RECENT CHANGES AND EXPECTED DEVELOPMENTS IN PATENT REGIMES: A EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE

摘要

The background for the recent changes and expected developments in the European patent system is twofold. On the one hand, European policy makers begin to realise that patents play an ever-increasing role in managing economic risks in the emerging global knowledge economy, not only for applicants and their competitors, but also for financial markets and national as well as regional economies. On the other hand, it has become clear that the European "bundle" patent could not remain Europe's only answer to the global challenge. This chapter presents four major projects for the development of the patent system in Europe addressing those issues: 1) the year 2000 EPC revision; 2) the London Agreement of October 2000; 3) the draft European Patent Litigation Agreement (EPLA); and 4) the Community patent as outlined in the Common Approach of March 2003.