Curriculum Vitae and Publications Dr. Pedro Henrique D. Batista

Dr. Pedro Henrique D. Batista is a Research Associate at FIZ Karlsruhe - Leibniz Institute for Information Infrastructure and an Affiliated Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition, where he previously served as a research associate for over ten years. In addition to his research work, he coordinated the international research initiative Smart IP for Latin America (SIPLA) there for seven years.

He earned his LL.M. and Ph.D. from Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU). His dissertation was awarded the dissertation prizes from LMU and the German Association for Industrial Property and Copyright (GRUR). 

His research focuses on the intersection of intellectual property law, competition law, and the regulation of data-driven innovations and digital information infrastructures. In particular, he examines the legal frameworks governing biological data infrastructures, Digital Sequence Information (DSI), artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and issues related to innovation and information governance.

At FIZ Karlsruhe, Dr. Batista leads a subproject of the BMFTR-funded “Infra-Souverän” project. There, he examines the regulatory challenges of digital research and AI infrastructures, as well as their significance for digital sovereignty, data governance, and innovation.

Dr. Batista is a member of the Working Group on Benefit-Sharing from the Use of Digital Sequence Information under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) within the framework of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and participates in the work of the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge, and Folklore of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). In addition, he is a standing member of the GRUR Expert Committee on the Protection of Plant Varieties and a reviewer for several international journals in the field of intellectual property law.

Books and Monographs

Das Recht an genetischen Ressourcen. Nagoya-Protokoll, Patentrecht und weitere regulatorische Optionen (Schriftenreihe zum gewerblichen Rechtsschutz, Band 201), Carl Heymanns Verlag, Hürth 2025, XIX + 432 S.

Contributions to Collected Editions, Commentaries, Handbooks and Encyclopaedias

Fast Track Patent Prosecution for Sustainable Technologies – Potential Economic Justifications, Challenges and The Way Forward, in: Martin Stierle (Hg.), Patents and Sustainability (digital | recht. Schriften zum Immaterialgüter-, IT-, Medien-, Daten- und Wettbewerbsrecht), Universität, Trier 2025, forthcoming.

Also published as: Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition Research Paper 2025

Kommentar zu den Art. 11, 12, 13 und 14 des Übereinkommens über ein Einheitliches Patentgericht - EPÜG, in: Stefan Luginbühl, Aloys Hüttermann (Hg.), Einheitspatentsystem - Kommentar, Carl Heymanns Verlag, Hürth 2024, 284 - 297.

Kommentar zu den Art. 4, 5 des Übereinkommens über ein Einheitliches Patentgericht - EPÜG, in: Stefan Luginbühl, Aloys Hüttermann (Hg.), Einheitspatentsystem - Kommentar, Carl Heymanns Verlag, Hürth 2024, 258 - 265.

Kommentar zu den Art. 1, 2 des Übereinkommens über ein Einheitliches Patentgericht - EPÜG, in: Stefan Luginbühl, Aloys Hüttermann (Hg.), Einheitspatentsystem - Kommentar, Carl Heymanns Verlag, Hürth 2024, 251 - 255.

The Protection of Genetic Resources: Potential for Regional Cooperation, in: Kreation Innovation Märkte - Creation Innovation Markets - Festschrift Reto M. Hilty, Springer, Berlin; Heidelberg 2024, 603 - 617. DOI

Over the past years, two passions have guided the academic efforts of the distinguished Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Reto M. Hilty as Director of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition: the unfolding of the economic and innovative potential of Latin America and the solution of grand challenges to humanity. Few topics fit so well into the intersection of these endeavors as the protection of genetic resources. The unique biodiversity of Latin American countries not only needs to be protected in order for environmental goals to be achieved, but it also provides them with great potential for innovation and use of technologies. The realization of this untapped potential, however, requires appropriate regulations. By assigning countries sovereign rights over genetic resources and supporting the sharing of the benefits that arise from their use, the Convention on Biological Diversity and its Nagoya Protocol have opened an important gateway to this. Nevertheless, its objectives have not been achieved in the last decades. This article presents some of the main factors determining the failure of these international instruments and analyzes regulatory alternatives at the regional and plurilateral levels that countries interested in obtaining a fair and equitable benefit sharing for the use of their resources may adopt.

Traditional Knowledge, Databases and Prior Art: Options for an Effective Defensive Use of TK against undue Patent Granting, in: Irini Stamatoudi (Hg.), Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Cultural Heritage (Research Handbooks in Intellectual Property), Edward Elgar Publishing, Northampton, MA, USA; Cheltenham, UK 2022, 132 - 153 (gemeinsam mit Reto M. Hilty, Suelen Carls).

Cultural Heritage and Patent Law – Alternatives for the Protection of Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources, in: Irini Stamatoudi (Hg.), Research Handbook on Intellectual Property and Cultural Heritage (Research Handbooks in Intellectual Property), Edward Elgar Publishing, Northampton, MA, USA; Cheltenham, UK 2022, 73 - 93.

La Propiedad Intelectual en Latinoamérica y su Rol en el Desarrollo Económico y Social [Intellectual Property in Latin America and its Role in Economic and Social Development], in: Marcos Wachowicz, Karin Grau-Kuntz (Hg.), Estudos de Propriedade Intelectual em Homenagem ao Prof. Dr. Denis Borges Barbosa [Studies on Intellectual Property in Honor of Prof. Dr. Denis Borges Barbosa], IODA - Instituto Observatório do Direito Autoral, Curitiba 2021, 25 - 64 (gemeinsam mit Reto M. Hilty et al.).

