Research report 2005 - Max Planck Institute for Intellectual Property, Competition and Tax Law
What impact do modern information and communication technologies have on patent law?
Authors
Klicznik, Alexander
Departments
Geistiges Eigentum und Wettbewerbsrecht (Prof. Dr. Dres. h.c. Joseph Straus)
MPI für Geistiges Eigentum, Wettbewerbs- und Steuerrecht, München
Summary
The field of patent law is impacted by the modern information and communication technologies in two respects. Firstly, the rise of electronic databases provides for new options with regard to the search for patents. Secondly, the Internet brought about new ways – for example the WWW, USENET or email – of disclosing a technical teaching. With regard to these new kinds of disclosures, courts and patent authorities face the problem of an appropriate legal assessment and also problems with regard to proof.