A User's Guide to Patents

A User's Guide to Patents is the third title in the User's Guide series, designed to provide practical contextual guides for the informed professional, specialist and non-specialist legal practitioners and in-house lawyers. This book focuses on all the areas of patent law and procedure which prove to have the most practical importance in day-to-day practice. It addresses some of the wider public policy aspects of patents and their economic significance, as well as past and likely future trends in the field. The rise of the European patent system and the introduction of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 have resulted in recent changes in practice. This book discusses the different sorts of patent law issues specific to each of the relevant industrial sectors, together with the importance of patent registration. It looks at how patents can be obtained and enforced and compares the situation in the UK, Europe and the USA. This unique text will be of great use to professionals interested in patents, including patent agents, in-house lawyers and legal advisers, solicitors and barristers, and top level management executives. Written by an experienced practitioner, it provides expert guidance which will keep the professional informed and up to date in this area of law.