This book is a new edition of Patents for Chemists , and guides the lay reader through the complexities of the European, British, and U.S. patent systems. In 1978, the British Patents Act came into force, the European Patent Office began operations, and international patenting was made easier by the Patent Co-operations Treaty. Since the author described these fundamental changes, there have been many further developments, particularly in the field of patent protection for pharmaceuticals, and biotechnology has rapidly increased in importance. For this book, the earlier version has been completely revised and rewritten, and the coverage now includes three new chapters on the patenting of pharmaceutical and biotechnological inventions.