IPR in nanotechnology: Lessons from experiences worldwide

This international workshop on IPR in nanotechnology has been organised jointly by the European Patent Office (EPO) and DG Research of the European Commission and took place on 16 April 2007 at Marriot Renaissance Hotel in Brussels, Belgium. The workshop was connected to the Third International Nanotechnology Conference on Communication and Cooperation INC3 which took place from 17 to 19 April at the same venue.

Objectives of the workshop

The aim of the nanotechnology IPR workshop was to identify specific IPR issues for nanotechnology and to discuss possible consequences for patent offices, policy makers, patent consultants and the research community. Many aspects have been identified in ongoing academic and political discussions (see literature survey), such as the costs of patenting and the accessibility of patents for SMEs or Developing Countries, the need of a transparent and clearly defined scope of patent protection, the implications of "nanopatent land grab" and "patent thickets" (R. Bawa), "nanotech patent battles" (Lux Research), "second nature" and "monopoly patent" (ETC Group) etc. The discussions were aiming at possible actions specific for nanotechnology, i.e. the need for a better patent monitoring system (incl. classification) of nanotechnology for patent application and examining, technology analysis and policy advice purposes, the possible need for harmonisation between the EU, the USA and Japan, the need for a new 'nanotechnology patent regime', the development of guidelines for the protection of IPR and models for consortium and licensing agreements, lessons for collaborative research projects and other research collaborations etc. (non-exhaustive list).

Proceedings
Main results
List of participants