Patents

When budgets are tight, IP expenditure will naturally come under scrutiny, with patent annuity payments often one of the first areas to be identified for cuts.

Priority is an essential element of patent law and its application by the European Patent Office (EPO) has been clarified through case law, as Stéphane Roux explains.

In our webinar looking at patent management in challenging times, Cédric Gaspoz offered advice on reducing costs and driving efficiencies in patent annuities. Here, we summarise the guidance and tools discussed.

Patent and trademark offices are adapting their working methods in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Read our overview of changes to procedural requirements, timeframes, channels of communication and other impacts on IPOs in Europe and worldwide. 

The UK IPO's period of 'interrupted days', which resulted in the extension of most deadlines, ends today (29 July 2020). However, aware of the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on applicants and proprietors of intellectual property rights, the Government has introduced a new statutory instrument making temporary amendments to the patent, trademark and design fee rules.

Patent analytics can provide valuable insights into current risks and future trends across all types of industry sectors, including the mining and retail of diamonds, as François Grange illustrates.

Within nine months of the publication of the grant of a European Patent (EP), any person may file an opposition at the European Patent Office (EPO). It’s important to consider carefully the scope of any claim filed as part of an opposition or appeal procedure.

The R&D process requires considerable investment in both time and money but, in the rush to market, it can be difficult for teams to identify those innovations that are of most value for protection as patents. Novagraaf’s Innovation Capture service and new dedicated portal ‘Novaneo’ have been designed to help companies to achieve this goal.

As of 22 May, France’s PACTE law introduced new requirements to examine inventive step. Eric Enderlin outlines the changes and their implications for patent holders.

The management of patents claiming technology that is essential to an industry standard is an important, but challenging area of patent law.

The US has launched an accelerated examination procedure for patent applications relating to COVID-19, as Eric Enderlin explains.

The current health crisis has inspired inventors from a wide range of industries and organisations to look for ways to help, including meeting the urgent need for protective equipment in hospitals.