THE MAX PLANCK ENCYCLOPEDIA OF EUROPEAN PRIVATE LAW. Eds Jürgen Basedow, Klaus J. Hopt, Reinhard Zimmermann with Andreas Stier Oxford: Oxford University Press (www.oup.com), 2012. 2 Vols; Vol 1, xxxviii + 977 pp.; Vol 2, xxxiv + 970 pp. ISBN 978019957895. £350.
| Published date | 01 January 2013 |
| Pages | 104-106 |
| DOI | 10.3366/elr.2013.0144 |
| Date | 01 January 2013 |
| Author | Jonathan Fitchen |
The handsomely presented books which comprise this two volume set as published by Oxford University Press are an updated, expanded and more internationally focussed English language version of the excellent
Volume 1 begins with “Abuse of a Dominant Position” and ends with “Interpretation of Contracts”. Volume 2 begins with an entry concerning the “Interpretation of EU Law” and closes with an entry upon the World Intellectual Property Organisation. The encyclopaedia presents the reader with roughly 500 alphabetically arranged and cross-referenced entries which each feature explanation and definition of the subject of the entry, an account of the main academic opinions and (where present) mention of the academic and jurisprudential controversies relating thereunto plus multi-lingual references to legal sources and also to further multi-lingual readings. The entries, which happily are all alphabetically listed at the front of each volume, are often fragmented along thematic lines so that a large subject (such as Competition Law or Intellectual Property) can be better tackled by the relevant specialist authors and also may better present the enquiring reader with detail upon the relevant aspect of the enquiry at issue. The reader searching for “competition law” is presented with seven discrete and successive entries under that specific name: Competition (Internal Market); Competition Law (International); Competition Law (Private Enforcement); Competition Law (Procedure); Competition Law (Relationship between European and National Law); Competition Law (Sanctions); Competition Rules (Applicability).
The level of detail presented in each entry is most impressive given the necessary space constraints. Each entry amounts to a brief scholarly article upon the particular subject of the entry and typically covers several double column 56 line pages of carefully expressed academic comment in what looks to be 10 point type: the crude average is a little less than four pages per entry but naturally variations abound. The seven entries noted...
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