The context for this book is the increasingly complex relationship between economic theory and competition law which gives rise to lively political and academic debate on the direction competition law should take in a more global and innovation-oriented market place. The authors adopt a comparative, research-orientated approach, taking into account different situations in the US, Europe, Japan and transition and developing countries. They investigate the impact of economics on the objectives of competition law in various fields - restrictive agreements, unilateral restraints and merger control - and on the effectiveness of enforcement in a given legal and judicial system. Economic Theory and Competition Law is an insightful resource for law and economics scholars. Legal practitioners in the field of competition law will also value this book.

This book presents a detailed study of the interface between regional integration and competition policies of selected regional trade agreements (RTAs), and the potential of regional competition laws to help developing countries achieve their development goals. The book provides insights on the regional integration experiences in developing countries, their potential for development and the role of competition law and policy in the process. Moreover, the book emphasizes the development dimension both of regional competition policies and of competition law. This timely book delivers concrete proposals that will help to unleash the potential of regional integration and regional competition policies, and also help developing countries to fully enjoy the benefits deriving from a regional market. Bringing together analysis from well-known scholars in the developed world with practical insight from scholars in countries hoping to exploit the potential of competition law, this book will appeal to academics working in the field of competition law, practitioners, policymakers and officials from developing countries, as well as those in development organizations such as UNCTAD. Contributors: A. Amunategui Abad, M. Bakhoum, D.S. Beckford, J. Cortazar, J. Drexl, E.M. Fox, M.S. Gal, D.J. Gerber, G.K. Lipimile, G. Mamhare, J. Molestina, K. Moodaliyar, M. Ngom, T. Stewart, L. Thanadsillapakul, I.F. Wassmer

Public health, safety and access to reasonably priced medicine are common policy goals of pharmaceutical regulations. As both the context for innovation and competitive structure change, industry actors dynamically challenge the balance between the incentive for protection and the achievement of those policy goals. Considering the arguments from the perspectives of innovation, competition law and patent law, this book explores the difficult question of balancing protection with access, highlighting the difficulties in harmonization and coordination. The contributors to this book, including academics, judges and practitioners from Europe, the US and Japan, explore to what extent patent strategies and life-cycle management practices take advantage of patent laws and health-care regulation and disrupt the necessary balance between incentives for innovation and access to affordable medicine and health care. Addressing fundamental questions in the field of pharmaceutical innovation, this book will appeal to scholars and practitioners in intellectual property, competition law and life sciences regulation, as well as pharmaceutical companies and regulators. Contributors: R. Arnold, M.A. Bagley, B. Domeij, J. Drexl, R.C. Dreyfuss, C.R. Fackelmann, T. Imura, R. Iseki, N. Lee, R. Moufang, H. Ullrich

The issue of competition law's role in relation to state-owned enterprises is at the center of many discussions of competition law today, especially in regard to China, but in numerous other countries as well. Often the issue is oversimplified as one of mere opposition between state-owned enterprises and the objectives of competition law. That opposition exists, but the issues are often far more complex, and they involve fundamental current developments in the relationship between government and the economy. This book is masterful in identifying the range of issues involved and in analyzing the experiences and tensions in this relationship. It has a broad range, and several of the contributions are exceptionally insightful. All are very useful.' - David Gerber, Illinois Institue of Technology, US'This book is an important and most welcome contribution to the study of state-initiated restraints on competition. It gathers together leading academics in order to recognize and suggest tools to ensure that such restraints do not restrict competition in a way which reduces welfare. Accordingly, the book provides important insights on how to identify such restraints in different settings, some of which are intentional and well recognized and some of which are not. It then suggests principled approaches to reduce such restraints, based, inter alia, on case studies from around the world, including Australia, India, the EU, the US and Brazil. It is highly recommended for anyone interested in the role states play in creating restraints on competition.' - Michal S. Gal, University of Haifa, Israel This new book addresses important current problems and challenges arising from a large variety of state-initiated restraints. Beyond state-owned enterprises, rules on government procurement and the control of state subsidies, the contributions also analyze forms of regulation that either distort competition or manage to introduce competition in the market. The contributions of leading competition law scholars cover state-initiated restraints of competition in many jurisdictions, including the US, the EU, Australia, and Asian and Latin American countries. Competition and trade law scholars will find this book both relevant and insightful. Regulators and competition agencies, representatives of international organizations and competition law practitioners will also find this to be an invaluable resource of information from which they can take new inspiration. Contributors: A. Barrionuevo, G. Bercovici, L. Bettencourt Nunes, S. Chakravarthy, T.K. Cheng, C. Curiel Leidenz, J. Drexl, P. Dutra, D. Healey, T. Jaeger, M.M. Leitao Marques, G. Oliveira, R.J.R. Peritz, S. Vezzoso, T. Zuniga Fernandez

