European competition law and licensing agreements. Commentary on the new regulation

The author discusses the rules which govern the way in which intellectual property can be dealt with. The state gives away monopolies in the form of intellectual property rights. However, the state also controls the way in which those monopolies can be used, primarily through law known as competition law. The author also discusses the interaction between the two and the impact of European and United Kingdom competition law on the exercise of intellectual property rights. (19 pages)