O texto trata do estabelecimento e evolução dos direitos da propriedade in-telectual na América Latina. Perpassa os contextos nos quais esses direitos foram incorporados ao arcabouço legal doméstico. Ainda que as economias latino-americanas sejam mais ou menos frágeis do ponto de vista da pro-priedade intelectual, as conclusões apontam que há diversos desafios a se-rem enfrentados, mas que os países da região têm potencial para superá-los e avançar na proteção e na utilização dos seus ativos intelectuais.

This article deals with the establishment and evolution of intellectual property rights in Latin America. It goes through the contexts in which these rights have been in-corporated into the domestic legal framework. Although Latin American economies are more or less fragile from the point of view of intellectual property, the conclusions indicate that there are several challenges to be faced, but that the countries of the region have the potential to overcome them and advance in the protection and use of their intellectual assets.

Section 18.5 - Antibiotics, in: Roberto Romandini, Reto M. Hilty, Annette Kur (Hg.), Study on the Legal Aspects of Supplementary Protection Certificates in the EU - Final Report, European Commission, Brussels 2018, 435 - 447 (gemeinsam mit Roberto Romandini).

Section 18.3 - Personalised medicines and companion diagnostics, in: Roberto Romandini, Reto M. Hilty, Annette Kur (Hg.), Study on the Legal Aspects of Supplementary Protection Certificates in the EU - Final Report, European Commission, Brussels 2018, 420 - 426.

Chapter 18 - Specific issues in health technology, in: Roberto Romandini, Reto M. Hilty, Annette Kur (Hg.), Study on the Legal Aspects of Supplementary Protection Certificates in the EU - Final Report, European Commission, Brussels 2018, 399 - 470 (gemeinsam mit Roberto Romandini et al.).

Kapitel 1 - Grundlagen, Aufbau und Methodik, in: Reto M. Hilty, Thomas Jaeger (Hg.), Europäisches Immaterialgüterrecht - Funktionen und Perspektiven [European Intellectual Property Law - Functions and Perspectives] (MPI Studies on Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 26), Springer, Berlin; Heidelberg 2018, 1 - 58 (gemeinsam mit Sophie Luise Bings et al.). DOI

Kapitel 3.3 - Spezifische Fehlstellungen mit Bezug auf den Binnenmarkt, in: Reto M. Hilty, Thomas Jaeger (Hg.), Europäisches Immaterialgüterrecht - Funktionen und Perspektiven (MPI Studies on Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 26), Springer, Berlin; Heidelberg 2018, 451 - 663 (gemeinsam mit Seyavash Amini et al.). DOI

Kapitel 3.2 - Fehlstellungen mit Bezug auf Schutzdefizite und Überschutz im materiellen Recht, in: Reto M. Hilty, Thomas Jaeger (Hg.), Europäisches Immaterialgüterrecht - Funktionen und Perspektiven (MPI Studies on Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 26), Springer, Berlin; Heidelberg 2018, 287 - 450 (gemeinsam mit Arpi Abovyan et al.). DOI

Kapitel 3.1 - Fehlstellungen mit Bezug auf die Voraussetzungen, die Reichweite und die Begrenzungen einzelner Schutzrechte, in: Reto M. Hilty, Thomas Jaeger (Hg.), Europäisches Immaterialgüterrecht - Funktionen und Perspektiven (MPI Studies on Intellectual Property and Competition Law, 26), Springer, Berlin; Heidelberg 2018, 146 - 286 (gemeinsam mit Reto M. Hilty et al.). DOI

Journal Articles

Proposal for a Global Regulation for Digital Sequence Information, IIC 56, 7 (2025), 1265 - 1308. DOI

The increasing use of information on digital gene sequences (digital sequence information – DSI) in biotechnological products and services is rekindling discussions on the effective protection of rights over genetic resources within the scope of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol (NP). After long-standing controversy, the United Nations Environment Programme is moving towards adopting a multilateral mechanism for sharing benefits that arise from the use of DSI. However, it is questionable to what extent the regulatory model adopted effectively promotes the fair and equitable sharing of such benefits. This article presents the reasons behind this and proposes a model for the global regulation of DSI that not only combines efficient procedures with the objectives of the CBD and the NP, but also allows integration with multilateral mechanisms of other international treaties.

The WIPO IGC Chair's Draft on IP and Genetic Resources—Reasons for Concern, Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice 19, 4 (2024), 328 - 336. DOI

The requirement to disclose certain information in a patent application in order to promote compliance with national rules on access and benefit-sharing (ABS) related to genetic resources (GRs) has been a very controversial topic. After decades of disagreements, an international instrument in this area is expected to be agreed during a World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Diplomatic Conference to be held in 2024.

The basis for the final steps in the negotiation is the Chair’s Draft prepared by the Secretariat of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee. The question is, however, whether this Draft has the potential to achieve the desired goals.

This article undertakes a critical analysis of the Draft to assess its adequacy for an effective protection of GRs and its suitability for strategic policies on ABS. We also explore alternative regulatory options for specific issues.

