IP

The history of intellectual property (IP) is closely interlinked with that of technology. Among the innovations that have disrupted our daily lives in the broadest sense – from how we keep in touch with others to how we shop, from how we meet our romantic partners to how we work and study – the emergence of the internet is likely to be regarded as the most relevant one. Naturally, IP has also been affected by and has sought to react to the novel issues that this new medium has been raising. Let’s go over some of them then!

Copyright … trapped in the net?

In the past couple of years, IP Helpline received a notable number of questions on the topic of copyright protection applied to artworks, old and new. Enquirers asked for example:

Online copyright infringement is a serious problem for the rights owners and for society as a whole. It deprives artists and creators of compensation for their work, and in the long run it may reduce the range of choices available to consumers.

Recognising this, the European Commission identified fighting this type of copyright infringement as one of the priorities in its IP Action Plan.

On 29 September 2021, the city of Banská Bystrica (Slovakia) became the fifth certified ‘Authenticity’, following the Authenticities of Thessaloniki, Sofia, Plovdiv and Mykonos.

Some people say that a hat contains thought because it covers the head.

Ever wondered what thoughts your hat contains? And do you change your opinion when you change your hat?

A hat can speak for itself. In the special kind of communication that fashion is, hats form a language without words.

The hats we choose to wear reveal things about us.