LOVELY GRUBB

The IPKat has just enjoyed purr-using the fourth and most recent edition of Philip Grubb's book Patents for Chemicals, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology (published by Oxford University Press and available in hardback for £59). Coming five years after the well-regarded third edition, this book is current to May 2004. Accordingly in its text one can still see the impending clouds of the Community patent which have since been dispelled. One of the nice things about this book is that it has kept its sense of proportion. Rather than seek to cram its pages with reference to large numbers of ephemeral decisions from the courts and granting authorities, the author -- a consultant to pharma giant Novartis -- sensibly focuses on the overall shape and structure of his subject, homing in on the main principles and neatly emphasising their centrality. It is easy for a reader, on completing this work, to feel that he is a lot more knowledgeable than he probably is, since its pages have a somewhat empowering and confidence-building effect -- but the author, in keeping with good patent practice, does not allow himself to make any claims that exceed the substance of his invention (even the book's subtitle, "Fundamentals of Global Law, Practice and Strategy", contains no overstatement: the book is exactly that). Incidentally, at £59 for a hardback book of over 500 pages which is devoid of the usual statutory appendices, this work can scarcely be bettered in terms of punch per penny.

Philip Grubb (right) tells Khama Rogo (Chairman of the Kenya
Medical Association) how to do neat tricks with pharma patents

Visit Philip Grubb's website here