New Genomic Techniques and Intellectual Property Law: Challenges and Solutions for the Plant Breeding Sector - Position Statement of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition: Munich, 8 January 2024, GRUR Int 73, 4 (2024), 323 - 339 (gemeinsam mit Daria Kim et al.). DOI

On 5 July 2023, the European Commission proposed a regulation aiming to ease the requirements for the marketing authorisation of plants obtained through certain new genomic techniques (NGTs) within the European Union (EU). While NGTs are expected to become more attractive to breeders and farmers, the complexity of the intellectual property (IP) landscape surrounding these techniques and resulting products may negatively impact technology diffusion and innovation. Given numerous concerns related to IP protection for NGTs and NGT-derived plants, this Position Statement from the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition presents a set of policy recommendations for facilitating access to and utilisation of IP-protected NGTs and NGT-derived products in the breeding sector.

A propriedade intelectual pode ser indutora da igualdade social? [Can Intellectual Property Promote Social Equality?], Monitor mercantil 2023.

https://monitormercantil.com.br/a-propriedade-intelectual-pode-ser-indutora-da-igualdade-social/#:~:text=Ela%20pode%20levar%20a%20uma,a%20redu%C3%A7%C3%A3o%20da%20desigualdade%20social

Revisiting the Framework for Compulsory Licensing of Patents in the European Union – Reflections on the European Commission’s Initiative, GRUR Int 72, 5 (2023), 471 - 482 (gemeinsam mit Matthias Lamping et al.). DOI

Within the scope of its initiative on ‘Compulsory Licensing in the EU’,8 the European Commission launched a call for evidence on 1 April 2022 and a public consultation on 7 July 2022 with the aim of gathering views from stakeholders. The objective of this initiative is to explore the possibility of revising the framework for compulsory licensing in the EU to make it more ‘adequately prepared and coordinated to tackle future crises’.9 The authors of this position paper welcome the Commission’s attempt to reinvigorate the public discourse on this important subject.

Depending on the issue to be addressed and the extent of the Commission’s willingness to reform, different regulatory approaches are conceivable. Subject to compatibility with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality, these include:

Rather than making concrete recommendations on the regulatory approach, this paper addresses selected aspects by way of a preliminary, non-exhaustive note on: the proposed reform’s scope and the grounds for a compulsory licence; the requirements of prior negotiation and licensing failure; government use; procedural matters; compulsory licences for patent applications and products; the relation with other regulations and sui generis regimes (i.e. trade secret protection, regulatory data protection and supplementary protection certificates); the concept of adequate remuneration; compulsory licences for European patents with unitary effect; and the exhaustion of products placed on the market under a compulsory licence.

– soft law measures, such as guidelines and recommendations;

– harmonisation of national laws (substantive and/or procedural);10

– judicial cooperation (i.e. mutual recognition of judgments and of decisions in extrajudicial cases);11

– centralisation of granting and/or judicial review competences;

– creation of a supranational compulsory licence;

– or any combination thereof.

Potential and Limits of Patent Law to Address Climate Change, GRUR Int 72, 9 (2023), 821 - 839 (gemeinsam mit Reto M. Hilty). DOI

The challenges imposed by climate change urgently require new technologies to reduce environmental damage and make more efficient use of natural resources. Patent law is generally considered an important tool to promote innovation. The question therefore arises as to its role with regard to sustainable inventions, in particular whether there is a need for adjustments to increase its efficiency, but also concerning the interaction with other regulatory measures. This article offers a critical overview of the range of options for state intervention and distinguishes different types of market failure that need to be prevented in different ways.

A Implementação do Art. 17 da Diretiva DSM na Alemanha - Visão geral e Questões Controversas na Regulação das Plataformas Digitais (The Implementation of Art. 17 DSM in Germany – Overview and Controversial Questions in the Regulation of Digital Platforms), Revista Rede de Direito Digital, Intelectual & Sociedade 1, 1 (2021), 149 - 207.

No Need of Evidence for Moral Damages Compensation after a Trade Mark Infringement, GRUR Int 70, 8 (2021), 764 - 769. DOI

Social, Cultural and Economic Aspects of Antimicrobial Resistance, Bulletin of the World Health Organization 98, 12 (2020), 823 - 823A (gemeinsam mit Timo Minssen et al.). DOI

IP-Based Incentives Against Antimicrobial Crisis: A European Perspective, IIC 50, 1 (2019), 30 - 76 (gemeinsam mit Dennis Byrski et al.). DOI

The field of antimicrobials is considered to be facing a crisis. Increasing
microbial resistance is creating a demand for new drugs, which however is not being
matched by privately funded R&D. The reasons for this market failure are of a
technical and economic nature. The present article analyzes what changes to IP-
based incentives are conceivable in the European Union (EU) in order to address the
antimicrobial crisis. Since the assessment of the suitability of the analyzed options
depends on interdisciplinary research, this article also proposes a research agenda to
be considered for the implementation of public policies in this field.

Champagne, Sorbets and Geographical Indications – Critical Appraisal of the CJEU Decision Champagner Sorbet (EUGH Aktenzeichen C-393/16), GRUR Int 67, 6 (2018), 550 - 555 (gemeinsam mit Luc Desaunettes).

A Comunicação ao Público da Obra no Direito Autoral –Novos Fundamentos Vindos de Portugal? [The Communication to the Public of Copyright Protected Works – New Foundations from Portugal?], Revista Eletrônica do IBPI - ReVeL 10 (2014), 42 - 83.

