THE COPYRIGHT MIXTURE IN A MIXED LEGAL SYSTEM:
Fit for Human Consumption?

This paper examines the interaction of common law and civil law systems in the field of intellectual property law, particularly with regard to copyright and authors’ rights. The primary focus is upon the United Kingdom as a member of the European Community, although the discussion extends beyond those confines. In Europe, of course, the subject is inextricably bound up in the European Commission’s project to harmonize intellectual property law, so that national differences do not ‘impede the free movement of goods and freedom to provide services, and … distort competition of the internal market [and] the smooth operation of the internal market’ (Recital (2) of the Term Directive (1993)).