In practice and jurisprudence in European competition law, it is especially difficult to define the boundaries of patent abuse as an offence. In this thoroughly researched book, the author answers the question of when and how an application for a blocking patent can amount to an abuse of a dominant position under Article 102 TFEU. Drawing on legal literature and European Union (EU) case law, the presentation analyses a constellation of blocking patenting strategies and proposes potential remedies where abuse is involved. With detailed descriptions of the characteristics of potentially abusive and non-abusive behaviour regarding applications for blocking patents, the book provides the following and more: a comprehensive analysis of the case law of the EU courts on the abuse of a dominant position in cases which involve intellectual property rights; insights on how patenting strategies affect competition with a particular focus on the application of blocking patents; an overview of the developments in doctrine and practice which led to the current understanding of the seemingly conflictual goals of competition and intellectual property law; and insights on the difficulties of defining relevant markets and establishing whether an undertaking holds a dominant position. The book illustrates the mechanisms of blocking patenting strategies with examples from the pharmaceutical industry because blocking strategies have particular relevance in applying for patents in that context. A test scheme for analysing the application of a blocking patent under Article 102 TFEU is included. Additionally, the book provides an outlook on the topic of patents and shortages of supply in light of the COVID pandemic. Practitioners and policymakers requiring an understanding of the conceptual framework of the abuse concept within EU competition law and how it relates to patent strategies will welcome this invaluable book. They will not only be able to set the conduct of applying for blocking patents into the Article 102 TFEU context but also have decisive tools to approach questions on the intersection of patent law and competition law in the EU.

Dr Jae Park is to be congratulated for turning our attention to this difficult and underexplored area. His work focuses on standards and patents but goes well beyond an initial first analysis. He examines the finer points of both sets of rules in order to find out exactly where the problem lies and he then looks at the existing mechanisms that could provide a solution. Many of these have their roots in the area of competition law, but his thorough analysis shows that competition law in its current form and with its current limitations is not the perfect tool to address the problems that arise when patented technology becomes the object of standardisation. This leads Dr Park to develop his own solution for the problem at hand: a solution which he finds in the dynamic liability rules regime. This book really breaks new ground and provides a first and thorough analysis of this rarely addressed but increasingly important area. From the foreword by Paul L.C. Torremans, University of Nottingham, UK This insightful book reviews the inherent conflict between patent rights and industry standards and through analysis of both US and European case law proposes measures to improve current systems and foster greater innovation. Jae Hun Park searches for the appropriate balance between the rights of patent owners and the need for industry standards within the scope of patent law. He considers the current solutions provided by legal systems and using cost benefit analysis evaluates, from a legal and economic perspective, whether patent systems can be improved. Jae Hun Park proposes reform to the patent system that would introduce a dynamic liability rule regime , rather than property rules . The dynamic liability rule regime adopts property rules at the stage when there are still competing standards, and liability rules at the stage when there are no competing standards. This would, he argues, resolve the conflict between patents and standards and mitigate the patent hold-up problem. This is a must-read book for scholars interested in technology patents, innovation and competition law and policy, as well as those individuals working in standard setting organisations. It will also be of great interest to patent offices, patent attorneys and competition lawyers.

Inevitably, every marketed product or service can always be located at the intersection of intellectual property law and competition law, a nexus rife with potential problems throughout the ‘life’ of an intellectual property (IP) right. This important book is the first to focus in depth on this intersection in the European context, masterfully elucidating the consequences for IP rights owners from the right’s inception to its transfer, sale, or demise. The authors describes and analyses the following topics and more in detail: • characteristics, purpose and theoretical justifications of IP rights; • obtaining, maintaining, and exploiting an IP right; • effects of provisions of European competition law regarding cartels, block exemptions, abuse of dominant position, free movement of goods, and merger control; • competition between originator companies and generic companies; • licensing, especially the problem of refusal to grant a license; and • enforcement of an IP right. The book analyses all major cases affecting aspects of the intersection, supported by an examination of the historical background and political influence concerning the two areas of European law. There are also special chapters on the prominent and influential national legal systems of Germany, the United States, China, The Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. An annex provides texts of the major antitrust regulations dealing with European IP rights. As a ‘biography’ of IP rights focusing on areas of entanglement with European competition law, this book is without peer. Its clear-sighted view of the status quo and emerging trends in the two fields will be of immeasurable value to practitioners, policymakers, and academics dealing with issues at the intersection of intellectual property law and competition law in Europe and elsewhere.