Zur Patentierung menschlicher embryonaler Stammzellen – kritische Würdigung der Entscheidung des EuGH im Fall Brüstle [Patentability of Human Embryonic Stem Cells – Critical Appraisal oft he CJEU Decision in the Brüstle Case], GRUR Int 62, 6 (2013), 514 - 524.

Gaining Consensus on Comparative Advertising in Brazil, World Trademark Review 37 (2012), 70 - 73 (gemeinsam mit João Vieira da Cunha, Fernando Eid Philipp).

Case notes

Copyright Protection of Graffiti Art in Brazil: The Limitation of a Copyright Limitation?, IIC 52, 7 (2021), 977 - 982. DOI

Comment on "Huawei Technologies" (C-170/13): Standard Essential Patents and Competition Law – How Far Does the CJEU Decision Go?, Court of Justice of the European Union, 15.07.2015 - C-170/13, IIC 47, 2 (2016), 244 - 253 (gemeinsam mit Gustavo Cesar Mazutti). DOI

Legal case: Court of Justice of the European Union, 2015-07-15

Research Papers

Recomendaciones para una Regulación Internacional de Información sobre Secuencias Digitales (DSI) (Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Discussion Paper, No. 24), 2024, 9 S. DOI

Mediante la Decisión 15/9, las Partes Contratantes del Convenio sobre la Diversidad Biológica apoyan la adopción de un mecanismo multilateral para el reparto de los beneficios derivados del uso de la información sobre secuencia digital. La adopción deste mecanismo puede tener profundos impactos regulatorios, económicos y estratégicos en los países latinoamericanos. Se espera que las Partes lleguen a un acuerdo y lo aprueben a principios de noviembre de 2024 durante la COP 16. Sin embargo, todavía no hay consenso sobre el diseño concreto del mecanismo multilateral para el reparto de beneficios derivados del uso de la DSI. En particular, aunque tienen intereses comunes, los países latinoamericanos no parecen tener una estrategia común en las negociaciones. Luego de un taller de la Iniciativa Smart IP for Latin America (SIPLA) sobre el tema, académicos, usuarios y expertos de diferentes países de América Latina acordaron las recomendaciones hechas en este documento.

Through Decision 15/9, the Contracting Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) support the adoption of a multilateral mechanism for the sharing of benefits arising from the use of digital sequence information (DSI). Among other aspects, this mechanism must (i) be efficient, feasible, practical, effective, and consistent with open access to data, (ii) generate more benefits than costs, and (iii) provide legal certainty and clarity for providers and users. The adoption of this mechanism could have profound regulatory, economic, and strategic impacts on Latin American countries. It is expected that the Parties will reach an agreement and approve it in early November 2024 during COP 16. However, there is still no consensus on the specific design of the multilateral mechanism for benefit-sharing derived from the use of DSI. In particular, although they have common interests, Latin American countries do not seem to have a unified strategy in the negotiations. After a fruitful and successful workshop by the SIPLA Initiative on this topic, academics, users, and experts from different Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, and Peru, agreed on the recommendations made in this document.

Proposal for a Global Regulation of Digital Sequence Information (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition Research Paper, No. 24-10 ), 2024, 30 S.

The increasing use of information on digital genetic sequences (digital sequence information-DSI) in biotechnological products and services rekindles discussions about the effective protection of rights over of genetic resources within the scope of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Nagoya Protocol (NP). After a long controversy, the United Nations Environment Programme is moving towards adopting a multilateral mechanism for sharing benefits that arise from the use of DSI. However, an agreement by the Contracting Parties on its concrete design still seems to be distant. This article presents reasons for this development at the international level and proposes a model for the global regulation of DSI that not only combines efficient procedures with the objectives of the CBD and the NP, but also allows integration with multilateral mechanisms of other international treaties.

Available at SSRN

Aplicación de la Decisión Ministerial de la OMC sobre Patentes Relacionadas a Vacunas contra el COVID-19 (Application of the Ministerial Decision of the WHO on Patents Related to COVID-19 Vaccines), Policy Paper, 2022, 11 S. (gemeinsam mit Juan I. Correa).

https://sipla.ip.mpg.de/fileadmin/Files/Publications/Aplicacion_de_la_Decision_Ministerial.pdf

Distinctive Signs for Collective Use in Latin America: Development Promotion by Valuing Origin and Quality (Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper, 22-15), 2022, 131 S. (gemeinsam mit Roxana Carmen Blasetti, Suelen Carls). DOI

Origin-based production, including manufacturing, handicraft, and especially food production in Latin American countries, is essential to their economies. Quality differentiation systems such as geographical indications, designations of origin, collective and certification marks, and quality labels, among others, can play a dual role in the economic and social development of the region and in adding value to their products with the consequent impact on trade. However, those systems are quite particular to each country due to multiple realities. Therefore, it is challenging to promote integration, harmonisation, and /or cooperation within the region. Therefore, this paper aims to offer a comprehensive legal comparative understanding of how those systems work in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay to back up further research, law, and policy-making on this field. The outcome indicates potential ways forward, targeting especially (a) the potential of a regional system of mutual recognition of the protection granted at the national level and (b) the improvement of the system at the domestic level, according to each country's reality and producer's needs.

