Spurred by rapid scientific advances and the great promises of synthetic biology (SB), both public and private investments in SB have increased dramatically. Meanwhile, the numerous scientific, socio-economic, ethical and legal challenges posed by SB remain a multifaceted enigma. In patent law, for example, some stakeholders have warned for a ‘perfect storm’ – fuelled by an accumulation of problematic aspects of patent law’s problem children, i.e. patents related to biotechnology and software, and the evolving discussions on ‘open biology’. These and further legal issues related to intellectual property, regulation and competition law require a careful consideration of improved solutions. Timo’s presentation will provide an overview on problematic aspects of this increasingly important area of science & law. Further information is available at: https://synbio.ku.dk/unik-yearly-meeting_2013/programme/ .

Spurred by rapid scientific advances and the great promises of synthetic biology (SB), both public and private investments in SB have increased dramatically. Meanwhile, the numerous scientific, socio-economic, ethical and legal challenges posed by SB remain a multifaceted enigma. In patent law, for example, some stakeholders have warned for a ‘perfect storm’ – fuelled by an accumulation of problematic aspects of patent law’s problem children, i.e. patents related to biotechnology and software, and the evolving discussions on ‘open biology’. These and further legal issues related to intellectual property, regulation and competition law require a careful consideration of improved solutions. Timo’s presentation will provide an overview on problematic aspects of this increasingly important area of science & law. Further information is available at: https://synbio.ku.dk/unik-yearly-meeting_2013/programme/ .