Hans Rainer Jaenichen Knihy

The classic work provides a comparative analysis of patent practices in biotechnology and pharmaceuticals across Europe, the US, and Japan. It systematically organizes the jurisprudence of the European Patent Office (EPO) Boards of Appeal by key topics: patentable inventions, disclosure requirements, claim clarity, enabling disclosure, biological material deposit, priority, novelty, inventive step, Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs), and procedural issues in examination and opposition proceedings. This structure allows for easy access to EPO jurisprudence relevant to daily practice, such as claiming antibodies and assessing enablement, novelty, and inventive step. The new edition includes updates on stem cells, plants, diagnostic assays, and surgical methods, along with changes in filing divisional applications and recent procedural restrictions. It serves as a guide for preparing European patent applications that align with US and Japanese practices, highlighting significant changes in their patent laws, including the introduction of a post-grant review system in the US and the reintroduction of an opposition system in Japan. The book addresses the implications of the Myriad cases on patenting compounds of nature and diagnostics. It is beneficial for both advanced practitioners and newcomers seeking orientation in biotechnology patents within an international context.