Resumen

SERRANO GOMEZ, Eduardo. Civil liability, punitive damages and intellectual property. Rev. IUS [online]. 2020, vol.14, n.46, pp.129-142.  Epub 02-Dic-2020. ISSN 1870-2147.

The application of the doctrine of punitive damages in the Spanish legal system has not been subject, until now, of the heated debates which, in contrast, have been generated by other legal institutions intended for implementation in Spain and other countries.

It is likely that this apparent absence of controversy is due to the fact that the majority of legal authors and researchers writing on this subject have tended to deny the possibility of its introduction into our legal system. However, some legal opinions on the matter doubt neither the benefits of its introduction nor its compatibility with the traditional frameworks which sustain our civil liability. Based on the previous idea, the main objective of the present study is to analyse whether the theory of punitive damages has effectively penetrated the area of Spanish civil law and, in particular, whether we can consider that it is covered in the nation’s copyright laws. In service to this aim, it is necessary to analyse the arguments for and against its introduction and, in particular, whether Article 140 of the Copyright Act covers this implicitly. It will also make reference to the question of non-material damages in this area.

Palabras llave : Intellectual property; tort law / right to damages; civil liability; punitive damages; defense and protection of copyright. Non-material damages.

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