ECIPE Seminar: Should there be Reforms of Standard Essential Patents?

The protection of patents is key to stimulate the creation of new technologies – and the use of standards is important to diffuse innovations and make products interoperable. Lately, however, there have been frictions in the way that Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) are managed. Both creators and users of technology – sometimes the same actors – have vented frustrations and claimed the system of SEPs to be unbalanced.

Recently, the European Commission has weighed in and is planning to come up with new ideas for protecting the integrity of SEPs. Are we getting close to a point where the integrity and use of SEPs is about to break down? Is there a case for reforms to the system?