PATENT POOLS IN LIGHT OF EUROPEAN UNION COMPETITION LAW

        The functioning of patent pools leads to specific benefits in the transfer of technologies, and it accelerates technological advancement and provides easy access to technologies. Therefore, one could expect that the European Union (EU) – an organization which attempts to gain competitive advantage of its economy on the basis of knowledge and technology – should support patent pools. However, due to the possibility of anti-competitive practices, the functioning of patent pools is subject to EU legislation and competition laws. In this context patent pools pose a challenge in the area of reconciling the process of supporting technological advancement with the protection of fair competition.        The paper presents an analysis of EU regulations in the area of patent pools. The author assesses the pro- and anti-competitive effects of activities carried out by patent pools. The further part of the paper discusses an evolution of the EU’s approach to such organizations, presenting specific patent pool laws in the context of technology transfer agreements. Finally, the author presents some specific problems and future changes related to EU competition laws with respect to patent pools

Lingering Questions of a Supreme Court Decision: The Confines of the Psychotherapist-Patient Privilege

The United States Supreme Court in light of [its] reason and experience \u27 has recognized a psychotherapist-patient privilege. The Court has, however, left lingering questions for the lower courts to determine regarding possible exceptions to the privilege. The lower courts have used their own reason and experience to develop exceptions to the privilege. Such exceptions include the crime-fraud exception, waiver exception, and the dangerous-patient exception. Inevitably other exceptions will follow. The Supreme Court should recognize a dangerous patient exception to the psychotherapist-patient privilege to allow a psychotherapist to testify in court when there is a serious threat of harm to the patient or to others and it can only be averted by means of disclosure by the therapist. The Court should recognize the exception because it would not impede on state confidentiality laws, it would not impede on the confidential psychotherapist-patient relationship, Congress did not dismiss this exception, and the exception is supported by public policy

Remote system for reading traffic signs and information

This paper presents an experimental system for remote communication between road users and traffic signs. Implemented solution consists of two modules: a transmitter (traffic sign), including novel system for remote waking-up by the passing vehicle with use of the quasi-passive (biased) diode detector circuit, and a receiver (vehicle), which is responsible for  wake-up signaling and interpreting received messages. Both modules use Wi‑Fi protocol operating in 2.4 GHz ISM band for sending data, and OOK signaling in 868 MHZ ISM band for sending wake-up signals. The paper provides theoretical analysis, description of design challenges and chosen solutions, and finally, laboratory measurements as well as the results of tests conducted in the systems’ target environment with a moving vehicle, confirming correct operation of the system

GLOBALIZACJA DZIAŁALNOŚCI BADAWCZO–ROZWOJOWEJ A KRAJE ROZWIJAJĄCE SIĘ

The paper examines the globalization of the R&D, including the factors which have impact on this phenomenon. Transnational corporations account for a major part of global R&D and they are selecting some developing countries as locations for R&D activities. This article identifies the effects of the R&D offshoring for developing countries and discusses the determinants attracting FDI in research and development.W opracowaniu podjęto problem globalizacji R&D z uwzględnieniem czynników, które kształtują to zjawisko. Korporacje transnarodowe odgrywają istotną rolę w globalnych R&D, a przy tym coraz częściej wybierają kraje rozwijające się jako miejsce lokalizacji swojej działalności R&D. W artykule skoncentrowano się na identyfikacji efektów wynikających z offshoringu R&D do krajów rozwijających się, rozważając kwestię czynników determinujących przyciągnięcie filii badawczo-rozwojowych

PATENT POOLS IN LIGHT OF EUROPEAN UNION COMPETITION LAW

        The functioning of patent pools leads to specific benefits in the transfer of technologies, and it accelerates technological advancement and provides easy access to technologies. Therefore, one could expect that the European Union (EU) – an organization which attempts to gain competitive advantage of its economy on the basis of knowledge and technology – should support patent pools. However, due to the possibility of anti-competitive practices, the functioning of patent pools is subject to EU legislation and competition laws. In this context patent pools pose a challenge in the area of reconciling the process of supporting technological advancement with the protection of fair competition.        The paper presents an analysis of EU regulations in the area of patent pools. The author assesses the pro- and anti-competitive effects of activities carried out by patent pools. The further part of the paper discusses an evolution of the EU’s approach to such organizations, presenting specific patent pool laws in the context of technology transfer agreements. Finally, the author presents some specific problems and future changes related to EU competition laws with respect to patent pools.</p

Wideband Nine-Port Reflectometer

The paper presents a wideband nine-port reflectometer realized as a cascade connection of six- and five-port reflectometers. It is shown that such a solution allows for a convenient adjustment of circuits’ parameters in order to provide significantly reduced measurement uncertainty with respect to other reported reflectometers. Simultaneously, the proposed network features a simple and flexible design. For the experimental verification, the proposed nine-port reflectometer has been manufactured and incorporated into the system intended for reflection coefficient measurements within the frequency range 2.5 – 3.5 GHz. The obtained results are in an excellent agreement with the values measured using a commercial VNA