Legal Commentary

General Court creates specialist IP chambers

For the first time, the General Court of the European Union has established new chambers and introduced an IP specialisation. The new chambers are part of a court reform initiated in 2015. Patent lawy ...

3 October 2019 by Christina Schulze

Germany

Berlin plans new patent law

The German federal government is working on a major overhaul of national patent law. But it will likely disappoint many experts and not include the ma ...

30 September 2019 by Mathieu Klos

Long read

Navigating the fog: SEP litigation in Europe

Which court in Europe is best suited for SEP litigation? In light of the rise in disputes over connected cars and semiconductor patents, the question ...

13 September 2019 by Mathieu Klos

EPO Boards of Appeal

EPO Administrative Council adopts Boards of Appeal's revised Rules of Procedure

The EPO's governing body has revised Rules of Procedure which are to come into force on 1st January 2020. Their main objective is to make proceedings ...

2 August 2019 by Konstanze Richter

EPO Boards of Appeal

Striking a balance at the EPO

The Enlarged Board of Appeal has decided that a third party has no right to an oral hearing in the case of an appeal. The decision on case G2/19 was r ...

19 July 2019 by Amy Sandys

Opinion

EPO customers want Michelin-star service

There is a new strategy at the European Patent Office. Last week António Campinos delivered what many had expected in his ambitious plan for the futur ...

3 July 2019 by Mathieu Klos

Long read

Chambers and secrets

Around 100 barristers practice intellectual property law in the UK. A small group, the London IP bar is influential in the development of IP law acros ...

14 June 2019 by Amy Sandys

German Constitutional Court

Recruitment for UPC judges raises new speculation

The Preparatory Committee of the Unified Patent Court has re-opened its judicial recruitment programme. The news has ignited rumours in the patent com ...

5 June 2019 by Mathieu Klos

Automatic injunctions

Government considers amendment to automatic injunction law

The German government is considering an amendment to the automatic injunction in patent law, following a meeting between the Federal Ministry of Justi ...

29 May 2019 by Mathieu Klos

Employee invention law

Hörmann and Novoferm conclude garage door patent dispute

The battle between two leading German garage door manufacturers, Hörmann and Novoferm, is epic. Now, after 18 years, the Federal Court of Justice has ...

24 May 2019 by Mathieu Klos

Opinion

A need for speed: Germany's Federal Patent Court

Germany has a problem with automatic injunction claims. Today in Berlin, the federal government is talking to experts about changing the law. However, ...

20 May 2019 by Mathieu Klos

SPCs

European Commission passes SPC waiver

In May 2018, the European Commission published a proposal to introduce an SPC manufacturing waiver for export purposes. This has now been passed. It w ...

24 April 2019 by Amy Sandys

Plant patents

EPO president stays plant patent proceedings

On Tuesday, the EPO issued a noticed staying all further proceedings concerning the patentability of plants and animals. This follows a referral to th ...

11 April 2019 by Amy Sandys

Pharmacy exemption

Netherlands passes pharmacy exemption for patented medicine

On 1 February, a provision of the Dutch Patent Act 1995 came into force. It allows pharmacists to prepare patented medicines, on a small scale, for pa ...

2 April 2019 by Amy Sandys

Plant patents

Patenting plants: EPO examiners explore solution

Lack of consensus on if patents can be granted on plants and animals is causing a stalemate between the European Patent Organisation member states, an ...

29 March 2019 by Christina Schulze

French patent system

The end of quick and dirty? French patent system under scrutiny

The French patent system is being reformed. Following the German model, patents will be examined for inventive step and an opposition procedure will b ...

15 March 2019 by Christina Schulze