By invitation only.
Intellectual property (IP) law rests on a particular ontology regarding its subject matter. According to this ontology exclusive IP rights pertain to intangible goods: inventions, works of literature and the arts, designs, trademarks, etc. The notion of ‘intangible goods’ came under attack in Scandinavian legal doctrine in the early years after World War II and the view that it is a legal fiction has prevailed in Scandinavia ever since.
Recently, Professor Alexander Peukert, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, discusses the traditional ontology of intellectual property in a draft article, questioning its validity.
In parallel, Professor Ole-Andreas Rognstad, UiO, has written an article (to be published in Tidsskrift for Rettsvitenskap 5/2016) about the ‘object functions’ in IP law, where he inter alia warns against drawing too wide conclusions from the common Scandinavian view that IP rights do not relate to an object.
In the workshop Professor Peukert and Professor Rognstad present their articles and the ontology and structure of intellectual property, including their implications, will be discussed.