PATENTS FOR EUROPE AND LITIGATION FOR THE RICH

1 Patents in Europe

The IPKat has just received a handsome publication called Patents in Europe: helping business compete in the global economy, this being a European Patent Office-backed supplement to the excellent Globe White Page periodical Intellectual Asset Management. This supplement consists of some 30 chapters, some being of a general nature but most being part of a country-by-country round-up with a number of distinguished lawyers among the contributors. "Helping business compete" sounds like a good thing, but in the European context the question always has to be asked: "are we talking about Fortress Europe", keeping foreign competitors out, or are we talking about helping businesses compete with one another in Europe?

Depressingly, most of the chapters deal with patent enforcement issues. The IPKat still cherishes the notion that the best patents are those that never need to be enforced. Licensees line up to pay for the privilege of using them, while competitors cringe in terror at the thought of infringing them and banks smilingly advance large sums on the strength of their security. Dream on, says Merpel.

To get your free trial for Intellectual Asset Management click here.


2 Only a month to go ...

... to CLT's "Intellectual Property Litigation Conference 2005", which takes place on 11 October in the Cafe Royal, London. The programme is a busy one, with lots of exciting speakers including

* Alan Bryson (Wilberforce Chambers) and Isabel Davies (Howrey LLP) speaking on the advantages and disadvantages of alternative forms of resolving IP disputes,

* Trevor Cook (Bird & Bird) looking at specialist IP courts,

* Richard Davis (Hogarth Chambers) looking at some recent issues of estoppel and res judicata in IP cases and

* Susie Middlemiss (Slaughter and May) speaks on injunctive relief.

IPKat co-blogmeister Jeremy is in the chair, so (if you can afford it or if you can get someone to pay you to go) make sure you book now to avoid disappointment.