Single European Patent Dominates IP Summit As European Parliament Vote Nears 08/12/2012 by Rachel Marusak Hermann, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Brussels, Belgium – As the value of intellectual property reaches unprecedented heights, policymakers, business leaders, and legal experts discussed the need for international patent harmonisation during a two-day patent conference in Brussels last week. With the vote on the European unitary patent and common litigation system just days away from parliamentary vote, participants focussed on what the new system may mean to business.
US Congress Passes Act Implementing Patent Law Treaties 06/12/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Congress passed a bill on 5 December that implements several international treaty obligations, including a treaty on industrial design, according to sources. The bill now heads to President Obama for signature.
Video Available Of Event On Standards-Essential Patents 03/12/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Washington Legal Foundation held an event on 29 November entitled, “Standards-Essential Patents: Where Do IP Protections End and Antitrust Concerns Begin?” The video of the event has been made publicly available.
WIPO, EPO Leaders At OECD: Adjust The Patent System For The Globalised, Knowledge-Based Society 30/11/2012 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The international intellectual property rights system must urgently make headway toward an easier-to-use, globally agreed upon, inclusive and effective architecture, a high-level panel of IP policy leaders said on 29 November.
Fast-Tracking Green Patents Reduces Wait Time, Appeals To Start-Ups, Study Finds 28/11/2012 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Several countries have established fast-track programmes to expedite the examination of environmentally oriented, or “green,” patents. Preliminary findings from a study assessing the success of those programmes were presented last week to Geneva intellectual property professionals.
Event This Week: The Creation Of Unitary Patent Protection In The European Union 27/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The Creation of Unitary Patent Protection in the European Union Paris, 29-30 November 2012 Maison de la Recherche 54, rue de Varenne 75007 Paris Find here (http://bit.ly/Vbb2CB) more information about the conference. After more than 30 years of negotiations, 25 of 27 Member States reached a conclusion on the future Unitary Patent System. The central aim of the two draft Regulations on the creation of unitary patent protection and on the applicable translation arrangements is to reduce the costs of patent protection and translation fees in the EU. The European Council on 28-29 June 2012 agreed to split the seat of the EU Patent Court between Paris, London and Munich. The Council’s suggestion to delete Articles 6-8 of the draft Regulation on the creation of the unitary patent provoked strong criticism in the European Parliament which postponed the vote on the proposal scheduled for 4 July 2012. A conference organised by the Academy of European Law (ERA) in cooperation with Queen Mary University of London in Paris on 29-30 November 2012 will offer a platform for discussion on the latest proposals which are now being discussed within the European Parliament.
EU Patent, Patent Court Could Finally Be Approved In Coming Weeks 20/11/2012 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments A new proposal by European Union governments could signal the end of a years-long struggle for a unified European patent and patent court. The compromise, which has the support of the European Commission (EC), appears likely to make it through the European Parliament despite pockets of resistance.
Medicines Patent Pool Names New Director 14/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Greg Perry, a longtime leader in the European generics industry, has been named the new executive director of the Medicines Patent Pool, a cutting-edge Geneva-based group working to increase access to affordable, high-quality medicines for HIV/AIDS patients in low and middle income countries.
Analysis: Argentine Court Clarifies What Patent Holders Can – And Cannot – Prohibit 14/11/2012 by Maximiliano Marzetti for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment In the recent decision on the case “Novartis AG versus Laboratorios LKM SA re cease of use of patent” the Third Chamber of the Federal Civil and Commercial Appellate Court of Argentina set an important precedent in relation to the interpretation of the ius prohibendi of patent holders. In other words, the demarcation of what they can and cannot prohibit.
Study Shows Drug Patents Can Be Extended For Decades 09/11/2012 by Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The industry practice of extending patent protection on pharmaceuticals by obtaining additional patents on other features of the drug ingredients can lead to decades of delay in generic competition, a new study argues.