Subjects:

Intellectual Property Law

Contents:

Purpose. Legal background. Provisions relating to patentability. Scope of protection. Exhaustion of rights and compulsory licensing. Practical implications of the Directive. Comparison with the position in the USA. Implementation. Annexes.

This Special Report provides IP lawyers and patent agents with authoritative, reliable guidance on a complex area of law and practice. The growth of biotechnology has exploded since the 1980s, and the major players - governments, industrialists and investors - have welcomed a review of the regulatory regime that governs the patents arising from biotechnology R&D. The current EC directive addresses their concerns, and aims to harmonise national patent laws in the EU and provide clear policies on patenting of biotechnology which will be applied in all member states. The authors, both acknowledged experts in the field, provide an authoritative analysis of this complex area of law. They also thoroughly examine the patenting and ethical issues relating to biological material. Their practical and timely treatment discusses previous leading cases and suggests how they would be decided in the light of the Directive: effectively providing guidance for those drafting similar patents now. * Unique clarification of a complex area of law and practice * Reliable guidance on patenting and ethical issues facing the industry * Analyses and compares US biotech patenting regime with UK * Sets out the