AN OVERVIEW OF THE IMPACT OF THE INTERNET ON INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS

Intellectual property rights are the rights which are guaranteed to the inventors\ creators to protect their interest of ownership over the creation of works which comes under the any branch of IP.But initially, the IP were not taken into account when designing the Internet.However, it has had revolutionary effects on all types of intellectual property, such as enabling numerous writers and publishers to reach new readers, enter new markets, and create new economic strategies.There is no denying that the Internet has had a major influence on the evolution of intellectual property laws, particularly those pertaining to copyright.In order to address a number of legally and technologically complex issues, court s and legislatures have had to modify established doctrines or create new ones.With a primary focus on copyright issues, this chapter examines significant advancements in US, European, and worldwide laws and other activities, but also briefly reviewing impacts on other forms of IP like trademarks, trade secrets, and patents, etc.