This authoritative new work analyses European plant intellectual property rights. Whilst the focus of the work is on Europe, and in particular the European Patent Convention, the Council Regulation on Community Plant Variety Rights and the EU Directive on the Legal Protection of Biotechnological Inventions, these provisions are discussed within the context of international legislation, including the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPs) and the Convention on Biological Diversity. It is the first book to look at the impact of plant intellectual property rights on the European plant breeding industry and assess whether recent developments, such as the Novartis decision, will assist plant breeders, from all sectors of plant breeding activities, in the production of new plant products. In addition to a thorough discussion of the legislation, the book includes unique empirical research results obtained by the authors as part of a two-year research project funded by the European Union, which surveyed attitudes towards, and use of, plant intellectual property rights within the European plant breeding community.
The second edition of this popular textbook has been thoroughly revised, expanded and updated in order to reflect the recent extensive changes in European IP legislation. Providing an in-depth examination of the core areas of IP law, from copyright, patents and trademarks through to the protection of plant varieties and industrial design, it is perfectly pitched to guide the reader through the complexities of the European IP system.
The third edition of this authoritative guide to the European Community plant variety protection system combines comprehensive explanation of the system with practical guidance on obtaining and enforcing protection.
European Intellectual Property Law offers a full account of the main areas of substantive European intellectual property law - including the law of copyright and related rights, patents and plant variety rights, trademarks, design rights, and rights in data and information.
'This clearly-written and comprehensive text, by two leading scholars of European intellectual property law, is extremely adaptable. It is a perfect platform for classroom teaching, and is also a fine resource for those researching in what is becoming an increasingly complex field.' – Graeme B. Dinwoodie, University of Oxford, UK 'This hybrid volume, part commentary, part primary sources, with questions to stimulate further thinking, serves both as a teaching tool and as a manual for lawyers who seek a comprehensive overview of EU intellectual property law. The book aims at a generalist legal audience, with very a helpful précis of international law, including the major multilateral treaties, as well as a summary of the EU legal framework that non-Europeans will find highly useful. The authors explore the full range of traditional and emerging IP rights. They also provide in-depth analysis of remedies and of the international private law issues that increasingly arise in contemporary complex IP litigation.' – Jane Ginsburg, Columbia Law School, US The first of its kind, this textbook has been carefully designed to give students and non-specialist practitioners a clear understanding of the fundamentals of European intellectual property law. Providing a comprehensive overview of both community IP rights, and areas of IP law that have been harmonised, and supported by judicious use of extracts from the most significant source material, the book assists the reader in navigating through the increasingly complex European IP system. European Intellectual Property Law deals with European patent, trade mark and copyright law copyright, as well as with adjacent areas such as protection of plant varieties, geographical indications, industrial design, competition law, enforcement, and private international law, with a focus on the most relevant case law to be found in those areas. Key Features: • Written by two of the leading authorities in European IP law • Concise and readable style • Extracts from key source material • Questions designed to stimulate thinking around legal problems • Coverage of related areas adjacent to IP • Offers an overview on international IP protection and the interrelation between European law and IP law in general. This detailed book is designed for all courses on European intellectual property, whether basic or advanced, as well as for practitioners looking for a comprehensive and concise overview on the structure and content of European IP law.
The study provides an overview of the international intellectual property system regulating plant varieties. It identifies the essential features of this system, including the policies supporting the grant of intellectual property rights (IPRs) and the societal objectives in tension with IPRs, the institutions that have shaped the international intellectual property system, and the basic components contained in the relevant international treaties. The study aims to set forth regulatory options for national governments to protect plant varieties while achieving other public policy objectives relating to plant genetic resources.
This fully updated book offers a compact and accessible account of EU intellectual property (IP) law and policy. The digital age brings many opportunities, but also presents continuing challenges to IP law as the EU’s programme of harmonisation unfolds. As well as addressing the main IP rights (copyright, patents, designs, trade marks and related rights), the book also considers IP’s relationship with the EU’s rules on free movement of goods and competition, as well as examining the enforcement of IP rights. Taking account of numerous changes, this timely second edition covers the substantive provisions and procedures which apply throughout the EU, making extensive reference to the case law. The author considers how the exploitation of IP is increasingly global; harmonisation, in contrast, is only partial, even at the EU level. In response, the book sets EU IP law in its wider international context. It also seeks to highlight policy issues and arguments of relevance to the EU, in its relations both within the Union and with the rest of the world. Designed as a compact and approachable account of these difficult and technical areas, and with advice on further reading and research, this unique book is useful both as a work of reference and for more general study. It is essential reading for postgraduate students, academic researchers and legal practitioners alike.
Now in its third edition, Intellectual Property in Europe covers the entire range of laws and regulations affecting IP in Europe. The third edition covers developments such as: the modern approach to competition and intellectual property including a full analysis of the essential facilities doctrine ; the Technology Transfer Block Exemption ; recent ECJ, CFI and Boards of Appeal decisions ; OHIM and national courts in the field of designs ; 'Roche v Primus' and 'GAT v LUK'.
This book is the first to provide a detailed and critical account of the emergence, development, and implementation of plant variety protection laws in Asian countries. Each chapter undertakes a critical socio-legal analysis of one or more legal frameworks to understand, evaluate, and explore the concerns of diverse national stakeholders, the histories and dynamics of law-making, and the ways in which plant variety protection and seed certification laws interact with local agricultural systems. The book also assesses how Asian countries can capitalise on the ‘unused policy space’ in international agreements such as the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights and the International Convention for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants, as well as international obligations beyond these, such as those contained in the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Plant Treaty. It also highlights the many ways in which Asian experiences can offer new insights into the relationship between intellectual property and plants, and how relevant laws might be re-imagined in other regions, including Africa, Europe, and the Americas. By adding an important new perspective to the ongoing debate on intellectual property and plants, this book will appeal to academics, practitioners, and policy-makers engaged in work surrounding intellectual property laws, agricultural biodiversity, and plant breeding.
This book presents the perspectives of policy-makers and economists on a highly topical subject. Plant breeding patents, the ownership of biological innovation and associated intellectual property rights (IPR) are the subject of increased attention worldwide. They are particularly relevant in the field of agricultural biotechnology, but until recently evoked little policy analysis.IPRs are particularly relevant in the field of agricultural biotechnology. They are issues affecting public and private sector organizations and companies, and are significant for developing as well as developed countries.