30th Oct 2012
The most recent reincarnation of the Patents County Court (PCC) is enjoying success. This month, as the PCC celebrates the second anniversary of its restructuring, we reflect on the characteristics that have allowed it to make a name for itself as a fleet-footed contender in a system of heavy-weight Intellectual Property courts. Although the PCC […]
29th Oct 2012
On 24th October 2012, the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) launched a formal consultation on proposals to amend the Patents Act. The proposed changes would allow clinical and field trials for new drugs to be carried out without the risk of patent infringement. The proposal is of course relevant to patent holders in the pharmaceutical field. […]
25th Oct 2012
Just occasionally the public imagination is fired by an Intellectual Property dispute. The popular press reports the dispute as a “war” comprising a series of “battles” each deciding whether one party has has “stolen” Intellectual Property from the other. We thus have soldiers, thieves and the occasional smoking gun. In this context, Apple have just […]
16th Oct 2012
Our very own Pete Sadler & Tom Sharman will be joined by Jon Sutcliffe from Kingston Smith LLP, to deliver this workshop at the General Assembly London on the 6th December 2012. Overview Whether you are a technology or telecoms giant or just about to launch your first Smartphone app, intellectual property (IP) may well […]
15th Oct 2012
Article 84 of the European Patent Convention has always required that the claims of a patent application be clear. However, ‘The Raising The Bar’ initiative of The European Patent Office (EPO) has given examiners new cause to focus on clarity requirements. The EPO are now raising objections increasingly to the clarity of terms used in […]
8th Oct 2012
In 2008 the European Patent Convention was amended to allow parties of appeal proceedings to petition the Enlarged Board of Appeal to review decisions. The Enlarged Board is the European Patent Office’s highest appellate body and had previously only taken cases referred by the Boards of Appeal or the President of the EPO. The Enlarged […]