This handbook presents a comprehensive view of substantive patent law in a European and international context. German patent law is used as an example of a mature patent law regime. The handbook covers the following subjects: Introduction Invention and their amenability to patent protection Ownership Patent transfer and licensing Grant and rejection of patents Interpretation and scope of protection of patents Chemical and biological inventions Use of a patent Defences Legal consequences of patent infringement European Patent and European Patent Court Other proceedings and claims in patent cases The law of utility models The supplementary protection certificate This handbook is edited by Dr Maximilian Haedicke, Professor of IP law at the University of Freiburg and judge at the Düsseldorf Regional Court of Appeal; Dr Henrik Timmann is patent litigator in Düsseldorf. The authors are patent attorneys, patent litigators, and judges with a deep knowledge in patent law in Germany, Europe and worldwide. In light of the recent establishment of a Unified Patent Court, this handbook gains momentum and serves as a detailed and reliable tool for the anticipated rennaissance of Patent Law. Apostolos Anthimos, in: Armenopoulos, 2014, 10