The antitrust treatment of intellectual property rights ("IPR") licensing has taken on increased significance, given the growing importance of such rights to business activity, and the potential role of IPR in spurring innovation and economic growth. Antitrust law does not govern the terms under which intellectual property (IP) rights are granted or recognized by national authorities, although such terms may have a substantial impact on competitive conditions. Rather, antitrust law evaluates the competitive impact of the manner in which patent rights are employed or transferred. This Article will focus solely on the latter set of issues.
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