30th Jun 2014
In patent specifications, it is common to include lists of features or parameters relevant to the disclosed invention. The lists may provide fall-back positions during prosecution of an application or during post-grant inter partes proceedings. However, a number of EPO Board of Appeal decisions have objected to selecting features from two or more lists, on […]
26th Jun 2014
Reddie & Grose LLP’s patent prosecution practice has been recommended for the third consecutive year in IAM Patent 1000 – a directory published by Intellectual Asset Management magazine (IAM). The IAM Patent 1000 – The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners – is a unique guide that identifies the top patent practitioners in key jurisdictions around the […]
23rd Jun 2014
You may have seen the recent news surrounding the launch in Britain of the 2014 Longitude Prize. This 2014 prize has nothing to do with longitude but is named for the original prize, offered 300 years ago in 1714, by the British Government as a reward to encourage scientists to solve the problem of how […]
20th Jun 2014
On 19th June 2014, the United States Supreme Court published its opinion in the case Alice v CLS setting out its view on what constitutes patent-eligible subject-matter, particularly in relation to business methods. In the patents in suit, the claims are considered as directed to a scheme for mitigating settlement risk implemented on a generic […]
20th Jun 2014
The UK’s Patent Box has just had its first birthday. As we have previously reported, the Patent Box allows companies to reduce the corporation tax payable on profits attributable to a granted UK, or other qualifying, patent. The referral of the UK Patent Box to the EU Commission, which we reported in December 2013 in […]
11th Jun 2014
Last year, we reported on the Law Commission’s consultation on the provisions surrounding ‘groundless’ threats of intellectual property (IP) infringement proceedings (or, to give them their slightly less proper but altogether easier label, the ‘groundless threats provisions’, or GTP). Following further consideration of the results of that consultation, the Commission has now issued its final […]
10th Jun 2014
Historically it has been accepted in relation to UK and European Community trade marks that a trade mark registered in black and white gave the proprietor protection for that mark in all colours. Accordingly, it has long been standard practice of trade mark practitioners to file applications for black and white marks to ensure the […]
2nd Jun 2014
Shanks vs Unilever Plc and others (2014) EWHC 1647 (Pat) is a rare recent decision in the matter of employee compensation for inventions. Under section 39 of the Patents Act 1977 if an invention is made in the course of employment then the rights to the invention belong to the employer rather than the employee. […]