madrid-Hague families); the registration services (the PCT’s-and-Madrid’s-and-the Hague’s international filings); the law’s development (the standing-committees’-and-the new-treaties’ negotiation); the technical assistance (the developing-and-LDC states’ capacity — Nepal’s engagement); the arbitration-and-mediation (the IP disputes’ ADR); and the information-and-economics (the statistics-and-studies). The TRIPS’ significance (the WTO’s annex): the minimum standards’ all-IP coverage (the patents’-copyrights’-marks’-GIs’-designs’-secrets’-semiconductor-and-variety rights — the U2–U6’s template); the national treatment-and-the MFN; the enforcement’s obligations (the civil-and-administrative-and-criminal procedures — the border measures; the IP-as-trade’s hard law); the disputes’ settlement (the WTO’s DSM — the trade-sanctions’ teeth); and the transition-and-flexibility regime (the LDC’s extended transition (the current-era extensions to the 2030s); the compulsory-licensing flexibilities (the health’s Doha faces)); Nepal’s TRIPS status: the WTO member since 23 April 2004 (the TRIPS-bound-with-the LDC’s flexibilities — the verified record).

Model Questions

1. Define intellectual property with its major forms. (10)
2. Explain the philosophical theories justifying intellectual property protection. (15)
3. Describe the nature and origin of IPRs. (10)
4. Discuss the roles and functions of WIPO and the significance of TRIPS. (15)
5. Trace the historical development of the international IP regime. (10)
6. Short notes: (a) Right of priority; (b) National treatment; (c) Statute of Anne; (d) LDC transition. (4×5)

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