The world comes to Glasgow

After a spell where it seemed that not so much was happening in our areas (or maybe I was just preparing papers..), the Society of Legal Scholars conference in Glasgow was a real wake up call. A reminder of the values of getting together with colleagues, exchanging ideas and becoming aware of possible new avenues of research.

My own paper was in fact an example of the perils of this, as a few thoughts after a conference earlier in the year led to a roller coaster journey through theories of regulation, innovation and political science, before I concluded that the positive aspects of IP, some form of encouragement of innovation, could not be dealt with by an Innovation Regulator. (Well it seems obvious now..) My working paper will shortly be available on our project website.

Other interesting papers were an overview of software patents by Technollama's Andres Guadamuz, Rob Heverley of East Anglia/Norwich's exploration of law as intermediary in influencing in advance creativity and conduct (I never got to ask him how that tied in with interim interdicts /injunctions and hope to do so at some point), and an insightful analysis by Christopher Stother of Milbank Tweed and Cambridge of the continued objection to parallel importing, and hence the imposition of private barriers to trade, while at least lip service continues to be paid to the need to dispose of public barriers.

All this, and in my home town where it didn't rain all the time!