Spanish version published as Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Discussion Paper No. 21

Signos Distintivos Colectivos en Latinoamérica: Fomento del Desarrollo Valorando Origen y Calidad (Distinctive Signs for Collective Use in Latin America: Development Promotion by Valuing Origin and Quality) (Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Discussion Paper, No. 21), 2022, 144 S. (gemeinsam mit Roxana Carmen Blasetti, Suelen Carls). DOI

La producción desarrollada localmente, incluyendo la manufactura, la artesanía y especialmente la producción de alimentos en los países latinoamericanos, es esencial para sus economías. Los sistemas de diferenciación de la calidad, como las indicaciones geográficas, las denominaciones de origen, las marcas colectivas y de certificación, y los sellos de calidad, entre otros, pueden desempeñar un doble papel, tanto para el desarrollo económico y social de la región como para añadir valor a sus productos con el consiguiente impacto en el comercio. Sin embargo, estos sistemas tienen particularidades en cada país debido a las múltiples realidades existentes. Es por ello que constituye un desafío promover a integración, la armonización y/o la cooperación al interior de la región. Es en este sentido que el presente documento ofrece un estudio comparado de las reglas jurídicas vigentes y de cómo funcionan estos sistemas en Argentina, Brasil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, México, Paraguay, Perú y Uruguay para respaldar la investigación y la elaboración de leyes y políticas públicas en la materia. El resultado indica las posibles vías de avance, centrándose especialmente (a) en el potencial de un sistema regional de reconocimiento mutuo de la protección dada a nivel nacional (b) en la mejora del sistema a nivel nacional, según la realidad de cada país y las necesidades de los productores.

Origin-based production, including manufacturing, handicraft, and especially food production in Latin American countries, is essential to their economies. Quality differentiation systems such as geographical indications, designations of origin, collective and certification marks, and quality labels, among others, can play a dual role in the economic and social development of the region and in adding value to their products with the consequent impact on trade. However, those systems are quite particular to each country due to multiple realities. Therefore, it is challenging to promote integration, harmonisation, and /or cooperation within the region. Therefore, this paper aims to offer a comprehensive legal comparative understanding of how those systems work in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay to back up further research, law, and policy-making on this field. The outcome indicates potential ways forward, targeting especially (a) the potential of a regional system of mutual recognition of the protection granted at the national level and (b) the improvement of the system at the domestic level, according to each country's reality and producer's needs.

Also published in: Smart IP Initiative

English version published as: Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper 22-15

Opinions

Revisiting the Framework for Compulsory Licensing of Patents in the European Union, 2023, 27 S. (gemeinsam mit Matthias Lamping et al.).

Within the scope of its initiative on “Compulsory Licensing in the EU”, the European Commission launched a call for evidence on 1 April 2022 and a public consultation on 7 July 2022 with the aim of gathering views from stakeholders. The objective of this initiative is to explore the possibility of revising the framework for compulsory licensing in the EU to make it more “adequately prepared and coordinated to tackle future crises”. The authors of this position paper welcome the Commission’s attempt to reinvigorate the public discourse on this important subject. This paper addresses selected aspects by way of a preliminary, non-exhaustive note on: the proposed reform’s scope and the grounds for a compulsory licence; the requirements of prior negotiation and licensing failure; government use; procedural matters; compulsory licences for patent applications and products; the relation with other regulations and sui generis regimes (i.e. trade secret protection, regulatory data protection, and supplementary protection certificates); the concept of adequate remuneration; compulsory licences for European patents with unitary effect; and the exhaustion of products placed on the market under a compulsory licence.

Opinion published as Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper No. 23-07

Position Statement of 5 July 2022 on the Decision of the WTO Ministerial Conference on the TRIPS Agreement adopted on 17 June 2022, 2022, 8 S. (gemeinsam mit Reto M. Hilty et al.).

On 17 June 2022, after nearly one and a half years of intense debate concerning the proposal to waive IP protection in view of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ministerial Conference of the World Trade Organization adopted a decision on the TRIPS Agreement. It has not waived any intellectual property rights as such but instead mainly clarified the application of the existing TRIPS flexibilities, in particular, regarding compulsory licensing of patents. The Position Statement shows that the Ministerial Decision makes no substantive difference in the existing international legal framework, except for lifting the limitation on the exportation of vaccines manufactured in accordance with the Decision. To the extent that the Decision can make the application of TRIPS flexibilities more expedient, it is to be welcomed. At the same time, it is argued that such facilitating effect should not be limited to, or justified by, the exceptional circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic. More critically, it should not be restricted to COVID-19 vaccines, of which there is currently no shortage – rather, the same level of TRIPS flexibilities should apply to all medicinal products needed to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.

2022-07-05__2._Position_Statement_Covid_IP_Waiver.pdf

Also published as: Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper No. 22-14

Covid-19 and the Role of Intellectual Property - Position Statement of the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition of 7 May 2021, 2021, 11 S. (gemeinsam mit Reto M. Hilty et al.).

In this Statement, the authors take a position on the waiver of intellectual property (IP) protection currently being considered by the members of the World Trade Organisation. The waiver was initiated by India and South Africa as a measure to enable rapid access to affordable medical products that are necessary to combat Covid-19. The initiative gained momentum after the US decided to support it. The authors do not consider this path to be expedient. The Statement presents factual and legal arguments why a comprehensive waiver of IP protection is unlikely to be a necessary and suitable measure towards the pursued objective. Overall, it argues that IP rights may so far have played an enabling and facilitating rather than hindering role in overcoming Covid-19. The global community might not be better off if IP rights are waived, neither during nor after the pandemic. There are more efficient and direct ways to supply developing countries with vaccines quickly – if the industrialised countries are willing to do their share.

