INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW IN THE EUROPEAN UNION: A COUNTRY-BY-COUNTRY REVIEW The existence of a mosaic of different legal regimes regulating the intellectual property rights from country to country throughout the European Community can make the prospect of protecting and exploiting intellectual property rights in Europe seem formidable. But with the integration of Europe through the European Community comes ever greater harmony among the laws of its member states. This report, which includes contributions from 24 leading intellectual property attorneys throughout Europe, covers the fundamentals of intellectual property protection law and practice in each of the fifteen current member countries of the European Community, as well as the ten states slated for accession to the EC on May 1, 2004. Each country chapter covers patents, designs, copyright, trademarks and confidential information; discusses the extent of harmonization of national legislation with that of the European Community; and identifies the countries' participation in relevant international treaties and conventions. A separate chapter looks at the achievements of the EC in implementing a number of Community-wide laws and its ongoing efforts to promote harmonization in the area of intellectual property protection.