Computer software is a huge, worldwide industry, one in which the United States has become the dominant force. The maturation of the software industry has led to dramatic productivity gains, permitting businesses and individuals to accomplish more work with less effort. The industry's growth has...

Concerns have been raised that the upsurge of 3D printing technology would disrupt the patent system. The central question the present paper aims to address is whether and to what extent the emergence of 3D printing technology indeed urges us to rethink patent law. The paper splits up this...

In their seminal article on multilateral vertical contracting, McAfee and Schwartz (1994) argue that nondiscrimination clauses may be ineffective in curbing opportunism and may thus have no bite. This begs the question why nondiscrimination clauses are commonly observed in intermediate-goods...

While much of the commentary on obstacles to stem cell research focuses on patents, material transfer agreements (MTAs) governed by state contract and property law present equal if not greater challenges to researchers. This Article argues that the life sciences in general, and the stem cell...

There is increasing concern that overlapping patents in the field of genetics will create a costly and legally complex situation known as a patent thicket, which, along with the associated issues of accumulating royalty payments, can act as a disincentive for innovation. One potential means of...

Open innovation is the subject of increased scholarly debate. A lot of attention has thereby been paid to firm-centered open innovation, characterized by a for-profit motive and the interplay between patents and contracts, resulting in restricted openness. Inspired by the increasing call for...

The present paper will look into the relationship between emerging markets and Europe in a twofold way. First, the paper will discuss the question from a European perspective, and investigate what impact emerging market patents may have on Europe. Second, the paper will briefly address the issue...

Patents in the life sciences sector have sparked considerable debate over the past years. The grant of a series of patents for the screening of breast cancer (BRCA) genes led to wide controversy in Europe, the US and Australia. The grant of patents for plants resulting from essentially...

In the ongoing debate concerning DNA patents, there is a need for empirical data. We aim at treating this data set for DNA patents related to diagnostic genetic testing. To this end we developed two tools to facilitate this process. First, we set up a search strategy to find the relevant...

The genetics community is increasingly concerned that patents might lead to restricted access to research and health care. We explore various measures that are designed to render patented genetic inventions accessible to further use in research, and to diagnosis and/or treatment. They include...