Lawyers Say Existing Laws, Treaties Apply in Clean Tech Patent Actions,

SAN FRANCISCO—Patent treaties and laws already on the books may provide avenues for litigation as clean technology blossoms in developed and emerging markets, patent and technology attorneys said Jan. 29.

From the Clean Air Act to the Bayh-Dole Act and the Doha Round, laws and treaties provide causes of action for disputes that have not yet arrived in the courts but could if national emergencies related to climate change are declared, according to Todd R. Miller of Jones Day, Los Angeles.

Greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health and welfare, Miller told a clean tech conference sponsored by the ...