Lost property: The European patent system and why it doesn't work

In his blueprint, Bruno van Pottelsberghe first looks at the performance of patent arrangements in Europe, especially their cost effectiveness and the consistency of rules and remedies across countries. He then looks at current attempts at global patent cooperation to see if they will help or hinder the emergence of innovation worldwide and in Europe. Using new and hard-hitting data, van Pottelsberghe paints a dark picture of today's patent landscape both in Europe and internationally. It is a tale of failed public cooperation at all levels and of a regime in danger of rampant patent inflation unless minds and resources are focused on tackling the root causes of the problem. This blueprint comes forward with a sequence of concrete, short-, medium- and long-term policy recommendations to this end.