From Venetian Glass to Contemporary Intellectual Property: Revisiting Tailored Patent Regimes (Book Review)

Abstract

This piece reviews Stefania Fusco's “Murano Glass Vase" and "Lessons from the Past." In Murano Glass Vase, Fusco recounts the history of the glassmaking industry in Venice, framing it as the natural experiment from which the patent system sprang into the world. Fusco emphasizes the mix of exclusionary rights and trade secrecy that formed the backbone of Venetian innovation policy against the backdrop of a heavily regulated and protectionist economy. In “Lessons from the Past,” Fusco draws on original research performed at the Venetian State Archives to further the Murano narrative by looking at how the Venetian government fueled an ad hoc patent regime across industries by tailoring it to specific technologies.

Keywords: patents, intellectual property, Venice, Italy, glass, glass industry, tailored regimes, Patent and Trademark Office, TRIPS Agreement