The waging of 'patent wars' - in which the focal point is the assertion of patents that are essential to the implementation of technical standards ('essential patents' or 'SEPs') - is among the prominent features of today's litigation landscape. In line with this development, competition authorities strive to ensure that the market power obtained by holding SEPs is not abused to the detriment of effective competition. It has indeed been shown that a single SEP is sufficient to block third parties from implementing the standard to which it relates, thus effectively excluding competitors from the market. This systematic analysis lucidly details the role played by competition law in ensuring that holders of SEPs do not unduly exploit their advantage. The author describes how market power, often amounting to dominance, is obtained by proprietors of SEPs, and then proceeds to set out the framework under which the legality of standardization agreements must be assessed, finally highlighting the role of competition law in preventing patent-related abuse arising after a standard is adopted.