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Pay-for-delay i läkemedelssektorn ur ett konkurrensrättsligt perspektiv

Edvardsson, Rebecca LU (2020) LAGF03 20202
Department of Law
Faculty of Law
Abstract
The pharmaceutical market in the EU is very complex because of its many actors with different economic and political interests as well as its legal framework. Because of these interests, the market structure as well as the structure of EU competition law and patent law, various situations arise where so-called pay-for-delay agreements are pushing the framework to its limits. These agreements are a part of a settlement in a patent infringement litigation between originators and generic competition. The agreements are exclusionary since an originator pay a generic company to delay their entry to the market with its generic version of the patented good of the originator. This may restrict the market which goes against the purpose of... (More)
The pharmaceutical market in the EU is very complex because of its many actors with different economic and political interests as well as its legal framework. Because of these interests, the market structure as well as the structure of EU competition law and patent law, various situations arise where so-called pay-for-delay agreements are pushing the framework to its limits. These agreements are a part of a settlement in a patent infringement litigation between originators and generic competition. The agreements are exclusionary since an originator pay a generic company to delay their entry to the market with its generic version of the patented good of the originator. This may restrict the market which goes against the purpose of competition law. The purpose of patent law is to provide companies with an exclusive right, a legal monopoly, on a market. At a first glance this looks to go against the purpose of competition law. The interaction between competition law and patent law is therefore particularly interesting to investigate and pay-for-delay agreements is an example of when these fields of law intersect. This thesis explores the effect of the agreements on the relevant market, if the agreements could constitute abuse of a dominant position and in breach of 102 TFEU and on which conditions. In the case C-307/18 Generics the ECJ has for the first time considered if these agreements are unlawfully restricting the market which is a very interesting development in this field of law and this case will therefore form the foundation of the investigation of current practice. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Läkemedelssektorn i EU är en mycket komplicerad marknad med många aktörer med olika ekonomiska och politiska intressen. På grund av dessa intressen, marknadens struktur samt konkurrensrätten och patenträttens utformning i EU uppstår situationer där dessa intressen ställs till sin spets i så kallade pay-for-delay-överenskommelser. Dessa överenskommelser är en del av ett förlikningsavtal till följd av en patenttvist mellan en originaltillverkare och en generikatillverkare. Överenskommelserna är exkluderande avtal eftersom en originaltillverkare betalar en generikatillverkare att försena sitt marknadsinträde med deras generiska version av originalprodukten. Detta kan resultera i att marknaden begränsas vilket går emot konkurrensrättens... (More)
Läkemedelssektorn i EU är en mycket komplicerad marknad med många aktörer med olika ekonomiska och politiska intressen. På grund av dessa intressen, marknadens struktur samt konkurrensrätten och patenträttens utformning i EU uppstår situationer där dessa intressen ställs till sin spets i så kallade pay-for-delay-överenskommelser. Dessa överenskommelser är en del av ett förlikningsavtal till följd av en patenttvist mellan en originaltillverkare och en generikatillverkare. Överenskommelserna är exkluderande avtal eftersom en originaltillverkare betalar en generikatillverkare att försena sitt marknadsinträde med deras generiska version av originalprodukten. Detta kan resultera i att marknaden begränsas vilket går emot konkurrensrättens ändamål. Patenträttens ändamål är att tillgodose företag med en ensamrätt, ett lagligt monopol, på en marknad vilket vid en första anblick får anses gå emot konkurrensrättens ändamål. Interaktionen mellan konkurrens- och patenträtt blir därför intressant att undersöka och överenskommelser om pay-for-delay är en av de identifierade spänningspunkterna mellan konkurrensrätt och patenträtt. Denna uppsats utreder dessa överenskommelsers påverkan på den relevanta marknaden, huruvida de kan träffas av artikel 102 FEUF om missbruk av dominerande ställning och under vilka omständigheter. I mål C-307/18 Generics har EU-domstolen för första gången uttalat sig om dessa överenskommelsers eventuella konkurrensbegränsande effekter vilket är en mycket intressant rättsutveckling. Denna dom kommer således ligga till grund för uppsatsens utredning om gällande rätt. (Less)
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author
Edvardsson, Rebecca LU
supervisor
organization
course
LAGF03 20202
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Konkurrensrätt, Patenträtt, Immaterialrätt, Rättsvetenskap, Pay-for-delay, Läkemedelspatent, Patent, Patenttvist, Patentskydd
language
Swedish
id
9034675
date added to LUP
2021-02-09 11:51:29
date last changed
2021-02-09 11:51:29
@misc{9034675,
  abstract     = {{The pharmaceutical market in the EU is very complex because of its many actors with different economic and political interests as well as its legal framework. Because of these interests, the market structure as well as the structure of EU competition law and patent law, various situations arise where so-called pay-for-delay agreements are pushing the framework to its limits. These agreements are a part of a settlement in a patent infringement litigation between originators and generic competition. The agreements are exclusionary since an originator pay a generic company to delay their entry to the market with its generic version of the patented good of the originator. This may restrict the market which goes against the purpose of competition law. The purpose of patent law is to provide companies with an exclusive right, a legal monopoly, on a market. At a first glance this looks to go against the purpose of competition law. The interaction between competition law and patent law is therefore particularly interesting to investigate and pay-for-delay agreements is an example of when these fields of law intersect. This thesis explores the effect of the agreements on the relevant market, if the agreements could constitute abuse of a dominant position and in breach of 102 TFEU and on which conditions. In the case C-307/18 Generics the ECJ has for the first time considered if these agreements are unlawfully restricting the market which is a very interesting development in this field of law and this case will therefore form the foundation of the investigation of current practice.}},
  author       = {{Edvardsson, Rebecca}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Pay-for-delay i läkemedelssektorn ur ett konkurrensrättsligt perspektiv}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}