How will intellectual property law adapt to the development of nanotechnology?
By Larry Berglas The recent furor over Napster.com facilitating copyright infringement, raises new questions about how intellectual property law concepts apply to uniqueness and originality and how commercial law concepts will apply to manufacturing, distribution and transactions in a world where anything can be assembled or replicated from molecular components–so-called nanotechnology. Nanotechnology–which includes the developing fields of nanoscience and nanoengineering–is defined by The American Heritage College Dictionary as “the science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules.” A nanometer is a measurement of a molecule, one billionth of a meter. The capability to manipulate molecules and atoms to create computers and machines that in turn can create other computers, machines and useful objects presents fresh and complex legal implications for the world’s societies. Government, Scientific and Educational Institutions Consider N
