Thailand: Latest Talks With Patent Owners of Cancer Drugs Show Positive Results 05/11/2007 by Sinfah Tunsarawuth for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Sinfah Tunsarawuth for Intellectual Property Watch BANGKOK – Thai government officials said the latest round of negotiations with patent owners of cancer treatment drugs showed positive results with drug companies agreeing to make their supplies more available to certain cancer patients. But they stopped short of saying that the government would now have no […]
New USPTO Rules Blocked; EU Views New Patent Litigation Proposal 05/11/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch A US federal court in Virginia has temporarily blocked the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) from implementing controversial new rules governing patent application continuations. The rules, set to come into effect on 1 November, sparked strong opposition from many patent attorneys who argued that capping the number of patent claims and continuing applications would harm inventors seeking to protect intellectual property rights in the fast-moving high-technology sector (IPW, Patent Policy, 10 September 2007). Separately, Portugal, which holds the EU presidency, floated a revised proposal for a European patent litigation system. The draft, although seen by critics as much improved over earlier versions, leaves several key issues unresolved, said Kevin Mooney, a UK attorney with Simmons & Simmons and president of the European Patent Lawyers Association (EPLAW).
Qualcomm-Nokia Patent Lawsuits Advance 29/10/2007 by Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Tatum Anderson for Intellectual Property Watch A German court has thrown out a case involving patents brought by Finnish phone manufacturer Nokia against US chipmaker Qualcomm. The case is one of several internationally between the two companies that could have an impact on telecommunications and information access.
El acuerdo de Londres como facilitador de la presentación de patentes en Europa 19/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment David Cronin para Intellectual Property Watch A partir del año que viene debería ser mas fácil obtener una patente multinacional europea con la ratificación de un acuerdo que reduce los requisitos de traducción para la protección de una invención. Según el Acuerdo de Londres, los países que tengan el inglés, el francés o el alemán […]
London Agreement Seen Easing EU Patent Filing 16/10/2007 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch Obtaining a Europe-wide patent should become easier next year when an accord reducing the translation requirements for protecting an innovation comes into effect. Under the London Agreement, countries that recognise English, French or German as one of their official languages will no longer stipulate that a full description of a patent be translated into their most commonly-used language. English, French and German are also the three official languages of the European Patent Office in Munich. The change was aimed at reducing the administrative and financial burden on patent filers but has raised concerns.
US Courts Swinging Toward Higher Threshold For Patentability 04/10/2007 by William New, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Steven Seidenberg for Intellectual Property Watch For years, the United States has appeared unusually generous towards patent applicants. The country has extended legal protection to many inventions, such as business methods, that typically are not patentable in Europe and other parts of the world. Now, however, America appears to be back-pedalling. Two recent court rulings in the United States have significantly cut back on the types of inventions that can patented in the country. And these decisions may be just the beginning. More court-imposed restrictions may be coming soon, according to some experts.
WIPO’s Gurry Details Efforts On International Patent Needs 12/09/2007 by Liza Porteus Viana, Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Liza Porteus for Intellectual Property Watch NEW YORK – A supplementary international patent search will be introduced and likely approved during the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) General Assembly meeting later this month, WIPO Deputy Director Francis Gurry told Intellectual Property Watch on Tuesday. Gurry also raised an idea discussed this week between the […]
New USPTO Rules, Legal Decision Signal Changes For US Patent Practices 10/09/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch Leave a Comment By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch New rules by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) governing the continuation of patent applications will wreak havoc in the biotechnology and high-tech sectors, according to some experts. The regulations, announced in August as part of a USPTO effort to boost patent quality, and effective on 1 November, are already being challenged in court. In addition, US patent practice changes could arise from a 20 August judicial decision setting a new standard for determining when patent infringement is wilful or done knowingly.
US Patent Reform Bill Clears House of Representatives 09/09/2007 by Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch 2 Comments By Dugie Standeford for Intellectual Property Watch The United States House of Representatives Friday approved sweeping changes to the US patent system, setting the stage for Senate action which could send the measure to the president for signature. By a margin of 220-175, lawmakers passed “The Patent Reform Act of 2007,” HR 1908, with five […]
EU Split Arises Over Thai Effort To Obtain Cheaper Patented Drugs 05/09/2007 by David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch 1 Comment By David Cronin for Intellectual Property Watch A dispute has erupted between two of the European Union’s most powerful institutions over Thailand’s decision to circumvent pharmaceutical patents in order to boost its supply of cheap medicines. Peter Mandelson, who holds the trade portfolio in the EU’s executive arm, the European Commission, recently wrote to several […]