Focuses on: Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, the United States, Europe, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.

Previous editions, 1st and 2nd, published under titles : 1st (1982) Patents for chemists ; 2nd (1986) Patents in chemistry and biotechnology ; 3rd edition published in 1999.

American patent law has reached an unprecedented crossroads, prodded by a landmark Supreme Court decision this spring and the prospect of sweeping new federal legislation this fall. At this critical time, Biotechnology and the Patent System: Balancing Innovation and Property Rights provides a timely look at the complex issues involved in making patent law for cutting-edge high-tech industries such as the biotechnology and computer software sectors.

The nature and origins of patent rights -- Historical developments -- Harmonization of patent law -- What can be patented -- Filing a patent application -- Obtaining a granted patent : patent cooperation treaty procedure -- Obtaining a granted patent : European patent office procedure -- Obtaining a granted patent : national procedures -- Maintaining a patent in force and extending the patent term -- Enforcing patent rights -- Invalidity and amendment of granted patents -- Chemical inventions -- Pharmaceutical inventions -- Biotechnological inventions -- Patenting of genes, plants, and animals -- The patent practitioner and his function -- Drafting the patent specification -- Drafting the claims -- Prosecution of the patent application to grant -- Inventorship, ownership, and compensation -- Commercial exploitation of patents -- How to catch the infringer and how not to be caught -- Patent aspects of licensing -- Patents and competition law : United Kingdom and European Union -- Patents and competition law : United States

The tremendous progress in biology over the last half century - from Watson and Crick's elucidation of the structure of DNA to today's astonishing, rapid progress in the field of synthetic biology - has positioned us for significant innovation in chemical production. New bio-based chemicals, improved public health through improved drugs and diagnostics, and biofuels that reduce our dependency on oil are all results of research and innovation in the biological sciences. In the past decade, we have witnessed major advances made possible by biotechnology in areas such as rapid, low-cost DNA sequencing, metabolic engineering, and high-throughput screening. The manufacturing of chemicals using biological synthesis and engineering could expand even faster. A proactive strategy - implemented through the development of a technical roadmap similar to those that enabled sustained growth in the semiconductor industry and our explorations of space - is needed if we are to realize the widespread benefits of accelerating the industrialization of biology. Industrialization of Biology presents such a roadmap to achieve key technical milestones for chemical manufacturing through biological routes. This report examines the technical, economic, and societal factors that limit the adoption of bioprocessing in the chemical industry today and which, if surmounted, would markedly accelerate the advanced manufacturing of chemicals via industrial biotechnology. Working at the interface of synthetic chemistry, metabolic engineering, molecular biology, and synthetic biology, Industrialization of Biology identifies key technical goals for next-generation chemical manufacturing, then identifies the gaps in knowledge, tools, techniques, and systems required to meet those goals, and targets and timelines for achieving them. This report also considers the skills necessary to accomplish the roadmap goals, and what training opportunities are required to produce the cadre of skilled scientists and engineers needed.

The field of pharmaceutical biotechnology is evolving rapidly. A whole new arsenal of protein pharmaceuticals is being produced by recombinant techniques for cancer, viral infections, cardiovascular and hereditary disorders, and other diseases. In addition, scientists are confronted with new technologies such as polymerase chain reactions, combinatorial chemistry and gene therapy. This introductory textbook provides extensive coverage of both the basic science and the applications of biotechnology-produced pharmaceuticals, with special emphasis on their clinical use. Pharmaceutical Biotechnology serves as a complete one-stop source for undergraduate pharmacists, and it is valuable for researchers and professionals in the pharmaceutical industry as well.