Intellectual Property and the Design of Nature

Intellectual property law has been interacting with nature for over two centuries. Despite this long history, this relationship has largely been ignored. Intellectual Property and the Design of Nature fills this gap by bringing together scholars from different disciplines to examine the important role that nature plays in intellectual property law. Based on the idea that many contemporary issues require a better understanding of these historical interactions, the book reflects on the ways intellectual property law has engaged with and understood nature in the past. The varied contributions show how the relationship between nature and intellectual property law is often more complex, permeable, and porous than is commonly recognized. Intellectual Property and the Design of Nature demonstrates the complex and changing role that nature has played in the history of intellectual property law. Each of the chapters casts a new light on these connections. A compelling read for everyone interested in exploring new perspectives in the field of intellectual property.

1 - Vegetable Genius: Organic Figures of Originality
2 - Denaturing Bacteria: The Sewage Patent Controversy and Biotechnology
3 - The Essence of Biology: Tomatoes, Broccoli, and European Patents on Native Plant Traits
4 - Intellectual Property's Antecedent: Seed Law and the Regulation of Biological Materials in British Colonial Gambia
5 - Some Outlandish Legal Tales: The Debate over Plant Propagation
6 - Novelties, Frauds, and Protections: The Seed and Nursery Business in Nineteenth-century America
7 - Brands Matter: Nature, Economy, and the Gift
8 - Copyright, Nature, and Travel Narratives: Publishing Cook's Voyages
9 - Artificial Flowers: Plastic Nature, Synthetic Biology
10 - Modified Pearl Oysters and Repeatable Peaches: Cultivation, Invention, and the Laws of Nature in Twentieth-century Japan
11 - Scientific Activism and Intellectual Property: How UK-based Agroecologists and Plant Synthetic Biologists have Challenged the Status Quo
12 - Creating New Values in Animals in the Era of Mendel's Rediscovery
13 - Conceptualizing Nature as Information: Rendering South Asian Genetic Resources and Associated Knowledge Searchable and Legible

Jose Bellido is Reader in Law at the University of Kent. He is particularly interested in the history of intellectual property law and has additional research interests in legal theory, evidence and legal history. Brad Sherman is Professor of Law and ARC Laureate Fellow at the University of Queensland. He previously held positions at Griffith University, University of Cambridge, and London School of Economics.