The Discursive Contributions of Max Planck Declarations, Principles and Position Statements

This tribute focuses on a key contribution that Professor Reto Hilty has made to the intellectual property debate and scholarly community: the development of declarations, principles, and position statements through the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition. The essay briefly examines five collaborative documents on which the author can make first-hand observations: the Declaration on a Balanced Interpretation of the ‘Three-Step Test’ in Copyright Law, the Declaration on Patent Protection, the Principles for Intellectual Property Provisions in Bilateral and Regional Agreements, and two position statements relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. This essay concludes by identifying four reasons why these collaborative documents have received wide attention and made an enduring impact.