International Experts See Backswing In Pendulum Of Biological Patenting 21/07/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch 4 Comments MUNICH – Some experts in Europe are coming to agreement that a tipping point might have been reached with regard to biological patents. At a conference organised this week by the “no patents on seeds” initiative on the eve of a public hearing of the European Patent Office on cases involving the patenting of broccoli and tomatoes, non-governmental representatives and farmers associations from Europe and elsewhere said there were detectable changes in American jurisprudence and European governments seem to be rethinking the biopatent issue.
German Parliament Members Seek Limited Patent Terms In EU-India FTA 12/07/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Health experts of the German Parliament are concerned about possible negative effects of the European Union-India free trade agreement under negotiation. In a letter dated 8 July, the Parliament’s Committee on Economic Cooperation and Development called on the European Commission and the German Government to ensure in the ongoing negotiations “that rules on intellectual property […]
Monsanto Soybean Patent Cannot Stretch To Processed Soy Meal, European Court Says 07/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 3 Comments Yesterday, the European Court of Justice ruled in a case pitching Monsanto against European importers of Argentinean soy meal, denying the US seed giant intellectual property rights over the exports of soy meal from Argentina to the European Union.
US Economist: US Financial Patents Litigation-Prone; Low Quality Makes Them Easy Targets 01/07/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment Filing of financial patents seems to be on a parallel upward trend with litigation in the United States, with large companies being prime targets, and individual or small entities owning the patents, according to a well-known US economist. This could be the consequence of low quality patents being granted, he said.
In Bilski Decision, US Supreme Court Adopts Tough But Vague Test for Business Method Patents 29/06/2010 by Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment The United States Supreme Court yesterday handed down an important patent law ruling. By a narrow 5-4 vote, the court held in Bilski v. Kappos that business methods are patentable under US law. But the court provided only limited guidance on how to determine which business methods (and other types of inventions) are indeed patentable.
Comparative Analysis Shows US Patent Office Scores Poorly On Patent Quality 18/06/2010 by Catherine Saez, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment Quality across patent systems has been understudied but a new methodology put forward by the former chief economist of the European Patent Office suggests that the EPO provides higher quality services than its United States and Japan counterparts. Efforts at collaborative work between patent offices are being made but mutual recognition might not be possible or desirable without some harmonisation in the way the different systems operate.
Snag In Early End To Viagra Patent In Brazil 17/06/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The date 20 June will mark the authorised end of Viagra’s patent in Brazil, following a 28 April decision of the Superior Court of Justice. Since the decision, five laboratories have requested registration for drugs that are generic versions of Viagra or similar to it, according to press reports. EMS, the largest generic pharmaceutical company […]
UNITAID-Backed Patent Pool Final; Drug Licence Talks Can Begin 08/06/2010 by William New and Kaitlin Mara for Intellectual Property Watch 9 Comments The final step in the establishment of a patent pool under international drug-purchasing mechanism UNITAID was taken today, the UN body announced.
USPTO Seeks Comment On New Patent Process 03/06/2010 by Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment The US Patent and Trademark Office is seeking comments on a proposed new patent examination initiative aimed at providing applicants with greater control over the speed with which their applications are examined and promoting greater efficiency in the examination process. The USPTO initiative would introduce a three-track programme, rather than the current single approach, the […]
Conference Debates Strategic Patenting, Innovation & Public Health 21/05/2010 by Monika Ermert for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment MUNICH – Whether strengthening patent protection and extending data exclusivity is the way to more innovation in the pharmaceutical and diagnostic sector was the subject of a recent conference here.