The Requirement for an Invention in Patent Law provides a critical analysis of legal conceptions of the invention in UK patent law and under the European Patent Convention. Dr Justine Pila brings to this text her extensive experience in intellectual property law.

A central theme of the book is that the requirement for an invention, properly construed, sets the boundaries of the patent system in two ways. The first is by defining the categories of subject matters capable of supporting a patent, and the second is by restricting the protection conferred by a patent to individual...

With a particular focus on intellectual property, this work explores some of the key methodological and institutional issues affecting the development of European private law. Leading experts consider seven key topics, furthering understanding of the impact of Europeanisation on the substance and quality of law, the process of law-making in a Europeanised system, and the requirements for a truly "European" legal order.
The work begins by looking at the making of European Intellectual Property law, covering models of European harmonisation, the pursuit of harmonisation to date, and the...

Despite a rich academic literature in the field of intellectual property (IP), little attention has been paid to the meaning of the terms used to denote the subject matter that IP rights protect-such as 'invention', 'authorial work', 'trade mark', and 'design'-or the nature of those subject matter themselves. This book, the first of its kind, offers such a study with the aim of furthering understanding and analysis of each IP regime and of IP in general. It defines the terms in question with reference to their recent use by IP legal officials, and seeks to clarify the understanding of the...

Lord Leonard Hoffmann remains one of the most important and influential English jurists. Born in South Africa, he came to England as a Rhodes Scholar to study law at the University of Oxford. After graduating from the Bachelor of Civil Law as Vinerian Scholar, he was elected Stowell Civil Law Fellow of University College. There followed an extremely distinguished judicial career, including 14 years as a member of the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords (from 1995 to 2009).In 2009, Lord Hoffmann returned to the Oxford Law Faculty as a Visiting Professor. In this volume, current and past...

A comprehensive overview of intellectual property law, this handbook will be a vital read for all invested in the field of IP law. Topics include the foundations of IP law; its emergence and development in various jurisdictions; its rules and principles; and current issues arising from the existence and operation of IP law in a political economy.