Learning Outcomes
Development of the ability to recognise und understand the main interpretative issues related to the taught provisions, to use appropriate interpretative methods for solving them, to present und critically evaluate the opinions supported about them in science and jurisprudence and to apply correctly the provisions in the framework of practical exercises.
Course Content (Syllabus)
Intellectual property law and, in particular, patent law and trademark law are two branches of particular importance to pharmaceutical law. First of all, the granting of a patent for a specific drug provides its holder with a time-limited, monopoly right to use and exploit it, through which the research and development costs incurred by the pharmaceutical companies for the discovery and distribution are intended to be repaid new medicines or vaccines (and/or the improvement of those already on the market) on the market. The so-called "supplementary protection certificates" have -essentially- the same goal [Reg. (EU) No 469/2009]. Especially in the area of medicines, the time restrictions that mark the production of generic medicines are of great importance, as well as the compulsory licenses that may be provided by law to meet important public health protection needs. In addition, trademark law plays an important role in the marketing of medicines and parapharmaceutical products, i.e. the trademark as the identity of the medicine, which serves to distinguish it from the rest of the identical or similar products/medicines available on the market . All of the above, as well as other matters of vital importance, will be examined not only in the context of the Greek legal order, but also of EU law, with an emphasis on the decisions of its Courts, while special reference will be made to the most important relevant aspects of the relevant international treaties (such as the TRIPS Agreement, etc.)