This book addresses several aspects of the law and economics of intellectual property rights (IPRs) that have been underanalyzed in the existing literature. The authors demonstrate that the core assumption of IPR regimes--that IPRs maximize certain social benefits over social costs by providing a necessary inducement for the production and distribution of intellectual products--has several important implications for the optimal design of remedies, the standard of care, and the law of standing and joinder.

This book addresses several aspects of the law and economics of intellectual property rights (IPRs) that have been underanalyzed in the existing literature. The authors demonstrate that the core assumption of IPR regimes--that IPRs maximize certain social benefits over social costs by providing a necessary inducement for the production and distribution of intellectual products--has several important implications for the optimal design of remedies, the standard of care, and the law of standing and joinder.

Nations throughout the world receive more patent applications, grant more patents, and entertain more patent infringement lawsuits than ever before. To understand the contemporary patent system, it is crucial to become familiar with how courts and other actors in different countries enable patent owners to enforce their rights. This is increasingly important, not only for firms that seek to market their products worldwide and for the lawyers who provide them with counsel, but also for scholars and policymakers working to develop better policies for promoting the innovation that drives...

In Patent Wars, one of America's leading patent scholars provides an accessible overview of U.S. patent law; the arguments for and against patents; and the ongoing debates over topics including the patentability of genes, software, and business methods, the impact of patents on drug prices, "patent trolls," and the smartphone wars.