The role of patent law and patent practice especially in biotech has gained considerable attention of late as there are concerns that innovative efforts are stifled rather than fostered by intellectual property in the area. In this essay we survey some of the difficulties encountered in biotech...

In this study we focus on specifically which types of networks and what types of relationships matter most for the focal firm’s innovative performance in biotechnology patenting. We suggest that certain network characteristics such as their quality and the source of their knowledge, and the...

The paper at hand provides deep insights into the development of the German bioeconomy at the municipality level. The aim was to find out which determinants play a role in the location of bioeconomy patents at the municipality level and to analyze the respective stages of the bioeconomy in the...

The present paper examines the last, quintessential steps in the parcours towards the final implementation of the EU Biotechnnology Directive in Belgian patent law. Whereas the first bill was hotly debated in parliament [see G. Van Overwalle, ‘Of Green Mice with Red Ears’,...

Intellectual property rights have, from their inception, been shaped by international treaties. National legislators have had to look at the international scene to gain some insight into the prevailing intellectual property standards. This trend was less prominent in the field of patent law and...

New technology, especially biotechnology and the creation of new medicines, represents a difficult legal task for the European Union (EU). There are interests that conflicts with each other: the protection of the internal market and health care, prevent and treat illness, ensure a competitive...

Patents claiming DNA sequences have been subject to extensive public and scholarly criticism due to their potential to impede innovation and to restrict access to affordable healthcare. Recent empirical studies, however, indicate that access to materials is a much more serious problem than...