In recent years, an impressive proliferation of competition laws has been seen around the world. While this development may lead to greater diversity of approaches, economic arguments may promote convergence. The contributions to this book look at a number of most topical issues by asking whether the competition world is turning more towards convergence or diversity. These issues include, among others, the changing role of economics in times of economic crises and political change, the introduction of criminal sanctions, resale-price maintenance, unilateral conduct and the application of competition law to intellectual property and state-owned enterprises. More Common Ground for International Competition Law will appeal to academics, PhD students, and postgraduate students law and economics, members of competition agencies, legal practice and international business. Contributors: S. Anderman, N.W Averitt, C. Beaton-Wells, J. Bejcek, J. Drexl, T. Eilmansberger, A.A. Foer, A. Fuchs, M.S. Gal, G. Ghidini, D. Healey, C.A. Jones, R.H. Lande, M. Lao, P.L Nihoul, R.J.R. Peritz, M.E. Stucke

This comprehensive Handbook brings together contributions from American, Canadian, European, and Japanese writers to better explore the interface between competition and intellectual property law. Issues range from the fundamental to the specific, each considered from the angle of cartels, dominant positions, and mergers. Topics covered include, among others, technology licensing, the doctrine of exhaustion, network industries, innovation, patents, and copyright. Appropriate space is devoted to the latest developments in European and American antitrust law, such as the 'more economic approach' and the question of anti-competitive abuses of intellectual property rights. Each original chapter reflects extensive comments by all other contributors, an approach which ensures a diversity of perspectives within a systematic framework. These cutting edge articles will be of great interest to law professors and postgraduate students of intellectual property and competition law, as well as those interested in innovation and competition theory, and legal practices in intellectual property and competition law.

Intellectual property (IP) rights impact innovation in diverse ways. This book critically analyses whether additional rights beyond patents, trademarks and copyrights are needed to promote innovation. Featuring contributions from thought-leaders in the field of IP, this book examines the check and balances that already exist in the IP system to safeguard innovation and questions to what extent existing IP regimes are capable of catering to new paradigms of innovation and creativity. Taking a multi-angled view of the topic, this book questions whether IP rights by definition encourage innovation and explores the role of exceptions and limitations to IP rights as well as the application of competition law to promote innovation. Chapters analyse diverse topics within the field of IP such as plant varieties protection, geographical indications and 3D printing. Taken as a whole this book advocates that a pro-innovation rationale must be applied when new IP legislation is designed. This book will be an engaging source of information for researchers and policy-makers with an interest in the direction of IP legislation and the promotion of innovation. It will also be relevant for scholars of competition law who are seeking information on the relationship between competition and IP.

The Economic Characteristics of Developing Jurisdictions: Their Implications for Competition Law contributes to the ongoing debate over what type of competition law and policy is most suitable for developing jurisdictions. Concluding that one competition model does not fit all socio-economic contexts, the book frames an alternative vision of competition rules for developing nations. A number of different factors that influence the implementation of competition law in developing countries are analyzed, such as the content and goals of such laws, the institutional features, and the political, ideological and legal conditions that must complement law and policy. Experts in the fields of development economics and competition law discuss the key economic features that characterize most developing jurisdictions, determine how these unique characteristics influence law and policy and define how this must translate into competition law. Through this interdisciplinary exploration, the book illustrates how unique characteristics of developing jurisdictions matter when enforcing competition law. Scholars interested in development economics and law and development will find this an informative addition to the discussion surrounding competition law in developed and developing countries. Practitioners and policy makers will find practical insight into how traditional approaches to designing competition law must be revised for the future. Contributors: M. Bakhoum, M.H.A. Beigi, O. Budzinsky, I.L. De Leon, J. Drexl, S.J. Evenett, E.M. Fox, M.S. Gal, D.J. Gerber, E.M. Greco, T. Indig, D. Lewis, P. Lin, D. Petrecolla, Y. Qiao, S. Roberts, C.A. Romero, U. Schwager, J. Tapia, J.P. Vila-Martinez

For years, the pendulum between competition law and regulation used to be at full swing between ex ante and ex post intervention. The oscillation now is shorter and the two edges more intertwined. This highly topical edited volume includes contributions at the 8th ASCOLA conference from eminent experts in the field, practitioners and academics. The contributors and the editors have succeeded in producing a coherent, thought-provoking, cutting-edge analysis of an area of law that is continuously changing.' - Ioannis Kokkoris, Queen Mary University London, UKTo what extent should competition agencies act as market regulators? Competition Law as Regulation provides numerous insights from competition scholars on new trends at the interface of competition law and sector-specific regulation. By relying on the experiences of a considerable number of different jurisdictions, and applying a comparative approach to the topic, this book constitutes an important addition to international research on the interface of competition and regulation. It addresses the fundamental issues of the subject, and contributes to legal theory and practice. Topics discussed include foundations of the complex relationship of competition law and regulation, new forms of advocacy powers of competition agencies, competition law enforcement in regulated industries in general, information and telecommunications markets, and competition law as regulation in IP-related markets. Scholars in the two fields of law and economics will find the research aspects of the book to be of interest. Officials in competition and regulatory agencies will benefit from the practical relevance of the book. Contributors: E. Arezzo, A. Ayal, M. Botta, F. Caronna, F. Di Porto, M.S. Gal, T. Indig, K. Kowalik-Banczyk, B. Lundqvist, M. Maggiolino, N. Rangone, M. Siragusa, Y. Svetiev, A. Svetlicinii, T. Takigawa, R.H. Weber

