Manuel Desantes is Professor of Law, University of Alicante (Spain), since 1992, former Vice-President of the European Patent Office (EPO), UNESCO Chairholder Intellectual Property and associated rights, Head of the Private International Law Department (University of Alicante). He served as Vice-President (Directorate-General 5, Legal and International Affairs) of the European Patent Office (2001-2008) and is a former Member of the Legal Service of the European Commission, responsible for Intellectual Property and Electronic Commerce (1998-2001). He held several positions at the University of Alicante as Chancellor, as well as Director of the Magister Lvcentinvs (Intellectual Property and Information Technology Master's Degree), University of Alicante (1994-1997). He is Fellow of the Eisenhower Foundation since 1998 and has authored seven books and more than fifty articles about Private international Law, Intellectual Property law and Information Technology Law.