Die Gemeinfreiheit. Begriff, Funktion, Dogmatik (The Public Domain. Theory, Functions, Doctrine)

Die Gemeinfreiheit. Begriff, Funktion, Dogmatik, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, 2012

349 Pages Posted: 8 Jul 2015

See all articles by Alexander Peukert

Alexander Peukert

Goethe University Frankfurt - Faculty of Law

Date Written: March 1, 2012

Abstract

German Abstract: Kunstwerke, Erfindungen, Designs und Produktbezeichnungen sind gemeinfrei, soweit sie nicht immaterialgüterrechtlich geschützt sind. Solche Güter gehören niemandem. Jedermann hat die gleiche Freiheit, sie zu jedem legalen Zweck zu benutzen. Auf der Basis einer Geschichte des Begriffs „Gemeinfreiheit“ werden in diesem Buchmanuskript die theoretischen Grundlagen des Rechtsgrundsatzes der Gemeinfreiheit erarbeitet. Dargelegt wird ferner, welche Funktionen der Gemeinfreiheit in einer offenen Wissensgesellschaft zukommen. Schließlich werden die verfahrens- und materiellrechtlichen Regelungen analysiert, in denen die Gemeinfreiheit ihren Niederschlag gefunden hat. Damit liegt erstmals eine Dogmatik der Gemeinfreiheit im deutschen und europäischen Privatrecht vor.

English Abstract: This book manuscript, originally published in 2012, explores the legal status of information that is not protected by intellectual property (IP) rights, i.e., the public domain (PD). The first two sections of the book develop a theory of the public domain. After a brief history of the concept, the meaning and scope of the public domain are specified. It is argued that the common legal basis of all dimensions of the public domain is the principle of equal negative liberty. PD information may be freely used by everyone under equal terms for every lawful purpose. That no-right status does not mean, however, that the public domain is devoid of legal relevance. In that regard, the third and main section of the book shows that the equal negative liberty to use PD information is indeed preserved by various legal institutions under current German and European Union law. These are presented within a comprehensive legal doctrine of the public domain, which has a negative and a positive dimension. The “negative” approach to the public domain calls upon public authorities to limit the scope of IP protection. The “positive” approach concerns cases where private actors transgress the outer limits of IP protection and claim rights where there are none. With regard to these latter cases, the book discusses procedural and substantive law provisions that aim at preserving a lively public domain.

Note: Downloadable document is in German.

Suggested Citation

Peukert, Alexander, Die Gemeinfreiheit. Begriff, Funktion, Dogmatik (The Public Domain. Theory, Functions, Doctrine) (March 1, 2012). Die Gemeinfreiheit. Begriff, Funktion, Dogmatik, Mohr Siebeck, Tübingen, 2012, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2627191

Alexander Peukert (Contact Author)

Goethe University Frankfurt - Faculty of Law ( email )

Frankfurt
Germany

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