This two-day conference, organised by Professor Aisling McMahon (Maynooth University), Dr Karen Walsh (Maynooth University), and Professor Naomi Hawkins (University of Sheffield) aims to assess the role, operation and impact of the Biotechnology Directive at 25 years, including its legal, ethical, and social implications for the patentability of biotechnological inventions, and to explore the future likely challenges for the Directive, particularly in the context of addressing issues posed by emerging and future technologies, and changes to the European patent decision-making system.
The event will discuss: ·
The extent to which the Biotechnology Directive has addressed the legal, (bio)ethical and social issues that have been posed by patents over biotechnological inventions; ·
The extent to which recent changes to the institutions of the European patent system, including the adoption of the EU unitary patent system, will pose challenges/opportunities for how issues within the Biotechnology Directive are engaged with, if at all; ·
The challenges likely to be posed in the next 25 years for the operation of the Directive in respect to the legal/ethical/social issues posed by patents on emerging biotechnological inventions; ·
The extent to which the Biotechnology Directive can effectively foresee and account for the legal/ethical/social issues posed by future inventions and what reforms, if any, are needed. Intellectual property academics, practitioners and those interested in the regulation of biotechnological inventions are encouraged to attend.
Cost of event: There is no registration fee to attend the conference but we kindly ask that you register Here if attending for catering purposes.
The event will be held at Maynooth University, which is in a university town located approx. 35 minutes from Dublin Airport with direct public transport links to the Airport and the City. Conference attendance will be in person only.
The organisers are very grateful to the School of Law and Criminology, Maynooth University and the School of Law, University of Sheffield for providing funding to support this conference.
For any questions, or dietary requirements please send an email to patentscholarsnetwork@gmail.com.