A Research Framework for Intellectual Property and Environmental Law

The intersection of the fields of Intellectual Property Law (IPL) and Environmental Law (EL) is a multi-dimensional space requiring consideration not only of specialized areas and topics within each of these fields, but also of general law principles and a variety of approaches to analysis and critique. This chapter seeks to situate some methodologies for research at the intersection of IPL and EL within a broader context of methodological analyses that are brought to law and legal problems. These methodological forms include historical, doctrinal, theoretical, empirical (often economic, psychological, and sociological), and other types of analyses (including public choice theory and big data analyses). Nevertheless, I hope to note some unique aspects of how the two fields of intellectual property and environmental law exhibit common features and synergies, making for very fertile and productive research addressing very important social problems