Wow! eBook
The Cambridge Handbook of Intellectual Property and Upcycling
Author(s): Péter Mezei (Editor), Heidi Härkönen
- Publisher: Cambridge University Press
- Publication Date: June 11, 2026
- Language: English
- Print length: 410 pages
- ISBN-10: 1009685104
- ISBN-13: 9781009685108
Book Description
Upcycling is an emerging green business model that involves transforming broken, old, useless or worn-out products into new items. Despite its importance to the circular economy, upcycling involves certain risks relating to intellectual property (IP) law. This research handbook analyses the meaning and promise of upcycling in a circular economy, as well as the fundamental conceptual elements of this phenomenon. It provides a systematic collection of chapters on the potential relevance of upcycling in all major areas of IP law. It also takes a geographical approach, including six chapters that primarily cover the policy considerations of upcycling on all inhabited continents. Furthermore, it addresses fields of science with either indirect or loose connections to IP and upcycling, such as economic, psychological, and social justice issues. The book supports upcycling at doctrinal, practical, and policy levels, and suggests measures to align the IP system with the objectives of the circular economy.
Editorial Reviews
Book Description
This book addresses comprehensively the intellectual property law aspects of upcycling that are vital to the circular economy.
About the Author
Péter Mezei is professor at the University of Szeged (Hungary), adjunct professor (dosentti) at the University of Turku (Finland), chief researcher at Vytautas Magnus University (Lithuania) and professor invité at the Université Jean Moulin Lyon III (France). He coordinates the Comparative Intellectual Property Law LLM of the University of Szeged, and the joint IP LLM of the Technical University of Dresden and University of Szeged on the Szeged side. He focuses on comparative law, and comparative, digital, International and European copyright law. He is a member of the European Copyright Society and the Hungarian Copyright Expert Board.
Heidi Härkönen is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Turku Faculty of Law, Finland. She was awarded an honorary Adjunct Professorship in the field of fashion law in 2025. Her research focus is on using law as a tool to shape the fashion industry towards holistic fairness and sustainability. Prior to her law studies, she studied fashion design. She is an active non-commercial fashion designer and an upcycler. She has received numerous awards and nominations for her fashion law research, for example: distinguished early-career researcher award 2022, Finland’s nomination for the most promising young Nordic private law scholar 2024.
