News about patents
New products and ideas are born every day. Technology is developing very fast in all sectors. Look at the rapid developments in the market for mobile phone devices or at the advances in the field of healthcare, for example, or the enormous investments and developments in biotechnology and the new focus on sustainability in the motor industry. Not only are these interesting developments to follow, but also they are increasingly being accompanied by a discussion about the ownership of patents in general. These are all things that concern us and which we would like to share with you. For the latest news stories, see below.
Human genes can’t be patented
The U.S. Supreme Court declared human genes off-limits for patent protection, drawing a line between “naturally occurring” DNA sequences and similar genes entirely created in the lab.
Twitter: first patent under Innovator’s Patent Agreement
Last year, Twitter announced something it called the Innovator’s Patent Agreement (IPA), which would keep patents in the hands of the designers and engineers that came up with the technology behind them. What this agreement serves as is a promise to only act on a patent for “defensive purposes.” Anything outside of that scope would need to be signed off on the creator of the patent itself...
New UK intellectual property bill announced in Queen’s Speech
The intellectual property (IP) bill announced in the Queen’s Speech 2013 on 8 May has now been published. According to the UK’s Minister for IP, Lord Younger, it has been designed to simplify patent and design protection laws in the UK. In particular, it will implement the Unified Patent Court, introduce criminal penalties for the infringement of UK registered designs and enable the UK to..
Counterfeit electronics on the rise
Figures released by the UK Border Force reveal a six-fold increase in the number of seized counterfeit electrical goods in the last four years. The most commonly seized goods include designer headphones, hair straighteners, chargers, vacuum cleaners and batteries.
Amazon seeks patent on “wireless power”
Amazon.com’s founder Jeffrey Bezos is named as one of two inventors on an application for a patent on a portable device that receives both content and power wirelessly. According to application 20130069865, the device is a display system that is remote from, and without a tangible connection to, a primary station.
Apple 1 – Google 0
Apple scored a win when the U.S. International Trade Commission ruled that it did not violate a Google patent to make the popular iPhones. The case centered on a claim the iPhone maker should have licensed a feature that lets its handsets ignore touches when held close to users' heads.
Countdown to the Patent Box
The ‘Patent Box’ tax rate, coming into force in the UK on 1 April 2013, will enable companies to claim corporation tax relief on income derived from qualifying IP-protected products and processes. Is the new tax relief system right for you?
Twitter patents Twitter
Although Twitter famously has a pending patent on the familiar "pull-to-refresh" gesture, the company may have just acquired something more valuable: a patent on the Twitter messaging service itself.
Swiss IP in sport congress tackles key patent and trademark issues
The important role played by Intellectual Property (IP) in sport was the focus of the AROPIADE (the ‘IP Olympics’) held by Switzerland’s IP Association, the Association Romande de Propriété Intellectuelle (AROPI) late last month. Its second AROPIADE convention was held at the headquarters of UEFA, football’s governing body in Europe, in Nyon, Switzerland from 28 February to 1 March.
Samsung loses another patent fight
South Korean phone-maker Samsung has lost another patent fight against rival Apple, in the UK High Court. Samsung had said technology used in Apple products to allow phones to send and receive data over 3G networks infringed three of its patents. But the judge decided the three technology patents it claimed had been infringed by its rival were invalid.