2021_05_25_Position_statement_Covid_IP_waiver.pdf

Also published as: Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper No. 21-13

Further Publications, Press Articles, Interviews

Who Owns Biodiversity and Cultural Heritage?, Max Planck Research: the science magazine of the Max Planck Society 3 (2024), 14 - 19.

https://www.mpg.de/23752388/W001_View_Point_014-019.pdf

Interview on the topic "Fairer Zugang zu genetischen Ressourcen?" (Fair Access to Genetic Ressources?), Bayerischer Rundfunk 2024.

https://www.br.de/mediathek/podcast/wissenschaft-und-technik/foto-fakes-systematische-faelschungen-in-der-alzheimer-forschung/2098860

A propriedade intelectual pode ser indutora da igualdade social? [Can Intellectual Property Promote Social Equality?], Monitor Mercantil 2023.

https://monitormercantil.com.br/a-propriedade-intelectual-pode-ser-indutora-da-igualdade-social/

Ampliação do prazo de vigência das patentes: razões para cautela [Extension of the Patent Terms: Reasons for Caution], LexLatin (online) 2022.

https://br.lexlatin.com/opiniao/ampliacao-do-prazo-de-vigencia-das-patentes-razoes-para-cautela

La Propuesta Preliminar de Revisión de las Notas Explicativas de la UPOV sobre las Variedades Esencialmente Derivadas (The Preliminary Draft for the Revision of the UPOV Explanatory Notes on Essential Derived Varieties), Smart IP for Latin America – Buletín No. 5 (2021).

https://sipla.ip.mpg.de/es/noticias/detalles/opinion-la-propuesta-preliminar-de-revision-de-las-notas-explicativas-de-la-upov-sobre-las-variedades-esencialmente-derivadas.html

Anmerkung zu: Amsterdam Court of Appeals: No Copyright for an Inarticulate Criminal, IPOsgoode 2013.

https://www.yorku.ca/osgoode/iposgoode/2013/09/04/amsterdam-court-of-appeals-no-copyright-for-an-inarticulate-criminal/

Anmerkung zu: Patent Trolls or Patent Heroes: The Increasing Pressure on Patent Assertion Entities, IPOsgoode 2013.

https://www.yorku.ca/osgoode/iposgoode/2013/08/07/patent-trolls-or-patent-heroes-the-increasing-pressure-on-patent-assertion-entities/

Anmerkung zu: XBox One: (Not) Attempting to Modernize through Monopolization, IPOsgoode 2013 18.07.2013.

Anmerkung zu: Isolated Genes Are None Of Your Business! – SCOTUS Decides Myriad, IPOsgoode 2013.

https://www.yorku.ca/osgoode/iposgoode/2013/06/25/isolated-genes-are-none-of-your-business-scotus-decides-myriad/

Anmerkung zu: Beyond Knowledge and Consciousness – The Development of Liability for Misuse of Trade Secrets in the UK, IPOsgoode 2013.

https://www.yorku.ca/osgoode/iposgoode/2013/06/11/beyond-knowledge-and-consciousness-the-development-of-liability-for-misuse-of-trade-secrets-in-the-uk/

Anmerkung zu: New Step for the Modernization of Copyright Law in the US – Progress or Regress?, IPOsgoode 2013.

https://www.yorku.ca/osgoode/iposgoode/2013/05/16/new-step-for-the-modernization-of-copyright-law-in-the-us-progress-or-regress/

10.2025

The Rights to Genetic Resources – Nagoya Protocol, Patent Law and Further Regulatory Options [Das Recht an genetischen Ressourcen - Nagoya-Protokoll, Patentrecht und weitere regulatorische Optionen]

Award Ceremony for the Dissertation Prize - GRUR Annual Meeting 2025 

Organization: German Association for Intellectual Property Law (GRUR)

10.2025

The New International Governance of Intellectual Property:
Rules and Trends [A Nova Governança Internacional da Propriedade Intelectual: Regras e Tendências]

Faculty of Law at the University of São Paulo (Brazil)

Organization: Prof. Dr. Juliana Krueger Pela

06.2025

Sovereignty and IP Justice in a Deglobalizing World

43nd Congress of the International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP) - University of Copenhagen (Denmark)

Organization: ATRIP and University of Copenhagen

05.2025

Antimicrobial Crisis and IP: Is the EU on the Right Track?

University of Maastricht (Netherlands)

Organization: Prof. Anselm Kamperman Sanders

04.2025

Proposal for the Reform of the Legal Framework of the Brazilian IP Office [Proposta para a Reforma do Arcabouço Jurídico do Instituto Brasileiro de Propriedade Intelectual]

Organization: Brazilian National Industry Confederation (Brasília, Brazil)

03.2025

Dependent Patents and Sustainable Innovation – Is Art. 31 (L) (1) TRIPS Fit for the Future?

