SpringerBriefs in Biotech Patents present timely reports of intellectual properties (IP) issues and patent aspects in the field of biotechnology. This new volume in the series focuses on the particular IP issues of therapeutics, vaccines and molecular diagnostics. The first chapter concentrates on basics principles for protecting antibody compounds. Additional ways to create follow-up protection for antibody therapeutics are also discussed. The second chapter gives an overview of the patent landscape in molecular diagnostics, and discusses issues of patentability with respect to the different technologies and compounds used therein. The third chapter gives a broad overview of areas of law that are particularly relevant to the patenting of peptide vaccines and therapeutic peptides as products and in compositions. The scope of patentable subject matter is discussed, as it has been the focus of much wrangling and debate in the courts.

Dr. Ulrich Storz was born in 1969 in Muenster. He graduated in Biology at the University of Muenster in 1998, where he received his PhD in 2002. He is author and co-author of several scientific publications in the field of biology and biophysics as well as of several juridical publications in the field of intellectual property. He passed the German Patent Bar Examination in 2005. Since 2005, he has been admitted to practice as European Trademark Attorney at the European Trademark Office (OHIM). In 2006, he has been registered in the list of representatives before the European Patent Office. Main practice areas in the field of Intellectual Property Law include Patent Prosecution, FTO and Patent Infringement, as well as Patent strategies; especially in the Life Science field (i.e. Biotechnology, Biophysics, Biochemistry, microbiology). One of his major fields of interest is Antibody IP. Ulrich Storz is active as a speaker for the congress management company 'Forum Institut für Management GmbH', and he organizes the annual Rhineland Biopatent Forum.