IP Unpacked aims to provide insight about intellectual property (IP) and IP law, with brief posts about IP-related developments such as court decisions, legislation, and controversies that relate to IP, IP law, IP policy, or technology policy. IP Unpacked will also consider the mechanics of IP protection, such as how to identify IP and the IP rights (IPRs) that may be available to protect it, or the potential impacts of IP-related programs and policies. IP Unpacked will also indulge in rumination, speculation, geekiness, and feeble attempts at humor.
The name of this blog is a nod to a contemporary use of “unpacked” to mean analyzing a complex issue by taking out and examining components of the issue, and then considering how these components interact. Unpacking IP may include explaining legal components of an issue in a way that non-lawyers can understand, and/or explaining factual or technical components of an issue in a way that non-scientists can understand. Unpacking an IP issue may also turn up other components rooted in policy, economics, or history that add interesting twists and turns.
The audience for IP Unpacked is anyone interested in IP and IP law, specifically, in the interaction of law with technology and/or policy, e.g., in-house counsel, scientists, businesspeople, managers, non-IP attorneys, policy analysts, etc. You may want to read IP Unpacked if you:
- read about IP-related legal decisions or legislation and find yourself wanting more context and background to understand what happened
- want more explanation and background on law and/or technology and/or policy related to an IP-related development
- wonder how IP-related legal decisions or legislation may affect your technology sector
- want to develop a greater understanding of IP and how IP law works
- interact with IP specialists such as IP lawyers, patent agents, IP managers, and IP consultants.
IP Unpacked does not attempt to be an IP reporter providing summaries of court cases or legislative developments. Many blogs, websites, and law firms provide prompt, high-quality reporting and analysis, with useful links, e.g., Patently-O (patentlyo.com). IP Unpacked posts may consider just one aspect of an IP issue, or try to explain what led to a result, or speculate on possible impacts or alternative outcomes.
DISCLAIMERS IP Unpacked does not provide, offer, or contain any legal advice. IP Unpacked offers the personal views of the author(s) for informational purposes only. No attorney-client relationship is created by publication of IP Unpacked. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading IP Unpacked. Publication of IP Unpacked does not constitute attorney solicitation. Any material posted on IP Unpacked should be independently reviewed for accuracy and for relevance at the present time.