Concerns have been raised that the upsurge of 3D printing technology would disrupt the patent system. The central question the present paper aims to address is whether and to what extent the emergence of 3D printing technology indeed urges us to rethink patent law. The paper splits up this...

Traditionally, economic progress is considered to be one of the common interpretations of public interest. Recently, consensus has grown that public interest also includes public health objectives. The present paper examines to what extent the concept of public interest can be understood to...

Various remedies have been suggested to deal with potential hindering effects of patents in the area of plant and human biotechnology – two areas which show remarkable linkages and share similar problems. What many of these suggestions have in common, is their call for a more responsible...

Patents in the life sciences sector have sparked considerable debate over the past years. The grant of a series of patents for the screening of breast cancer (BRCA) genes led to wide controversy in Europe, the US and Australia. The grant of patents for plants resulting from essentially...