Interpreting Patent Claims: The United States, Germany and Japan


Book Description

Patents have become a vital tool in the international exploitation of advancing technologies. There is no issue of greater significance to patent law than the interpretation of claims, since these measure the scope of protection granted. This study analyzes patent claim interpretation in three leading jurisdictions, the United States, Germany and Japan. Starting from well-established concepts such as literal infringement, the doctrine of equivalents and prosecution history estoppel, the author demonstrates significant differences in their application by reference to case examples. These differences are explained in historical and policy terms. The need for a clear-cut, harmonized standard of claim interpretation throughout the world is urgent. As an aid towards that goal, the final chapter of this study contains a proposal for aligning still divergent legal principles. Interpreting Patent Claims takes its place alongside two other studies of related aspects of patent rights in the IIC Studies Series: Benyamini's Patent Infringement in the European Community (Vol. 13, 1993) and Gilat's Experimental Use and Patents (Vol. 16, 1995). Together these objective and informed discussion form an essential contribution to debates on central issues of intellectual property law and policy.




Fundamentals of Patent Law


Book Description

Shortlisted for the 2008 Young Authors Inner Temple Book Prize This new book provides a comprehensive overview of the topic of patent claim interpretation in the UK and in three other select jurisdictions. It explores territory that has great commercial significance and yet is severely under-explored in existing works. The twin issues of the function of patent law and interpretational analysis of the scope of protection have been recently reconsidered by the House of Lords, and this work not only reviews their recent cases but also looks at how the US, German and Japanese patent systems deal with the complex problems presented in this area. The book provides a balanced approach between practical, academic and theoretical approaches to claim interpretation. In doing so it provides more than a simple case analysis, as it enables the reader to consider the shape that the law should take rather than simply recounting the current position. Its novelty therefore lies in bringing the theoretical elements of the discussion together with the view of the profession charged with creating the patent documentation in the first place and then viewing this in the light of the detailed comparative studies. It is only by considering all of these elements that we begin to see a pathway for the development of the law in this area. This is a work that will be an important source of reference for academics and practitioners working in the field of patent law.




Patent Law and Theory


Book Description

The editor of Patent Law and Theory must be congratulated for assembling a concentration of sheer patent law erudition and scholarship. The title is a noteworthy compilation of 26 well-written, remarkably accessible and thought-provoking essays that goes to great lengths in charting the contours of contemporary thought over the the world s oldest regularly established property right . . . it manages to accomplish an ambitious endeavour of providing a comprehensive view of prevailing issues in the field of patent law and other related fields. . . the interested patent law reader will have much to gain from the fecund material found in the large majority of the title s essays. The world s corpus of patent law research is richer with the publication of this title. John A. Tessensohn, European Intellectual Property Review This major Handbook provides a comprehensive research source for patent protection in three major jurisdictions: the United States, Europe and Japan. Leading patent scholars and practitioners join together to give an innovative comparative analysis both of fundamental issues such as patentability, examination procedure and the scope of patent protection, and current issues such as patent protection for industry standards, computer software and business methods. Keeping in mind the important goal of world harmonization, the contributing authors challenge current systems and propose necessary changes for promoting innovation. Providing useful tips for practitioners to protect their intellectual assets in technologies effectively in the global market, this Handbook will be of great interest to legal scholars and students, as well as lawyers and patent attorneys.




Patent Law in Global Perspective


Book Description

Patent Law in Global Perspective addresses critical and timely questions in patent law from a truly global perspective, with contributions from leading patent law scholars from various countries. Offering fresh insights and new approaches to evaluating key institutional, economic, doctrinal, and practical issues, these chapters reflect critical analyses and review developments in national patent laws, efforts to reform the global patent system, and reconfigure geopolitical interests. Professors Ruth L. Okediji and Margo A. Bagley bring together the first collection to explore patent law issues through the lens of economic development theory, international relations, theoretical foundations for the patent law system in the global context, and more. Topics include: the role of patent law in economic development; the efficacy of patent rights in facilitating innovation; patents and access to medicines; comparative patentability standards (including subject matter eligibility for biotechnology and software inventions); limitations and exceptions to patent scope and protection (including exhaustion, compulsory licensing, and research exceptions); patents on plants and other living organisms; and the impact of emerging economies on global patent system governance. The contributors provide a wealth of original insight and thought-provoking discussion that will be of great interest and benefit to scholars, policymakers, and practitioners alike.




International Patent Rights Harmonisation


Book Description

With reference to China, this book examines the course of international patent rights harmonisation; its characteristics as well as impediments. It evaluates the case of China’s patent law development over the course of the last three decades by drawing on the most up-to-date Chinese language sources. In the process, the volume focuses on China’s patent legislation, its achievements and weaknesses, as well as the intrinsic limitations, especially as far as enforcement is concerned. The author pays close attention to the unique societal background in China, a country that did not provide constitutional recognition to private property rights until 2004 and where a property law entered into force as late as 2013, 30 years after the first promulgation of the patent law. Global trade policy makers, IP professionals and businesses will benefit from the insights presented by the chapters as they will help them to appreciate the achievements and the controversies pursuant to China’s efforts in patent protection. While serving as a useful case study for countries seeking to leverage patent protection as a driver for economic development, the book will equally facilitate Chinese legislature to reflect on its patent legislation development, specifically on legislative policy choices. An additional analytical strength of the volume is that it compares the Chinese patent legislation with the American Invents Act and the European Patent Convention. It discovers the differences between the three patent legislations by using the minimum patent protection standards set down by the TRIPS Agreement as the benchmark. The results of the comparisons suggest that China has successfully harmonised its patent legislation with the global patent protection system, and often opts for higher patent protection standards. The book also considers whether China could learn lessons from Japan and India in their respective patent legislation and policy choices. With China undertaking a fourth patent law amendment, the provisions contained in the second draft of the Patent Law 2015, which was published in December 2015, are included in the analysis.