Texas A&M University School of Law (Dallas/Fort Worth, USA)

Organization: Prof. Peter K. Yu (Texas A&M University School of Law)

03.2025

Use of Copyrighted AI Works for AI Training and Development – EU Perspective [Uso de Obras Autorais para o Treinamento e Desenvolvimento de IA – Perspectiva Europeia]

Webinar “Use of Copyrighted Works for AI Training and Development – EU and U.S. Perspectives” (online)

Organization: Brazilian Intellectual Property Association (ABPI)

01.2025
Transferable Data Exclusivity Vouchers as an Incentive to Antimicrobial Innovation: A Sensible Approach for the European Union?
Wellcome Trust Foundation (London, England)
Organization: Global Strategy Lab (Canada) and Wellcome Trust Foundation

10.2024
Fast Track Patent Prosecution for Sustainable Technologies – Economic Justification and Research Agenda
Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance – University of Luxembourg
Organization: Prof. Dr. Martin Stierle

09.2024
Sustainable Innovation and Patent Law [Nachhaltige Innovation und Patentrecht]
German Trademark and Patent Office - DPMA (Munich, Germany)
Organization: GRUR

09.2024
Assessment of the Draft Instrument on The Global Regulation of Digital Sequence Information – Definitions and Triggers
London School of Economics and Political Sciences (London, England)
Organization: LSE Ocean Biodiversity Collective, One World Analytics, Meridian Institute

07.2024
Brain Data and Neurotechnologies – Ethical and Economic Considerations for a New Regulatory Framework
LUISS Guido Carli University (Rome, Italy)
Organization: ATRIP and LUISS Guido Carli University

06.2024
Neurotechnologies and Brain Data [Neurotecnologias e Dados Cerebrais]
Brazilian Observatory Institute of Copyright Law (Curitiba, Brazil)
Organization: Brazilian Observatory Institute of Copyright Law (online)

04.2024
Patent and Plant Variety Law [Patent- und Sortenschutzrecht]
German National Academy of Science and Engineering – acatech (Munich, Germany)
Organization: German National Academy of Science and Engineering - acatech

04.2024
Comment on The WIPO IGC Chair's Draft on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources
Third World Network (Geneva, Switzerland)
Organization: Third World Network

03.2024
The Global Governance of Digital Sequence Information [A Governança Global de Informações sobre Sequências Digitais]
Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brasilia, Brazil)
Organization: Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

03.2024
The Protection of Genetic Resources – Potential for Regional Cooperation
University of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Organization: Prof. Florent Thouvenin (University of Zurich)

08.2023
Economic View of Innovation
43. Internationaler Kongress der Brasilianischen Vereinigung für Geistiges Eigentum
Hotel Windsor Barra (Rio de Janeiro, Brasilien)
Organisation: Brasilianische Vereinigung für Geistiges Eigentum (ABPI)

06.2023
Digital Sequence Information (DSI) under the Nagoya Protocol: Need for Further Regulation?
41. Kongress der International Association for the Advancement of Teaching and Research in Intellectual Property (ATRIP)
Universität Tokio (Japan)
Organisation: ATRIP und Universität Tokio

04.2023
Erneuerbare Energien, Technologietransfer und Innovation: Ein Gesamtblick über Markt und Regulierung [Energia Renovável, Transferência de Tecnologia e Inovação: Visão Geral Sobre Regulação e Mercado]
Jahreskonferenz der akademischen Forschungsinitiative “Smart IP for Latin America” – Moderation des Panels zum Thema „Technologietransfer und regionale Innovation – Das Beispiel der Erzeugung von erneuerbarer Energie“
Juristische Fakultät der Universität São Paulo (Brasilien)
Organisation: Universität von São Paulo und Max-Planck-Institut für Innovation und Wettbewerb

03.2023
Haftung digitaler Plattformen für Urheber- und Markenrechtsverletzungen in der Europäischen Union – Ein Überblick [Responsabilidade das Plataformas por Violação de Direitos Autorais e Marcas na União Europeia – Visão Geral]
23. Kongress der Vereinigung für Geistiges Eigentum des Landes São Paulo, Brasilien [Associação Paulista da Propriedade Intelectual (ASPI)] (Online)
Organisation: ASPI

12.2022
Moralische Gründe für den Patentierungsausschluss CRISPR-bezogener Erfindungen im medizinischen Bereich
Symposium „Fragen der Stammzellethik“
Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf (Düsseldorf)
Organisation: Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf

11.2022
Patentrechtliche Flexibilitäten in lateinamerikanischen Ländern [Flexibilidades en el Derecho de Patentes en los Países Latinoamericanos]
Workshop der akademischen Forschungsinitiative „Smart IP für Lateinamerika“ - Moderation des Panels zum Thema „Öffentliches Interesse“ [Interés Público]
Universität von Buenos Aires (Argentinien)
Organisation: Max-Planck-Institut für Innovation und Wettbewerb

11.2022
Patentrechtliche Zwangslizenzen [Licencias Obligatorias de Patentes]
Einweihung der kolumbianischen Beobachtungsstelle der akademischen Forschungsinitiative „Smart IP für Lateinamerika“
Universität Externado (Bogotá, Kolumbien)
Organisation: Externado Universität von Kolumbien und Max-Planck-Institut für Innovation und Wettbewerb

10.2022
Gentechnisch modifizierte Organismen (GMO) – Suche nach der optimalen Regulierung in der Europäischen Union
2. Workshop zum Thema „CRISPR/Cas-Technologien und Innovationen“ im Rahmen des CRISPR-Forschungsprojekts des Max-Planck-Instituts für Innovation und Wettbewerb – Moderation des Panels über GMO.
Hotel Sofitel München
Organisation: Max-Planck-Institut für Innovation und Wettbewerb

