Patents

It may be called the European Patent Office (EPO), but the EPO’s 2028 Strategic Plan outlines its international ambitions, as Martin Chaumont explains.

Defining an IP strategy will enable nascent companies to prepare effectively for their future growth. Colombe Dougnac from Novagraaf’s SME and Startup team explains where to start.

Finding the right balance between patent protection and legal certainty is a vital part of effective European patent drafting. The Order of the Court of Appeal issued by the Unified Patent Court emphasises the importance of precise drafting of patent claims to avoid ambiguities and guarantee the protection sought.

Reinforce your business's foundation by boosting your intellectual property (IP) awareness and knowledge. Join us to explore the fundamentals of IP law in a comprehensive and practical webinar.

After filing a national patent application, it may be desirable to seek protection for the invention that forms the focus of the application in other territories by utilising the right of priority. Marie Houppe and Kate McNamara set out the options.  

Achieving sufficiency of description can be challenging for patent applications for AI inventions. What can we learn from the EPO Guidelines for Examination? 

Intellectual property (IP) law is a dynamic and complex field of law. In this article, Valerie Annan gets back to the basics of IP education with a guide to the most important areas of IP law.

The Chinese Patent Office (CNIPA) has published new regulations implementing its Patent Law and new examination guidelines. Marion Bénetière outlines the main changes and their implications for companies planning to file patents in China.

The Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) at the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued its much-awaited decision in the consolidated cases G1/22 and G2/22. Chris Poll summarises the ruling and its implications for patent holders. 

Patents, trademarks, designs and other forms of intellectual property (IP) play a key role in the success of all modern businesses.

From 1 November 2023, recipients of EPO communications will no longer be able to benefit from the additional 10-day response period (known as the EPO "10-day rule”). Clémence de Masfrand outlines the implications. 

Since the launch of the UPC system on 1 June 2023, holders of European patents and European patents with unitary effect (‘unitary patents’) have been able to bring actions against third parties in a single legal procedure.