LibGuides: International Intellectual Property Research Guide: Laws of Int'l Bodies, National Laws

International Patent Law - Primary Sources

International Patent Law consists of:

1. International Law - treaties, the law of multinational bodies, AND
2. The patent law of individual nations.

See the sources below, as well as the tab "Country by Country IP Law"

Also see the tabs on the left for sources specific to Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, and Trade Secrets.

Laws of Multinational Bodies

See links to international intellectual property offices and IGOs (Intergovernmental Organizations), such as the World Trade Organisation, European Patent Organisation, etc. to find laws promulgated by these bodies.

Databases for IP Primary Law Worldwide

WipoLex
Search for intellectual property (IP) laws and regulations, WIPO-administered treaties and IP‑related treaties, and IP judgments.
World Intellectual Property Rights and Remedies - Westlaw
Commentary for each country plus primary laws

IP Law Cases

Look at the box below this one for what is on Lexis, and Westlaw

Also see the tabs on the left for sources specific to Patents, Copyrights, Trademarks, and Trade Secrets.

Internet Sources for IP Case Law (from WIPO)
USCS - International Conventions
Case annotations for cases interpreting selected treaties to which the U.S. is a party.
UNCTAD Case Law Database: Intellectual Property and Public Health
"Summaries of notable judgments adopted by national or regional judicial organs of the members of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The summaries have been developed with a view to support a better understanding of key intellectual property issues that relate to access to medicines."
U.S. International Trade Commission Administrative Law Judge Decisions
via Lexis. Per their website, the U.S. International Trade Commission "Investigate [s]and make determinations in proceedings involving imports claimed to injure a domestic industry or violate U.S. intellectual property rights."
U.S. International Trade Commission Decisions via Lexis

How do I find information on the laws and governments of other countries?

If you need more on the laws of other countries ...

Foreign Law Guide
Accesssible in the Law Building Only.. Foreign Law Guide is a source for primary and secondary sources of foreign law from nearly 200 jurisdictions. It contains information from major nations to crown colonies, semi-independent states and supra-national regional organizations. Hundreds of URLs containing reprints or translations of legislation are cited. [Available for School of Law students, faculty, and staff IN THE LAW BUILDING ONLY.]

The following websites contain information on foreign legal systems as well as links to key legal materials. This includes cases, legislation, constitutions and other key legal materials. Most of these sites allow you to search countries alphabetically. These lists are quite comprehensive. You should have no problem finding research guides for most countries.

GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guides by Country
Click on Foreign Law Research, then select the country you are researching.
Law Library of Congress Guide to Law Online: Nations
Contains links to legal documents, information on government structure and research links.
JuriGlobe
Provides information about world legal systems, including classifications.
American Society of International Law: Electronic Resource Guide
Country-by-Country Guide to Foreign Legal Research
World Legal Information Institute
Government Gazettes Online

Major Platforms: Lexis, Westlaw

While these databases contain mostly U.S. law, they have some international and foreign content:

Lexis International Law Tab
From Explore Content on first page of the Lexis research system, click on the International tab. Laws by country and region, as well as global regulations. Has case databases for the European Union and about 13 countries.
Lexis Practice Areas
Mostly U.S. Law
From the first screen of the Lexis research system, click on Practice Area. There are practice areas for copyright, patent, trade secrets, and trademark law.
Lexis International Law Practice Area
Mostly U.S. law pertaining to international law. For example cases from U.S. courts interpreting international law.
From the first screen of the Lexis research system, click on Practice Area, then select International Law.
Westlaw International Materials
Includes European Union materials, and materials for a limited number of countries.