The idea of a patent stems from the long history throughout the industrial revolution with a man named James watt and his invention. As said in the reading ‘An introduction to intellectual property’, the idea of a patent stems from long ago, however, the idea of a patent is most definitely a “contemporary issue”.
Nike vs Adidas, “ice ice baby” vs “Under Pressure” and the satirical McDonalds vs Hungry Jacks with the recent announcement of the ‘Big Jack’, are examples of the fragile nature of copyright and the patent. These massive companies now use the patent as protection from competitors stealing their ideas.
This idea is substantial in the world of music in particular. Music is produced and distributed all over the internet, yet, where do you draw the line for what can be used and what comes down to a copyright infringement?
This has created the idea of copyright-free music which allows aspiring creators to use ‘type beats’ or music stemming from a similar genre.
James Muggeridge 