The new Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation (in force from May 1, 2004) signals a profound change in the nature of the regulatory framework for technology licensing under EU competition law. This book examines the new Regulation in detail, placing it in the wider context of: (i) the modernisation reforms of EC competition law; and (ii) the treatment of IP rights over technology more generally. The book also considers the approach to assessment of IP issues set out in the Guidelines that accompany the Regulation; the authors discuss their legal basis and, where appropriate, criticise the approach taken by the Guidelines where the legal basis is unsure.
This work examines the revised Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation and its accompanying guidelines. The new edition has been fully updated to analyze the changes that the new Guidelines have introduced to existing competition laws, including bilateral licensing. The text reflects on the application of the Technology Transfer Block Exemption Regulation since it was brought into force in 2004, and presents a number of significant developments and judgements in the application of Article 102 to technology licensing. The book includes a chapter on the application of Article 102 to patent agreements and the "patent wars." The new cases analyzed include the "pay for delay" cases such as Lundbeck and the cases where owners of Standard Essential Patents have attempted to obtain a higher than FRAND return by various means. Written by two leading authorities in the field, the work offers a timely examination of the revised EU competition law regime for intellectual property licensing.
This article discusses the changes made by the new block exemption regulation, Regulation 316/2014, to the analytical framework under EU competition law of technology transfer agreements. The new EU Technology Transfer regime introduces major modifications with respect to the analysis of grant-back provisions, technology pool licenses and provides significantly more powers to licensees to challenge the validity of licensed intellectual property rights. While these changes have been presented as minor modifications, they express significant concerns about patent thickets and licensees with weak bargaining positions and may have profound repercussions for the admissibility and enforceability of provisions included in new and existing licensing agreements.
This new Sixth Edition of a major work by the well-known competition law team at Van Bael & Bellis in Brussels brings the book up to date to take account of the many developments in the case law and relevant legislation that have occurred since the Fifth Edition in 2010. The authors have also taken the opportunity to write a much-extended chapter on private enforcement and a dedicated section on competition law in the pharmaceutical sector. As one would expect, the new edition continues to meet the challenge for businesses and their counsel, providing a thoroughly practical guide to the application of the EU competition rules. The critical commentary cuts through the theoretical underpinnings of EU competition law to expose its actual impact on business. In this comprehensive new edition, the authors examine such notable developments as the following: important rulings concerning the concept of a restriction by object under Article 101; the extensive case law in the field of cartels, including in relation to cartel facilitation and price signalling; important Article 102 rulings concerning pricing and exclusivity, including the Post Danmark and Intel judgments, as well as standard essential patents; the current block exemption and guidelines applicable to vertical agreements, including those applicable to the motor vehicle sector; developments concerning online distribution, including the Pierre Fabre and Coty rulings; the current guidelines and block exemptions in the field of horizontal cooperation, including the treatment of information exchange; the evolution of EU merger control, including court defeats suffered by the Commission and the case law on procedural infringements; the burgeoning case law related to pharmaceuticals, including concerning reverse payment settlements; the current technology transfer guidelines and block exemption; procedural developments, including in relation to the right to privacy, access to file, parental liability, fining methodology, inability to pay and hybrid settlements; the implementation of the Damages Directive and the first interpretative rulings. As a comprehensive, up-to-date and above all practical analysis of the EU competition rules as developed by the Commission and EU Courts, this authoritative new edition of a classic work stands alone. Like its predecessors, it will be of immeasurable value to both business persons and their legal advisers.
This authoritative book from one of the top experts in the field sets out a detailed and practical analysis of the complex and often fraught relationship between EU competition rules and intellectual property rights. It is an essential resource for competition lawyers litigating Tech and Pharma cases and advising companies in those sectors, for in-house counsel within those industries, and for IP lawyers needing to understand the competition aspects of licensing agreements. It is also an indispensable reference for courts, enforcement agencies and national competition authorities, as well as for scholars researching in the field.
Examining the general principles of liability and focusing on the concept of duty, this book provides reference for practitioners and academics. It considers key developments in legislation, including the Human Rights Act. It contains an analysis of case law with footnotes, and also considers legislative developments and their implications
This book provides the first comprehensive account of the New EU Competition Law: an emerging understanding of the discipline that breaks from the consensus of the early 2000s and that ventures into uncharted territories. Competition law has undergone fundamental transformations in the past decade, from the rise and fall of the 'effects-based approach' to the challenge of Big Tech and the growing interaction with intellectual property. Making sense of these changes and fully grasping their implications can be difficult. The book discusses the shift from traditional enforcement in the industrial era to the sort of intervention that a knowledge-based economy demands. It presents the changes that the field is undergoing (policy priorities, relationship with regulation and intangible assets, move away from efficiency and consumer welfare) and illustrates them by reference to the most significant developments. The analysis includes an up-to-date evaluation of the Digital Markets Act and addresses the application of EU competition law to key areas, including energy, pharma, telecommunications and online platforms. Conceived as a 'modular' book, practitioners and advanced students will find it useful as a map to navigate the underlying trends and as an in-depth dissection of the key case law and administrative practice of the past decade.
This book provides a detailed and highly expert treatment of the new Technology Transfer Regulation recently adopted by the European Commission. The reulation, which is of immense importance, will be of great interest to practitioners and in-house lawyers, particularly in the light of the recent new block exemption. The regulation has attracted strong opposition from industry and has wide ramifications. This makes the need for a book on the subject all the more compelling. Professor Korah, who is widely known for her work on Competition Law, is the leading expert on this subject.
The book deals with a difficult subject with an assured touch and will be a valuable text for postgraduate students, policy-makers and practitioners. European Intellectual Property Review This is the first ever book that addresses the important issue of the competition law, intellectual property and trade interface in a developing world context. The book s unique contribution is a set of comparative case studies on this complex interface. D. Daniel Sokol, University of Florida Levin College of Law, US The book investigates competition law and international technology transfer in the light of the TRIPS Agreement and the experience of both developed and developing countries. On that basis, it draws relevant implications for developing countries. Tu Thanh Nguyen argues that technology transfer-related competition law should be glocalized appropriately for the needs of local contexts, while intellectual property rights (IPR) are globalized. The book reveals that developing countries, according to the TRIPS Agreement, have the right to use domestic competition law to promote access to technology in order to protect national interests and consumer welfare. However, competition law is antitrust. It is neither anti-IPR nor anti-trade. The author finds that developing countries with limited competition law resources should set realistic priorities for the control of technology transfer-related anti-competitive practices. They can reasonably apply and adapt relevant regulations, decisions and judgments from developed country jurisdictions to their own circumstances. Competition Law, Technology Transfer and the TRIPs Agreement is a timely resource for postgraduate students, practitioners, and scholars in international competition law, IPR, and technology transfer. Policymakers in the field of technology transfer-related competition law/policy, especially in developing countries, will also find this book invaluable.
