Eva-Maria Kieninger – författare

This book discusses the main legal and economic challenges to the creation and enforcement of security rights in intellectual property and explores possible avenues of reform, such as more specific rules for security in IP rights and better coordination between intellectual property law and secured transactions law.

In the context of business financing, intellectual property rights are still only reluctantly used as collateral, and on a small scale. If they are used at all, it is mostly done in the form of a floating charge or some other “all-asset” security right. The only sector in which security rights in intellectual property play a major role, at least in some jurisdictions, is the financing of movies. On the other hand, it is virtually undisputed that security rights in intellectual property could be economically valuable, or even crucial, for small and medium-sized enterprises – especially for start-ups, which are often very innovative and creative, but have limited access to corporate financing and must rely on capital markets (securitization, capital market). Therefore, they need to secure bank loans, yet lack their own traditional collateral, such as land.

This volume contains the reports and discussions presented at the conference "The Future of Secured Credit in Europe" in Munich from July 12th to July 14th, 2007. It aims at taking the debate to a new stage by exploring the need and possible avenues for creating a European law of security interests. The first part examines – from an economic and a community law perspective – the case for European lawmaking on secured credit and the legislative approach to be taken. The intention in the second and third part is to look in more detail at the choices European lawmakers will have to make in devising a European law of secured credit. The second part focuses on secured transactions involving corporeal movables (tangibles), whereas the third part considers categories of collateral that may require special rules.

As cross-border trade and cross-border financing continue to increase while security rights over tangible property are governed by the law of the place where the moveable is situated, comparative knowledge of national secured transactions law is crucial for everyone using security rights over tangibles in a cross-border context. This book provides an in-depth examination of the key issues that arise when security rights are created, perfected and enforced in different European countries. Authored by experts on German, English, Dutch, French, Belgian, Italian and Spanish law, the national reports use practical cases and highlight differences and similarities. A special focus is placed on the way in which national courts deal with security interests created elsewhere. A comprehensive introductory chapter analyzes significant secured transactions issues, summarises the comparative data and compares them with Art. 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code (U.S.) and suggests guiding principles for a European harmonization measure or national reform efforts. The book will assist market participants and their counsel to better understand secured transactions law and relevant private international law rules of their own and other countries and assist those involved in national, EU and global law reform efforts.

Receivables transactions play an important role in modern national economies. This book, which studies the law of seven European nations, provides an in-depth examination of the key substantive law issues, as well as a detailed examination of the private international law issues, particularly, the third party effects of assignments. National reports use practical cases to explore the issues and to highlight differences and similarities.

The book will assist market participants and their counsel to better understand the rules of their own countries and those of other countries, will be of great value to academics in the private, comparative and private international law fields and will assist those involved in national, EU and global reform efforts.