US Intellectual Property Law and Policy


Book Description

US Intellectual Property Law and Policy provides a selection of well-written essays critically examining the direction of US IP law. Simon Teng, Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice . . . an interesting, informative, and enjoyable book. It may be of special interest to Australian students, scholars and practitioners seeking to undertake comparative analysis between Australian and US IP law, particularly in view of the recent Free Trade Agreement. Louise Buckingham, Copyright Reporter The challenging and insightful essays in US Intellectual Property Law and Policy, a compilation by six of the best, if not the best, professors of intellectual property law in the United States . John A. Tessensohn, European Intellectual Property Review This book identifies and addresses the key principles and policies with regard to the protection of intellectual property in the United States. A select group of highly-regarded contributors illustrate several themes which are recurrent in the many debates concerning US law and policy on intellectual property. The need for a constant expansion of protectable subject matter is critically analyzed, especially in relation to trade mark and patent laws. The chapters within the book discuss a question of critical jurisprudential importance: have the legislature and the judiciary taken sufficient consideration of the different economic and constitutional rationales of intellectual property protection when extending the scope of intellectual property protection? A tentative agenda as to the future direction for both Congress and the courts to adopt, in light of the new technological changes which have affected all areas of intellectual property protection equally, is also suggested. Policymakers will find this book of great interest as will academics and students of intellectual property law and international law.




Intellectual Property and the Common Law


Book Description

Leading scholars of intellectual property and information policy examine what the common law can contribute to discussions about intellectual property's scope, structure and function.




Intellectual Property and the Judiciary


Book Description

'This book fills a gap in IP law. There are many publications on substantive and procedural law in IP litigation. But it was impossible to find a book that addresses the role of the judiciary in IP like this one does. It provides unique insights into the matter from a variety of angles. It brings together editors and authors from the bench, the bar and academia coming from all over Europe, the US and Japan. This book is a must-have for everyone who has an interest in international IP litigation.' - Klaus Grabinski, Justice, Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof), Germany 'This volume makes an important contribution to our understanding of the contours of intellectual property protection through a critical examination of the global trend to adjudicate IP disputes in specialized courts. The editors have assembled an extraordinary group of scholars, practitioners and judges to compare their experiences with various adjudicatory structures.' - Rochelle Dreyfuss, New York University, School of Law, US Intellectual Property and the Judiciaryexamines the role of judges in the development, interpretation, and application of intellectual property (IP) law and norms. In this regard, the authors engage in a comparative analysis of various national, European and international court systems while also exploring the competing and complementary roles of legislators and executive actors. Each chapter seeks to capture the comparative institutional advantages of government bodies within existing legal frameworks as well as offering a thorough examination of both the common law and civil law traditions in the context of judicial treatment of IP. The result is a series of proposals relating to the architecture of judiciaries and the functional role of judges with the goal of optimally positioning jurists to address complex issues and advance IP doctrine and policy. Featuring high-level authors from both academia and practice, the book will be of great interest to academic researchers and practicing lawyers who have a focus on IP. It will be of particular value to those who are engaged in the rapidly changing enforcement environment of intellectual property rights. Contributors include: V. Cassiers, M. Ekvad, S. Frankel, C. Geiger, D. Gervais, S. Granata, J. Griffiths, E. Izyumenko, T. Kandeva, S. Lugienbuehl, B. Lynn, S. Martin, C. Mulder, M.O. Müller, C. Nard, K. O'Malley, C.S. Petersen, A. Plomer, J. Schovsbo, X. Seuba, A. Strowel, T. Takenaka, A. von Mühlendahl, G. Würtenberger, P. Yu




Pharmaceutical Patents in Europe


Book Description

The pharmaceutical industry and patent legislation are inextricably linked. Pharmaceutical companies could not exist without some guarantee that they can recoup the cost of developing a new product. European patent law offers this opportunity, as it allows companies to exclude competition for a specific product for a fixed time scale. In Pharmaceutical Patents in Europe the current legal patent situation is examined by a detailed analysis of case law from the European Patent Office (EPO), the international body created with the signing of the European Patent Convention (EPC). Aspects of European patent law not primarily regulated in the EPC, for example Supplementary Protection Certificates and infringement matters, are examined in the setting provided by EC law and domestic laws of European states. This book is written for the reader who understands the main characteristics of patent law and is looking for a practitioner's text on the European pharmaceutical patent law scene. Moreover, the author's remarks can help all readers to look at the field with fresh eyes.




The Oxford Handbook of Intellectual Property Law


Book Description

We live in an age in which expressive, informational, and technological subject matter are becoming increasingly important. Intellectual property is the primary means by which the law seeks to regulate such subject matter. It aims to promote innovation and creativity, and in doing so to support solutions to global environmental and health problems, as well as freedom of expression and democracy. It also seeks to stimulate economic growth and competition, accounting for its centrality to EU Internal Market and international trade and development policies. Additionally, it is of enormous and increasing importance to business. As a result there is a substantial and ever-growing interest in intellectual property law across all spheres of industry and social policy, including an interest in its legal principles, its social and normative foundations, and its place and operation in the political economy. This handbook written by leading academics and practitioners from the field of intellectual property law, and suitable for both a specialist legal readership and an intelligent but non-specialist legal and non-legal readership, provides a comprehensive account of the following areas: - The foundations of IP law, including its emergence and development in different jurisdictions and regions; - The substantive rules and principles of IP; and - Important issues arising from the existence and operation of IP in the political economy.