Strategy

The EU patent system has changed! We explain how to select the optimal European patent protection strategy for your market needs, budget and business objectives.

Download our strategic guide to European patent strategies, from the Unitary Patent to national validations and a mixed approach, along with expert guidance on how to select the optimal strategy according to your market needs, budget and business objectives. 

IP licensing can provide companies with additional (or core) revenue streams, enable them to raise brand awareness and enhance their reputation, and extend their brands into new markets and geographies. However, if IP ownership or validity is unclear, it can also pose significant financial and business risk.

Counterfeit purchases spike before seasonal holidays and during designated sales periods, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the January sales. Protect your brand, products and consumers effectively this year by targeting your online brand protection efforts on the most critical channels. 

Find out more about prior art and freedom to operate (FTO) searching, two types of patent searches with distinct objectives at different phases of innovation.

Does the use of a fictitious date constitute a deceptive trademark in the EU? This is the question currently before the CJEU. Read our article to find out more.

Are intellectual property and traditional knowledge friends or foes? Discover the IP mechanisms that protect folklore and indigenous knowledge this Halloween.

Are you facing challenges safeguarding IP in the fashion sector? Novagraaf joined with Questel to share essential strategies to protect your creative ideas for an on-demand webinar last month.

A ruling by the European Patent Office’s Board of Appeal has clarified the allowability of amended claims via ‘intermediate generalisation’. Martin Kohrs outlines the decision and what it means in practice. 

IP isn’t always the first priority for a business preparing for an initial public offering (IPO); however, the sooner you start thinking about your IP assets, the better prepared you’ll be.

Connecting trademarks and brands can enable IP owners to identify ways to save costs and build value. Maartje Broekmans explains how to match trademark and brand portfolios, assess gaps in protection and build a brand hierarchy with an IP audit.

Marketing teams and their legal advisers naturally differ in their approach to brand and trademark creation. The former often preferring product names that their more risk-averse legal colleagues consider too ‘descriptive’ from a trademark perspective. How do you find the right balance?