Human rights: in the real world

Legal context. The impact of human rights on intellectual property("IP"), particularly in the light of the Human Rights Act 1998and growing criticism of IP by civil society. Key points. There can be a greater legal, as well as political,role for human rights in the development of IP. The place ofhuman rights in IP litigation is established: see decisionsin Levi v Tesco, Ashdown v Telegraph and ITP v Coflexip. However,the impact of human rights has been limited to extreme peripheralcases, without challenging the central priority accorded tothe interests of IP owners. After considering practical applicationsin "non commercial", "hybrid" and "commercial" fields, thisarticle argues for a more pervasive and central role for humanrights, by greater reference to the Human Rights Act 1998, theEU Charter, international human rights instruments, TRIPS anddecisions of other jurisdictions. This should enable a morebalanced outcome to be reached in many, but not all, cases. Practical significance. IP owners, those challenging IP rights,and those advising them should all consider greater use of humanrights in IP litigation—not just in exceptional cases.Those resisting infringement may increase their prospect ofsuccess; those arguing for infringement will be better placedto counter arguments which may be raised. However, revisionof national, regional and international IP legislation wouldbe required to address all perceived social difficulties withIP.     

物权平等保护对和谐社会建设的促进作用之探析

《物权法》的一个最大的亮点是明确规定了物权平等保护的原则。即给予国家、集体和私人所有的物权以同等的法律保护。这一原则的规定对我国正在进行的和谐社会的建设具有重大的促进作用。体现了社会公平和正义,解决了社会矛盾,体现了民主、法治精神,为和谐社会建设提供了法律保障。     

Legal rights and communicable disease: AIDS, the police power, and individual liberty

The policy debate over AIDS has focused on how to balance the rights of individuals who have the disease against the rights of the public. This paper examines the nature of both sets of rights by analyzing the development of public health law and its dominant visions today. The article argues that while once public health rights implied a vast reserve of community authority and obligation to prevent illness, today the rights of the public and those of individuals are seen as being in opposition. Public health jurisprudence now presupposes that illness is primarily a matter of individual concern. In this view, the science of medicine mediates the relationship between the individual and the public. This understanding of rights protects some of the interests of infected individuals, but is inadequate for addressing many of the major problems raised by the AIDS epidemic, particularly the spread of infection among the uninfected.     

论担保物权的竞合——建构一种解决之道

担保物权的竞合,变称职物的提担保竞合,是指在同一标准上存在不同种类的担保物权,此时应以何类担保物权的效力优先的问题.然而对于这一问题,在《担保法》及其他法律中均没有作出规定.与此同时反观我国民法学界,对担保物权竞争合的研究几乎处于空白状态.司法实务中的法律缺席以及理论研究上的止步,于是以此为契机,我想通过本文写作以及对担保物权竞争合存在现象的研究,希冀能在理论上建构出一条最终解决之道.