1. Intellectual property law: an introduction

This chapter provides an accessible introduction to intellectual property (IP) law. It provides and challenges some definitions of intellectual property law and IP itself. It discusses the development of IP law as a field of study in an increasingly global context and presents a realistic view of the law as it actually operates; the relationships between different levels of IP law—at national, European, European Union, and international levels; the various influences on the formation, justifications for, and development of IP law including between IP law and other legal fields; and the tensions that arise from different perspectives when the law seeks to protect IP.