On 10th July, Prof Aisling McMahon delivered an invited lecture at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Summer School on Intellectual Property Law organised by the WIPO in co-operation with the partner institution Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL). This international WIPO Summer School takes place from 1st July to 11th July in hybrid format. Speakers include leading international industry experts, academics and public sector officials to discuss cutting edge issues in contemporary intellectual property law, exploring themes including the relationship between intellectual property law and policy, technology, and socio-economic development.
Professor McMahon’s lecture was delivered virtually at the WIPO summer school. It examined the topic of ‘Patents and Biotechnological Inventions in Europe’. The lecture focused on the legal framework for the patentability of biotechnologies in Europe including the development of the Biotechnology Directive 98/44EC and how ethical issues related to patentability of biotechnologies are engaged with within European patent law. In the lecture, Professor McMahon focused on the interpretation of the morality provisions under Art 6 of the Biotechnology Directive 98/44EC and Art 53(a) of the European Patent Convention in the biotechnological context. Whilst the second part of the lecture focused on the impact of the Biotechnology Directive on the patentability of human gene related technologies and the application of exclusions from patentability to this context in Europe.
Professor Aisling McMahon is a Professor of Law at the School of Law & Criminology, Maynooth University and is the Principal Investigator on the European Research Council funded PatentsInHumans project.
You can find out more about the PatentsInHumans project by visiting the project website: www.patentsinhumans.eu or by watching this short video:
