The Rationale of the System and the Diversity of the Forms of Protection

• Author: Rémi Lallement
• Profession: Charge of Mission (policy analyst), France Stratégie, France
• Pages: 1-12

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The Rationale of the System and the

Diversity of the Forms of Protection

Before going back to the fundamental reasons that account for how

intellectual property rights have been established, we need to outline a

few reminders of the origins of the intellectual property system.

1.1. Going back to the origins and goals of intellectual

property law

When were intellectual property rights established and which

fundamental need does intellectual property meet in terms of

innovation?

1.1.1. Some historical points of reference

The need to adopt an intellectual property system has been felt for

a long time, as a short historical contextualization focused on a few

key stages can illustrate. The history of patent systems started in

Europe during the period between the Renaissance and the end of the

18th Century. The first law on patents as exclusive right conferred to

an inventor dates back to 1474 in the Republic of Venice and provided

protection for a period of up to ten years [GUE 07]. The actual turning

point was in England in 1623-4, when the Parliament passed a

“Statute of Monopolies” that limited the royal power to create

monopoly rights to patents. Over the following two centuries, this text

Intellectual Property and Innovation Protection: New Practices and New Policy Issues,

First Edition. Rémi Lallement.

© ISTE Ltd 2017. Published by ISTE Ltd and John Wiley & Sons, Inc.