Enhanced Cooperation and Free Movement. Territorial Aspects of ‘Harmonisation’
PDF

Keywords

EU law
harmonisation
unitary patent

How to Cite

Malaga, M., & Wilińska-Zelek, A. (2017). Enhanced Cooperation and Free Movement. Territorial Aspects of ‘Harmonisation’. Przegląd Prawniczy Uniwersytetu Im. Adam Mickiewicza, 7, 249–267. https://doi.org/10.14746/ppuam.2017.7.15

Abstract

In this article we examine the notion of ‘harmonisation’ in its interplay with the application of provisions on the free movement of goods. Due to the introduction of the European unitary patent protection system, we are witnessing the first cases of adopting enhanced cooperation in the internal market. This fact raises new, systemic questions concerning the concept of ‘harmonisation’ in European Union law. Are only legal, substantive aspects covered by its definition or should the territorial range of a legal act be taken into account? If yes – to what extent? Since the adoption of enhanced cooperation covers the field of intellectual property rights, the above questions concern the relationship between exercising those rights on the one hand and the principle of free movement on the other. A closer look at this matter leads to the conclusion that the unitary patent might not provide the solution to one of the problems that created for. More generally, in this article we conclude that when defining the concept of ‘harmonisation’, one should take its territorial scope into account narrowly, so as not to infringe the principles of EU law.

https://doi.org/10.14746/ppuam.2017.7.15
PDF

References

Briss Q.C., Unitary rights and judicial respect in the EU – Bringing cool back, “Queen Mary Journal of Intellectual Property” 2013, vol. 3, no. 1.

Dougan M., Minimum Harmonization and the Internal Market, “Common Market Law Review” 2000, no. 37.

Gerven W. van, Harmonization of Private Law: Do we need it?, “Common Market Law Review” 2004, no. 41.

Govaere I., The use and abuse of intellectual property rights in E.C. law. Including a case study of the E.C. spare parts debate, Ann Arbor 1996.

Hartmann-Vareilles F., Intellectual property law and the Single Market: the way ahead, “ERA Forum” 2014, no. 15.

Jaeger Th., What’s in the Unitary Patent Package?, “Max Planck Institute for Innovation & Competition Research Paper” no. 14-08.

Karsten J., Sinai A.R., The Action Plan on European Contract Law: Perspectives for the Future of European Contract Law and EC Consumer Law, “Journal of Consumer Policy” 2003, no. 26.

Keeling D.T., Intellectual Property Rights in EU Law, vol. I: Free Movement and Competition Law, Oxford 2003.

Kurcz B., Harmonisation by means of Directives – never-ending story?, “European Business Law Review” 2001, no. 11–12.

Lamping M., Enhanced Cooperation in the Area of Unitary Patent Protection - Testing the Boundaries of the Rule of Law, “Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law” 2013, no. 20.

Lohse E.J., The meaning of harmonisation in the context of European Union law – a process in need of definition, in Theory and Practice of Harmonisation, ed. M. Andenas, C. Baasch Andersen, Cheltenham 2011.

Malaga M., The European Patent with Unitary Effect: Incentive to Dominate? A Look from the EU Competition Law Viewpoint, “IIC – International Review of Intellectual Property and Competition Law” 2014, vol. 45, no. 6.

Maletić I., The Law and Policy of Harmonisation in Europe’s Internal Market, Cheltenham 2013.

Maletić I., Theory and practice of harmonization in the European internal market, in Theory and Practice of Harmonisation, ed. M. Andenas, C. Baasch Andersen, Cheltenham 2011.

Nowicka A., Jednolity Sąd Patentowy – z perspektywy Polski, “Ruch Prawniczy, Ekonomiczny i Socjologiczny” 2014, no. 1.

Nowicka A., Patent europejski o jednolitym skutku – konstrukcja prawna i treść, “Ruch Prawniczy, Ekonomiczny i Socjologiczny” 2013, no. 4.

Ohly A., Concluding Remarks: Postmodernism and Beyond, in The Europeanization of Intellectual Property Law. Towards a European Methodology, ed. A. Ohly, J. Pila, Oxford 2013.

Seville C., EU Intellectual Property Law and Policy, Cheltenham 2009.

Smits J., Bull W., The Europeanization of Patent Law: Towards a Comparative Model, in The Europeanization of Intellectual Property Law. Towards a European Methodology, ed. A. Ohly, J. Pila, Oxford 2013.

Stothers Ch., Article 36 TFEU: Intellectual Property, in Oliver on Free Movement of Goods in the European Union, ed. P. Oliver, Portland 2010.

Timmermans Ch., Community Directives Revisited, “Yearbook of European Law” 1997, no. 17.

Ullrich H., Enhanced cooperation in the area of unitary patent protection and European integration, “ERA Forum” 2013, no. 13.

Wadlow Ch., Hamlet without the prince: Can the Unitary Patent Regulation strut its stuff without Articles 6–8?, “Journal of Intellectual Property Law & Practice” 2013, no. 8.

Weatherill S., Maximum versus Minimum Harmonization: Choosing between Unity and Diversity in the Search for the Soul of the Internal Market, in From Single Market to Economic Union. Essays in Memory of John Usher, ed. N. Nic Shuibhne, L. Gormley, Oxford 2012.

Weatherill S., Union Legislation Relating to the Free Movement of Goods, in Oliver on Free Movement of Goods in the European Union, ed. P. Oliver, Portland 2010.

Council Decision of 22 January 2013 authorising enhanced cooperation in the area of financial transaction tax (2013/52/EU), OJ L 22 from 25.01.2013.

Council Regulation (EU) no. 1259/2010 of 20 December 2010 implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the law applicable to divorce and legal separation, OJ L 343 from 29.12.2010.

Council Regulation (EU) no. 1260/2012 of 17 December 2012 implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the creation of unitary patent protection with regard to the applicable translation arrangements.

Regulation (EU) no. 1257/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2012 implementing enhanced cooperation in the area of the creation of unitary patent protection.