Perhaps more than any other field of law, intellectual property calls for illustration. That is because the history and, ultimately, the very meaning of IP law itself, is bound up with the inventions, artistic works, and trademark-bearing products at the heart of leading cases.
That’s why I’ve begun a project called The Museum of Intellectual Property. The aim of the museum is to serve as a resource for teachers, students, and scholars of IP law, and to preserve an important facet of legal history.
The museum’s collection currently includes some 100 physical artifacts that embody the patents, copyrights, and trademarks fought over in scores of lawsuits. Among the items: a Qualitex green-gold press pad cover, a Stiffel pole lamp, a Festo magnetic rodless cylinder, a Motorola SportsTrax pager, a theatre program for Abie’s Irish Rose, Gary Saderup’s print of the Three Stooges. In addition to the physical objects, there will also be audio specimens and digital images from still more cases.
Today, I am putting the museum online. I’ll roll out one exhibit at a time, debuting each as a post on this blog. The premiere exhibit page shows a dual-spring road sign from TrafFix Devices, Inc. v. Marketing Displays, Inc., 532 U.S. 23 (2001). The sign was a generous gift from TrafFix – for which I am very grateful.
I hope you find the museum interesting. If you have any comments or suggestions, I would be very glad to hear them.
I have a few things you might like...
Posted by: Ron Coleman | July 27, 2008 at 12:10 AM