Patents

Establishing valid priority claims can be challenging for co-applicants in Europe, as Stéphanie Landais-Patarin explains.

The route to implementation of the proposed unitary patent and Unified Patent Court system has been far from easy. With it now projected to come into effect before the end of 2022, we set out the answers to some frequently asked questions in our latest white paper 'The Unitary Patent: A practical guide'.

PPH programmes can help patent applicants to accelerate the grant of a patent application in a second patent office. Emmanuelle Laude-Duval explains the opportunities and benefits of the system.

Latest development at the EPO is a further example of the challenges that applicants, particularly from the US, face when ensuring valid priority claims for European Patent (EP) applications, as Dr Oliver Harris explains. 

The European Patent Office (EPO) has published a draft version of its new Guidelines for Examination, which will enter into force on 1 March 2022. Martin Kohrs examines the proposed changes.

Last July, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the EPO issued decision G1/21, which authorises oral proceedings before the Boards of Appeal via videoconferencing during a period of general urgency, even if all parties have not given their consent. 

The development of a new product or a new process is rarely easy. From the challenges and concerns raised during R&D to the difficulty of finding suppliers and convincing investors, there are many obstacles that need to be overcome.

According to WIPO’s latest research, global trademark registrations soared in 2020, while patent and design filings rebounded quickly from the pandemic’s initial impact on application numbers. We summarise some of the key findings from the 2021 World Intellectual Property Indicators Report (WIPI) report.

Female technology (FemTech) is becoming big business with health and wellness apps, software and diagnostic products promising to revolutionise women’s health. Asma Mejri sets out strategic IP advice for FemTech start-ups.

Planning is crucial to the safe transfer of an IP portfolio no matter the timescales involved. Minimise the impact on your business and resources with these five steps for recording change of ownership.

The EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal has issued its highly anticipated decision on the patentability of computer-implemented simulations. Martin Kohrs examines the decision and its implications.

The German Federal Constitutional Court has cleared the way for Germany to finally implement the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA). In so doing, the unitary patent and court system could come into being as of mid-2022.