Smith on the Law of Assignment

Smith on the Law of Assignment is the leading text on the law relating to intangible property or choses in action. It's clear and approachable structure covers all forms of intangible property: debts, rights under contract, securities, intellectual property, leases, rights/causes of action, and equitable rights. The book considers the nature of intangible property, how it comes into being, how it is transferred or assigned, the consequences of transfer, and the remedies of the dispossessed owner.

The book's approach is both analytical and practical. The first part of the book analyses the general principles regarding intangibles and their transfer. The book then examines the practical considerations relating to particular types of intangibles, securities, insurance contracts, leases and intellectual property under the law.

The fourth edition includes new chapters on dealing in litigation rights, in particular through collective proceedings, and considers the different regimes governing such proceedings. Other significant developments include expanded content on securities and their modes of transfer, enabling the creation of markets. The work contains fresh analysis of the distinction between tangible and intangible property and articulates where the law of property begins and the law of obligations ends. The fourth edition has also been updated with new material examining the nature of cryptocurrencies.