This outstanding collection of original essays brings together some of the leading experts in competition economics, policy and law. They examine what lies at the core of the 'economic approach to competition law' and deal with its normative and institutional limitations. In recent years the more 'economic approach' has led to a modernization of competition law throughout the world. This book comprehensively examines for the first time, the foundations and limitations of the approach and will be of great interest to scholars of competition policy no matter what discipline. Competition Policy and the Economic Approach will appeal to academics in competition economics and law, policy-makers and practitioners in the field of antitrust/competition law as well as postgraduate students in competition law and economics. Those interested in the interplay of law and economics in the field of competition will also find this book invaluable. Contributors: O. Budzinski, U. Cantner, J. Drexl, C. Engel, A. Fuchs, J. Haucap, A. Heinemann, L. Idot, W. Kerber, W.E. Kovacic, R. Podszun, M. Polo, D.L. Rubinfeld, D. Schroeder, V.J. Vanberg, G.J. Werden, B.J. Wilson, D. Zimmer

This outstanding collection of original essays brings together some of the leading experts in competition economics, policy and law. They examine what lies at the core of the 'economic approach to competition law' and deal with its normative and institutional limitations. In recent years the more 'economic approach' has led to a modernization of competition law throughout the world. This book comprehensively examines for the first time, the foundations and limitations of the approach and will be of great interest to scholars of competition policy no matter what discipline. Competition Policy and the Economic Approach will appeal to academics in competition economics and law, policy-makers and practitioners in the field of antitrust/competition law as well as postgraduate students in competition law and economics. Those interested in the interplay of law and economics in the field of competition will also find this book invaluable. Contributors: O. Budzinski, U. Cantner, J. Drexl, C. Engel, A. Fuchs, J. Haucap, A. Heinemann, L. Idot, W. Kerber, W.E. Kovacic, R. Podszun, M. Polo, D.L. Rubinfeld, D. Schroeder, V.J. Vanberg, G.J. Werden, B.J. Wilson, D. Zimmer

This comprehensive Handbook brings together contributions from American, Canadian, European, and Japanese writers to better explore the interface between competition and intellectual property law. Issues range from the fundamental to the specific, each considered from the angle of cartels, dominant positions, and mergers. Topics covered include, among others, technology licensing, the doctrine of exhaustion, network industries, innovation, patents, and copyright. Appropriate space is devoted to the latest developments in European and American antitrust law, such as the 'more economic approach' and the question of anti-competitive abuses of intellectual property rights. Each original chapter reflects extensive comments by all other contributors, an approach which ensures a diversity of perspectives within a systematic framework. These cutting edge articles will be of great interest to law professors and postgraduate students of intellectual property and competition law, as well as those interested in innovation and competition theory, and legal practices in intellectual property and competition law.

The relationship between intellectual property and private international law is a fascinating and multi-faceted one. Both fields are inherently international, but it is the exponential increase in conflicts involving trans-border elements, in a world characterised by global trade and borderless communication structures, that has, in modern times, drawn the two disciplines close. The essays contained in this book, first presented at a Symposium in Munich, set out possible visions for a future system of international and regional jurisdiction and applicable law that is better adapted to the increasingly supranational character of IP rights. A second feature of the book is its treatment of 'harmonisation' of choice-of-law issues. Framed by these two elements - international jurisdiction on the one hand and perspectives for harmonised choice of law rules in an international context on the other - specific European themes are also addressed; jurisdiction, the establishment of a European judiciary in the patent field, the relationship between regional (European) systems and an international jurisdiction convention, and the recent proposal for a Regulation on applicable law in non-contractual relationships (Rome II).

In the last two decades, accelerating technological progress, increasing economic globalization and the proliferation of international agreements have created new challenges for intellectual property law. In this collection of articles in honor of Professor Joseph Straus, more than 60 scholars and practitioners from the Americas, Asia and Europe provide legal, economic and policy perspectives on these challenges, with a particular focus on the challenges facing the modern patent system. Among the many topics addressed are the rapid development of specific technical fields such as biotechnology, the relationship of exclusive rights and competition, and the application of territorially limited IP laws in cross-border scenarios.