11.2021
Das Nagoya-Protokoll und seine Umsetzung in der EU und in Deutschland
Symposium „Biobanken: Ressource für Wissenschaft, Diagnostik und Therapie“
Hotel Münster Kongresscenter
Organisation: Gemeinschaft Deutscher Kryobanken e.V. (GDK)

06.2021
Impfungen, Patenten und Entwicklung [Vacinas, Patentes e Desenvolvimento]
Vortrag an der juristischen Fakultät der Uni7 (Fortaleza, Brasilien) (Online)
Organisation: Uni7

11.2020
Die Umsetzung des Art. 17 der europäischen Urheberrechtsrichtlinie im digitalen Binnenmarkt in Deutschland - Überblick und strittige Fragen bei der Regulierung von digitalen Plattformen [A Implementação do Art. 17 da Diretiva Europeia sobre Direitos de Autor no Mercado Único Digital na Alemanha – Visão Geral e Questões Controversas na Regulação das Plataformas Digitais]
XIV CODAIP – Congresso de Direito de Autor e Interesse Público [Kongress über Urheberrecht und öffentliches Interesse] (online)
Organisation: Universität von Paraná (UFPR), Curitiba, Brasilien

02.2020
Smart IP for Latin America: the Project on Geographical Indications
Workshop zum Thema “Geografische Herkunftsangaben”
Organisation: Max-Planck-Institut für Innovation und Wettbewerb

11.2019
Intellectual Property, Economy and Innovation
Technische Universität München
Organisation: Steinbeis School of International Business and Entrepreneurship

09.2019
Comment on Property-Based Incentives for Antimicrobial Production
Symposium „Legal Innovation to Support the Development of Antimicrobial Drugs“
University of Cambridge (Cambridge, England)
Organisation: Centre for Law, Medicine and Life Sciences (CeBIL) – University of Cambridge

11.2018
Sham Litigation und Immaterialgüterrecht [Sham Litigation y Propiedad Intelectual]
Seminar der Akademie für Austausch und juristische Studien (AIEJ) – Argentinien
Max-Planck-Institut für Innovation und Wettbewerb
Organisation: AIEJ

09.2018
Regulatory Competition under the Nagoya Protocol
Symposium „The Use and Circulation of Genetic Resources under Measures Implementing the Nagoya Protocol“
Juristische Fakultät der London School of Economics (London, England)
Organisation: Prof. Dr. Siva Thambisetty

08.2018
Geografische Herkunftsangaben in Deutschland: Sozioökonomische Bedeutung, Verfahren und nationale Besonderheiten [Indicações Geográficas na Alemanha: Importância Socioeconômica, Procedimentos e Particularidades Nacionais]
VII Workshop zum Thema „Geografische Herkunftsangaben“ des Landes Santa Catarina
Corupá, Brasilien
Organisation: Rede Indicação Geográfica [Brasilianisches Netzwerk für geografische Herkunftsangaben]

04.2016
Standardessentielle Patente und Wettbewerb: rechtliche und ökonomische Fragen und Entwicklungen in der europäischen Union [Patentes Essenciais e Concorrência: Questões Jurídico-Econômicas e Desenvolvimento na União Europeia]
Gastvortrag an der juristischen Fakultät der Universität von São Paulo
São Paulo, Brasilien
Organisation: Prof. Dr. Juliana Krueger Pela

11.2015
Sham Litigation and Copyright in the European Union
3^rd CopyCamp 2015
Kinoteka (Warschau, Polen)

10.2015
Biopiracy: New Boundaries for the Patent Law?
Workshop „Law and Economics of Intellectual Property Rights“
Philipps-Universität (Marburg)
Organisation: Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Kerber

05.2013
Sham Litigation im Bereich des Immaterialgüterrechts
Gastvortrag im Rahmen des Seminars „Openness“ an der KU Leuven
KU Leuven, Belgien
Organisation: Prof. Dr. Reto M. Hilty

10.2012
Pay-for-Delay-Vereinbarungen im Arzneimittelmarkt
University of Cyprus (Nicosia, Zypern)
Organisation: Prof. Dr. Reto M. Hilty

Seit 10.2024:
Kurs: "EU Patent Law and Sustainability"
NOVA School of Law (Portugal)
Finanzierung: Europäische Kommission – Jean Monnet Module (SINPL-EU)

09.2024:
Course: "Understanding Patents"
NOVA School of Law (Portugal)
Knowledge Centre on Intellectual Property & Sustainable Innovation – Online Course on IP for Sustainable Innovations

2013-2017:
Tutor für deutsches Zivilrecht
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München
Studiengang: LL.M. - German Law

2013:
Leitung des Kurses „New Role and Challenges of the Industrial Property Rights in the European Union – Theory and Praxis“
University of Georgia (Tiflis, Georgien)
Finanzierung: Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ)

2007-2008:
Tutor für römisches Recht
Juristische Fakultät der Universität von São Paulo (Brasilien)
Studiengang: Jurastudium

2007-2008
Tutor für Einführung in die Rechtswissenschaften
Juristischen Fakultät der Universität von São Paulo (Brasilien)
Studiengang: Jurastudium