Influence of Intellectual Property Law on Safety in Biotechnology

Law meets biotechnology: on the one hand, there is patent law, offering intellectual protection for biotechnological inventions; on the other hand, there is safety law, offering protection against possible harmful effects of biotechnological developments. However, are patent law and safety law connected? In other words, is there an influence from patent law on safety law when they are dealing with biotechnology? The first chapter of the present contribution highlights the patent framework for biotechnological inventions. The second chapter outlines current biosafety regulations. The third and final chapter examines the intricate question of the relationship between patent law and safety law in the field of biotechnology