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THE ECONOMICS OF THE EUROPEAN PATENT SYSTEM: IP POLICY FOR INNOVATION AND COMPETITION Dominique Guellec and Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie (2007) Oxford University Press, Oxford, New York, Melbourne; Print ISBN: 978-0-19-921698-7; 266 pages; US$99.00 hardbound
In this book, two chief economists of the European Patent Office (EPO), Dominique Guellec and Bruno van Pottelsberghe de la Potterie, investigate the economics of patent systems, review the organization of EPO, and propose changes to the European patent system. This book is a landmark integration of their profound economic insights and expert knowledge of the European patent system. It is a timely contribution to the patent research literature that has so far overwhelmingly focused on the US patent system. This book can be a major reference for all stakeholders of patent systems, including economists, policy makers, and patent practitioners.
This book has three unique features. First, after a brief introduction in Chapter 1, this book gives an excellent overview of the genesis and evolution of patent systems in Chapter 2 - from the first patent law in Venice in 1474 to the current situation, including the agreement on TRIPs (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). Most readers would be amazed at the rich history that can inform today's debate on patent policy.
Second, to the best of my knowledge, this is the first book that comprehensively analyzes the various economic dimensions of patent systems. The economic rationale of patents, which is presented in Chapter 3, lays the foundation for the following chapters. Three juxtapositions in this chapter are particularly helpful to understand the economics of patents: 1) patents as a natural right vs. patents as an incentive...