Direct Protection of Innovation

1 When in the late seventies the Commission started its preparatory work on a plan of action(l) for the creation of a real Community Innovation market, obviously the question came up, how patents or industrial property could specifically help in stimulating technological and industrial innovation and technology transfer in the Community. From an earlier contractor's study(2) about possible items of action in patent law for the improvement of the impact of patents and patenting upon innovation, it was clear that, in principle, there was room for improvement but shortage of information as to how and to what extent efficient improvements should and could be made. 2 In the early 1980s then, the need for clarifying the potential for improve­ ment in patent law and patent practice became more pressing, so that the Commission convened an informal meeting of experts on 3/4 November 1982 in Luxembourg, in order to discuss the issues relevant to the relation­ ship between patent protection and innovation and to identify suitable subject matter for action or study. 38 experts from nine Member States, coming from different areas of activity in industrial property or in innova­ tion attended the meeting, which was chaired by two of them.