'Stealth Licensing' - Or Antitrust Law and Trade Regulation Squeezing Patent Rights

European Competition Journal, 9(3), 2013

30 Pages Posted: 20 Apr 2014 Last revised: 9 Dec 2021

See all articles by Nicolas Petit

Nicolas Petit

European University Institute - Department of Law (LAW)

Date Written: April 19, 2014

Abstract

A “stealth licensing” paradigm is emerging across the globe. It can be seen through subtle interventions from policy makers, judicial organs and administrative agencies. Those interventions seek to facilitate compulsory licenses outside the TRIPS agreement exceptions and/or to water down those exceptions. Altogether, they ramp up pressure on patent owners to give away their freedom – it is actually a “right” – to exploit their innovations as they see fit. The present paper submits that stealth licensing is a significant phenomenon that adversely impacts the social welfare functions of the patent system. It risks undermining investment in technology, technology creation and the dissemination functions of the patent system at a critical juncture in time, as new critical technologies like green technology, the internet of things, machine to machine technology, smart medical devices or biotechnologies are being called for, and rolled out, across the globe. Moreover, stealth licensing is occurring despite the fact that both private and public investment in R&D is critical to help developed economies back on the path to growth, competitiveness, employment and prosperity.

This paper explores the concept and policy of “stealth licensing”. To that end, it first surveys the literature on the social functions of the patent system, and in particular, on the role of patents to incentivise (risky) R&D efforts and to disseminate successful technological innovations2 (I). In this context, it recalls that whilst divided on the exact function of patent law, scholars broadly concur that patents have social utility. This paper then shows the emergence a “stealth licensing” paradigm adversary to the social functions of the patent system. To aid understanding, it starts with a definition of the concept of “stealth licensing” (II). It then describes its emergence in international trade regulation where a “flexible” interpretation of the TRIPS compulsory licensing exceptions is making way (III); and in antitrust law, where a distinct though equally problematic “undercover” licensing paradigm is gaining prominence (IV). Finally, it explains the perils of squeezing patent rights through stealth licensing with two metaphors: that of a black swan (V) and that of a butterfly (VI).

Keywords: Patents; Compulsory Licenses; Antitrust Law; Trade; TRIPS; Competition; Innovation; Industrial Economics

JEL Classification: K21; O31; O34; O38; L4

Suggested Citation

Petit, Nicolas, 'Stealth Licensing' - Or Antitrust Law and Trade Regulation Squeezing Patent Rights (April 19, 2014). European Competition Journal, 9(3), 2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2426782 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2426782

Nicolas Petit (Contact Author)

European University Institute - Department of Law (LAW) ( email )

Via Bolognese 156 (Villa Salviati)
50-139 Firenze
Italy

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