Das Patentrecht im Krieg

World Wars I and II were heavily influenced by technical innovations. Indeed, both can be described as »invention wars.« Florian Mächtel analyzes the destiny of patents and of the national and international patent system during wartime. In the years 1914-1918 and 1939-1945, there was a potential conflict between patents as private exclusive rights and the public interest in efficient warfare and an unhindered wartime economy. This clash was particularly apparent in the fields of secret patents, patent expropriation and the international interdependence of the patent system. In the aftermath of both wars, peace regulations for intellectual property rights had to be established. Although the work's perspective is primarily a German one, it also covers international developments and the situation in Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, the UK and the USA.