Key Issues
Intellectual Property
The emergence of the Internet has forced legislators, intellectual property holders, and activists to rethink the way intellectual property laws should operate in a modern networked society. The range of new technologies and the speed of innovation raises issues for patent law; the domain name system is now inextricably linked with trademark law; and the ease with which digital technologies allow copying and distribution challenges copyright law to catch up with a changing world.
Concepts and questions
Global Internet Policy Initative (GIPI)
GIPI is a "network or networks" started to collect resources on intellectual property and promote best practices in this complex and political field.
- Overview of Intellectual Property Rights issues related to the Internet
- Building National Legislative Frameworkds based on International Copyright Law (PDF: 435KB)
World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO)
WIPO is a specialized agency of the United Nations. It was established in 1967 to "promote the protection of IP throughout the world through cooperation among states and in collaboration with other international organizations". As the Internet grew to be an essential part of the business world, ICANN turned to WIPO to develop a mechanism for resolving resolve domain name disputes, particularly within an international environment. In 1999, ICANN adopted the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) for all ICANN-accredited registrars of Internet domain names.
