Interpretation of Patents in Europe

The book contains a collection of national reports on patent interpretation in infringement proceedings from the most important patent litigation countries in Europe. Prominent patent specialists of each country, namely academics, judges and patent litigators have written the reports. With their broad experience in comparative law they not only describe the status quo of their respective countries but identify the most controversial areas where differences from country to country exist and suggest a common approach.

Art. 69 of the European Patent Convention (EPC) is the central interpretation rule for the determination of the scope of European patents which has also found its way into national laws. Presently divergent decisions from country to country are the norm although efforts have been made to change the situation. The aim of a pan-European litigation system, which has been under discussion for some time is that one will have less contradictory decisions where identical patents are litigated.

Since Art. 69 EPC will remain the central rule of interpretation for the national as well as European system, the book tries to find a sound and practicable compromise of interpretation which may serve as a guide for judges in this field.

Special Features:

• Country Reports on the practice of national courts on patent interpretation (Art. 69 EPC), written by experts for experts.
• The reports - all written in English - allow access to case law and the practice in the different countries which is normally not available because of language barriers.
• Identification of problem areas and discrepancies in the legal approach of judges: Why do courts come to different results when deciding on the same patent?
• Proposals for a harmonized approach to be followed by future European patent courts, but also by the existing national courts, which may become European courts under a common European roof.

Edited by
Dr. Jochen Pagenberg, LL.M. (Harvard), Attorney-at-Law, Bardehle Pagenberg, Munich/Paris, Prof. William R. Cornish, QC, LLD, FBA, Formerly Herchel Smith Professor of Intellectual Property Law, University of Cambridge, External academic member of the Max-Planck-Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law, Munich

Aus den Besprechungen:
"Dass das Werk von Pagenberg und Cornish gerade für den letzten – ambitioniertesten – Bereich nicht mehr als einen Verweis auf eine Diskussionsgrundlage enthält, ist keinem Mangel der vorliegenden Publikation als vielmehr der Komplexität des Vereinheitlichungsprozesses an sich geschuldet. Wie das – bisherige – Scheitern der Verhandlungen um das EPLA zeigt, bedarf es auf dem Weg zu einer vereinheitlichten europäischen Patentrechtspraxis noch vieler Anstrengungen und Anstöße. Vor diesem Hintergrund kommt das Werk von Pagenberg und Cornish zur rechten Zeit."
Rechtsanwalt Thomas Reimann und Rechtsanwalt Kay N. Kasper, Düsseldorf, in: Mitt. der dt. Patentanwälte 2007, 435