Getting patent policy right: an introduction to a special issue on the European patent system

摘要

The main aim of the patent system is to stimulate innovation, by providing incentives for research and development investment by fostering follow-on innovations through the public disclosure of new inventions. Making this aim a reality is a great challenge to the European policymaker, and reflects the special set-up of the 'European patent system' and the many competing voices involved. This special issue takes up the debate across a range of important topics from various inter-disciplinary perspectives. The introduction here sets the scene by outlining some of the core issues involved in the broader discussion about an area that goes to the heart of Europe's science and public policy.