David Johansson successfully defended his thesis on tort and intellectual property law at Uppsala University in 2020. Today, he works as senior lecturer at Karlstad Business School.
- Intellectual property law is the law that deals with the protection of, for example, trademarks, designs, patents and copyright, David Johansson explains, newly appointed senior lecturer at the Karlstad Business School. I wrote my thesis on common principles for intellectual property law when it comes to determining damages.
What is the most common form of trademark infringement?
- One form of infringement that often goes to court is piracy, says David Johansson. That is, when someone has deliberately used a design or logo to be able to sell fake versions of a product. It is also fairly common for companies to create products that end up being a little too similar to products from an already existing producer.
What attracted you to Karlstad Business School?
- I was happy in Uppsala but after I finished my doctoral degree I wanted to try something new. What drew me to Karlstad Business School was a vacancy for a senior lecturer in my field of study and the fact that the law programme at Karlstad Business School is still in progress. Even though the programme has passed the build-up phase, there is still a lot to do. I find that exciting, compared to a university where everything has been in place for ages. Even though I am primarily a researcher, the pedagogical part of education is just as fun. So having the opportunity to teach and a little more flexibility is very valuable to me.
Do you have any research projects scheduled for 2022?
-I specialise in intellectual property damages. I have two possible research tracks that I wish to explore. One is the sanction track, where you look at both prohibitions and damages – all sanctions in the field of intellectual property law put together. My niche in tort law is non-material damage, in other words, financial damage. This raises very exciting questions when it comes to calculating damages and how to determine compensation. The other area that interests me concerns issues related to damage and damages in general.
A few of my “old” fellow doctoral students and I are also coordinating an anthology in connection with the Tort Liability Act turning fifty in 2022. We will act as editors.
What are your expectations on Karlstad Business School?
- For me, moving to a new city is a big deal. It seems like a good environment and nice colleagues – committed teachers and researchers. The research environment is smaller than in Uppsala, but at the same time it is more jovial and there is a nice team spirit. That is the most important thing for me.
