Welcome to IPinSpace, the first blog in the universe devoted to all things space and intellectual property! I am your humble host and chief scribe, Andrew Rush. The first thing you’re probably wondering (besides “who is this guy with the quick last name?” which you can find a quick (naturally) answer to here) is “why space and intellectual property?” Excellent question, hypothetical reader! The long and the short of it goes a bit like this; intellectual property law impacts everything the light touches, including bleeding edge industries like commercial space exploration. In many respects IP, and law in general, is constrained by national borders carved in terra firma, wielded by individuals with a sometimes imperfect understanding of the tools (legal and physical) available to make things happen. I have chosen to focus on space, intellectual property, and the law generally in order to explore the interplay between these areas and (hopefully) provide you, the reader, with a better understanding of these subjects. Read the rest of this entry »