02/09/12 New record patent filings at European Patent Office in 2011
incoming applications up 3% on 2010, stabilisation in Europe; global shift towards Asia
In 2011, despite the economic and financial crisis, the European Patent Office (EPO) received 243 000 applications, 3% up on the 2010 record figure of 237 500. It granted 62 115 patents, 7% more than in 2010. As regards the filings' geographical origin, the main trends observed in recent years continue. First, a clear majority (62% of all 2011 filings) came from non-European countries (up slightly from 61% in 2010). Globally, the shift towards Asia continues: whilst Europe’s share was virtually unchanged, the USA’s fell to 24% (from 26% in 2010), but both China’s and Japan’s increased (to 7% and 19% from 5% and 18% respectively).
01/20/12 Europe, a unitary patent: not if, but when
A unitary system providing patent protection throughout all EU member states has been the dream of many in the IP world for more than 50 years. Today, after many false starts and numerous changes, this goal appears to be within touching distance. Will it be realised, or is it a case of too little, too late? This article looks at past efforts to predict the consequences of change and at the implications that the arrival of a truly unified system would have on established systems and procedures.
12/22/11 New PCT feature for indicating the willingness to license inventions
In January 2012 WIPO is to introduce a register that will allow applicants interested in licensing the inventions contained in their international application, to make this information available on the PATENTSCOPE website. Applicants who are interested in licensing their inventions can request the International Bureau to indicate the availability for licensing purposes of the invention(s) claimed in the international application on the PATENTSCOPE website. In addition, applicants may state the licensing terms, such as the Contracting States for which they are willing to license the claimed invention(s) and/or whether the license will be for the licensee’s exclusive or non-exclusive use.
12/07/11 Unitary Patent EU: Deal almost done
The EU Council of Ministers has reached agreement on nearly all issues of the Unitary European Patent over the past few days. The only hurdle to be taken is the choice of the headquarters of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) which will be the cornerstone of the new system. London, Paris and Munich are still in the running and the case will hopefully be settled within the next few days or weeks. The Appeal Court will be located in Luxemburg, while Lisbon and Ljubljana will host an arbitration institute. The Polish Presidency hopes to celebrate the signing of the Convention for establishing the UPC in Warsaw on 22th December, which will conclude a laborious process of many decades.
09/28/11 America Invents Act
On September 16, 2011, President Obama has signed the America Invents Act (AIA) into law. The act is regarded as the most significant reform of the United State’s Patent Act since 1952. The new legislation more or less harmonizes the American patent process with the rest of the world...
09/27/11 The debate in Australia on patentability of genes and other biological material
Senate Committee recommended not to pass the Patent Amendment (Human Genes and Biological Materials) Bill 2010
Whether (isolated) genes should be patent eligible has been the subject of debate for quite some years inter alia in Europe and the United States. In Australia the debate has precipitated in November 2010 in the introduction the Patent Amendment (Human Genes and Biological Materials) Bill 2010 into the Federal Parliament of Australia. The Bill, introduced by Senator Bill Hefferman, proposed to expressly exclude from patentability “biological materials including their components and derivatives, whether isolated or purified or not and however made, which are identical or substantially identical to such materials as they exist in nature”...
09/15/11 15% fee increase for US patent filing
On September 8, 2011, the U.S. Senate passed the America Invents Act (AIA) by an overwhelming margin of 89-9, the most significant patent reform legislation since the Patent Act of 1952. President Obama is scheduled to sign the AIA into law on September 16, 2011.Previously, on March 8, 2011, the Senate passed S. 23, a somewhat different version of the AIA, by a vote of 95-5, and in June, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its own “patent reform” bill, H.R. 1249 by a similarly wide margin, 304-117. Rather than proceed to committee to reconcile the differences in the two bills, on September 6, 2011, the U.S. Senate invoked cloture on a motion to proceed with the House’s version...
08/27/11 Patentscope for mobile phones
In view of the growing number of mobile phone subscribers worldwide, WIPO is keen to reach out to users of mobile phones for the diffusion of patent information.
It has therefore developed "PATENTSCOPE Mobile", a new PATENTSCOPE interface allowing smartphone users to quickly and easily search and browse the 8 million patent documents contained in PATENTSCOPE...
08/20/11 The 2010 EU SURVEY on R&D Investment Business Trends
This report presents the findings of the sixth survey on trends in business R&D investment. These are based on 205 responses of mainly larger companies from the 1000 EU-based companies in the 2010 EU Industrial R&D Investment Scoreboard.These 205 companies are responsible for R&D investment worth almost €40 billion, constituting around 30% of the total R&D investment of the 1000 EU Scoreboard companies. The main findings of the survey are as follows...
07/23/11 Will Europe ever become a real single market?
Interview unitary patent developments
The European Union (EU) Commission is striving towards a so called Unitary Patent. Important steps have already been taken in the process of creating a single patent system for the EU. The proposed system is intended to make the European system more effective and less expensive. As a key player in the European market, Nederlandsch Octrooibureau is constantly abreast of progress, on the European patent front. Two of our top specialists on EU patent law, Ruurd Jorritsma and Paul Clarkson, reflect on the latest developments, opportunities, threats, hurdles and intricacies of the new “EU” Patent...
