[Whitepaper] IP and politics: The intersect between intellectual property and political campaigns

Intellectual property (IP) permeates our entire social construct, including politics. In this white paper, we explore the tension between IP and political campaigns.

Outside the world of sports, few events in our daily lives get more attention than the battles in the political arena at election time. Given the high stakes of political campaigns, politicians leave no stone unturned to capture the hearts and minds of the electorate, and few things resonate more with the public than works of art or brand identities. IP rights safeguard the creativity of artists and brand owners from third parties seeking to capitalise on their resonance with the public. Throw in freedom of speech, licensing deals between artists and performance rights organisations, the shift of the political battlefield to social media, and it makes for an explosive cocktail. Outside the political sphere, there are also broader lessons that can be drawn by any organisation with intangible assets to protect.

In this white paper, we explore the tension between IP and political campaigns, examining conflicts that can emerge, including the Obama "Hope” poster, Bruce Springsteen's pushback against political use of his music, and the IKEA v Vlaams Belang dispute. We analyse how political campaigns and figures navigate, leverage and monetise IP rights, and what lessons brand owners can draw from these cases.