Nanotechnology Intellectual Property Rights: Research, Design, and Commercialization

Authors: Prabuddha Ganguli; Siddharth Jabade

This book titled Nanotechnology and Intellectual Property Rights….Research, Design and Commercialization has been designed to comprehensively address the interrelated issues in an integrated and comprehensive manner.

The book employs illustrations and lucid explanations to examine the integration and exploitation of intellectual property rights (IPR) as a tool in research and development, technology transfer, and safe commercialisation. Requiring no prior legal experience of readers, it illuminates the nuances and integral role of IPR in technology development, from product inception through commercialisation. This indispensible book destroys illusions in the minds of stakeholders and builds confidence to establish a framework for an agile, working product development model.

The first three chapters illustrate the evolving patent landscape in nanotechnology, patenting procedures as applied in diverse jurisdictions, searching for nanotechnology prior art including the creation of search strategies and the international patent classification system. The fourth chapter on patent led nanotechnology businesses provides a spectrum of perspective learnings using a plethora of case studies involving building of valuable patent portfolios, growth of start-ups, consolidation of IP led nanobusinesses through mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic investments, etc. The fifth chapter dealing with patent litigations in nanotechnologies exemplifies the significance of strategic crafting of agreements related to IP transactions, compliance of contractual obligations, importance of well drafted patent specifications, sensitivities in conducting techno-legal due diligence prior to the development and marketing of products, vulnerabilities in challenging / defending validity of patents and negotiating settlements. Chapter six gazes into the future of IP landscaping in nanotechnology especially in terms of the grey areas on patentability, public perceptions of risks to health and ecosystem, institutionalised management of Intellectual Property Rights and the steps that will be necessary to meet such challenges.

Capacity building in IP will continue to be a key factor that will determine success of businesses and model IPRinternalise has been described for institutional adoption to continually build human and infrastructural resources to meet the emerging and unforeseen challenges of “the day after”.

The book also illustrates content supported by lucid explanations, making information accessible to those who are not lawyers. It demonstrates the nuances of IPR and how to lay a solid foundation for design and implementation of research programmes in technology-intensive areas, such as nanotechnology besides familiarising the reader with the power of patent information. It also offers future perspectives and case studies and includes an appendix with data tables and links.