Emerging Issues in International Intellectual Property Law

International intellectual property protection is key to promoting technological progress, innovation and sustainable economic growth. Weak intellectual property protection or differing protection standards across jurisdictions create severe obstacles to international trade, investment and the global diffusion of innovation. Yet, states have divergent economic and non-economic interests that affect the application and interpretation of intellectual property law on the national level and create complex international legal challenges. A comprehensive academic debate from a truly global perspective on these increasingly important questions is missing. The 2025 Salzburg International Intellectual Property Conference, organised in a long-term co-operation of the University of Salzburg School of Law, the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law (Sacramento/USA), and the Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT) School of Law (Chennai/India) created a forum for exploring emerging issues of international IP law. The conference provided the unique opportunity to discuss pertinent questions of patent, trademark and copyright law among scholars, practitioners, and students from the Global North and the Global South. The volume presented herewith contains a carefully selected collection of contributions to the conference. They are authored by scholars in the Global North and the Global South and address topical issues in international intellectual property law, covering patent, trademark and copyright law, but also new issues, such as IP law and human rights, or IP law and international investment law. The volume reflects the stimulating and, at times, challenging discussions that characterized the conference, and offers valuable comparative perspectives while promoting greater mutual understanding across legal systems.