Jefferson vs. the Patent Trolls: A Populist Vision of Intellectual Property Rights

A lawyer in northern Virginia, Matsuura examines Thomas Jefferson's perspective on both traditional forms of intellectual property and some of the more expansive and less formal versions of it. He says the early American politician's approach was practical rather than academic, because on one hand he both created and used intellectual property, and on the other was a public servant charged with protecting rights. He sets the stage by reviewing intellectual property disputes today. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Jeffrey H. Matsuura, former Director of the Program in Law and Technology at the University of Dayton School of Law, is currently counsel at the Alliance Law Group in Northern Virginia. He is the author of several books on intellectual property, technology, and law, including Managing Intellectual Assets in the Digital Age.