Exploring the relationship between competition law and technology pools, this book provides general-purpose details of the biotechnology patent pool scheme while discussing historical developments, approaches of the US Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and the European Union Competition Commission via EU regulations. In addition to these regulatory approaches and evolution in concept and theory of technology pools, this book illustrates relationship issues including tying arrangements and essential facility consideration vis-à-vis technology pools. It analyzes the modalities of forming such pools in the area of biotechnology, specifically illustrating that the formation of technology pools is possible and can be safely undertaken, and proposes a viable solution and structure. Patent pools in the biotechnology industry will pave the way towards open collaborative research, reducing patent thickets. Formation of such pools will increase access to various technology and patents otherwise out of bounds, resulting in a reduction of licensing costs and a spur in the development of new solutions. Most importantly, such pools will reduce the frequency of patent toll gates, making the entire spectrum of research interesting from the perspective of researchers as well as investors. This book will be an aid to researchers studying intellectual property, patents, and biotechnology, as well as to interest groups including funding agencies, venture funds, angel investors, and proponents of the open-source movement.

The volume offers an outstanding collection of studies on the interaction of IP and competition policy and is highly recommended for academics, graduate students, and practitioners with an interest in more theoretical studies. Ioannis Lianos, World Competition Each chapter in the Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Competition Law is written so lucidly that it will be of great interest to law professors and post graduate students of intellectual property and competition law, as well as those interested in innovation and competition theory, and legal practices in intellectual property and competition law. Madhu Sahni, Journal of Intellectual Property Rights This is a book that delivers on its promise. With a strong cast of contributors from a variety of countries, economies and disciplines, it makes the reader wonder how any commercially attractive IP ever gets exploited at all. IPKAT Here it comes: the book that I have been waiting for! This will surely be an inspiring source of knowledge in my Masters Programme in European Intellectual Property Law at Stockholm University. While promoting intellectual property protection as an important means for innovations and cultural developments, a critical analysis and a flexible approach to the needs for free creative space and effective competition is crucial. As this book so well illustrates, this delicate balance is no either or. Marianne Levin, Stockholm University, Sweden This comprehensive Handbook brings together contributions from American, Canadian, European, and Japanese writers to better explore the interface between competition and intellectual property law. Issues range from the fundamental to the specific, each considered from the angle of cartels, dominant positions, and mergers. Topics covered include, among others, technology licensing, the doctrine of exhaustion, network industries, innovation, patents, and copyright. Appropriate space is devoted to the latest developments in European and American antitrust law, such as the more economic approach and the question of anti-competitive abuses of intellectual property rights. Each original chapter reflects extensive comments by all other contributors, an approach which ensures a diversity of perspectives within a systematic framework. These cutting edge articles will be of great interest to law professors and postgraduate students of intellectual property and competition law, as well as those interested in innovation and competition theory, and legal practices in intellectual property and competition law.

Offering in-depth analysis of the case law currently being written in courtrooms all over the world under the so-called •patent warê, the book puts forward a new method for applying competition law to standards and standard-setting _ in both its collus

This study takes up central questions concerning the relation between competition and patent law raised by the current "patent wars" in the IT sector. The author assesses the relevance of FRAND commitments under contract and competition law. He further develops criteria for determining reasonable patent license fees and discusses the circumstances under which the filing of a cease and desist order by the holder of a standard assistant patent (SEP) constitutes an abuse according to Article 102 TFEU. Finally, the German BGH's Orange-Book-Standard decision on requirements of compulsory license defense under competition law and its application in the lower courts are criticised. The author defines the BGH's criteria more precisely and questions their compatibility with EU competition law. The volume brings together both an English and a German version of the analysis. The author is professor at the University of Goettingen. His primary research areas are competition and regulation law, with particular emphasis on their relevance for network industries (energy, telecommunications, internet), merger control and competition law in media contexts (intersecting with intellectual property law).