Book Review – Intellectual Property: A Global Directory of Acronyms and Abbreviations

Intellectual Property: A Global Directory of Acronyms and Abbreviations, by Jon R. Cavicchi. William S. Hein & Co., Inc., 2012, 392 pages. Hardcover, $62, ISBN 9780837738086.

It is refreshing but rare to find a source as useful as Intellectual Property: A Global Directory of Acronyms and Abbreviations that can be purchased without breaking one’s library budget. This valuable reference work contains more than 4,000 forward and reverse listings related to intellectual property (IP), which includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, trade secrets, rights of publicity, unfair competition, cultural and moral rights, and related areas. Entries are arranged alphabetically, and terms run the gamut from “A & E Pat Cas” (American and English Patent Cases) to “PPV” (Protection of Plant Varieties) to “RIAA” (Recording Industry Association of America) to “ZIMRA” (Zimbabwe Music Rights Association). 

The book is divided into two main parts. Part I, the forward listings, allows searchers to find the meanings of abbreviations and acronyms. Part II, the reverse listings, allows users to find abbreviations and acronyms for titles, terms, and names as they are used in legal literature. A few pages of foreign entries are listed separately.

Author and IP Librarian Jon R. Cavicchi spent a year researching thousands of print and electronic sources to compile this exhaustive resource. He has done an exemplary job of assembling this very handy and portable book. Most importantly, it is fairly priced and probably affordable to everyone. Intellectual Property: A Global Directory of Acronyms and Abbreviations should find a place in every legal library.    

Donna M. Fisher (dfisher@senniger.com) is a law librarian at Senniger Powers LLP in St. Louis.