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Antitrust and Trade Regulation

Intellectual property

The University of Akron

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Full-Text Articles in Law

Intersection Between The Patent System And Antitrust Laws: Patents Speeding, Antitrust Yielding, Innovation Bleeding!, Stijepko Tokic Mar 2016

Intersection Between The Patent System And Antitrust Laws: Patents Speeding, Antitrust Yielding, Innovation Bleeding!, Stijepko Tokic

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

In this article, I explain the interaction between the two laws and describe the ways in which these two extremely important areas of government regulation are and are not in tension. I argue that the conflict between the two laws is overstated, but the proper balance is far from being found. The reason for that is a notion that the current state of the patent system is more of a hindrance than a spur to innovation and competition due to overprotection and broadening of patent rights, lowering of standards to grant patents, chronic inefficiency of the Patent and Trademark Office …


Permissible Product Hopping: Why A Per Se Legal Rule Barring Antitrust Liability Is Necessary To Protect Future Innovation In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Michelle L. Ethier Mar 2016

Permissible Product Hopping: Why A Per Se Legal Rule Barring Antitrust Liability Is Necessary To Protect Future Innovation In The Pharmaceutical Industry, Michelle L. Ethier

Akron Intellectual Property Journal

Pharmaceutical product hopping is a relatively new phenomenon in which a brand-name pharmaceutical company tactically reformulates a drug and patents the reformulation in an attempt to avoid competition by a generic competitor. When viewed in the context of the HatchWaxman framework, product hopping can effectively eliminate generic competitors from the market, thereby implicating § 2 of the Sherman Act. In addressing antitrust liability, this Note advocates a per se legal approach to product hopping so long as the hop is supported by a valid patent. Although some have argued that deference to the United States Patent and Trademark Office and …