Patents

As of 22 May, France’s PACTE law introduced new requirements to examine inventive step. Eric Enderlin outlines the changes and their implications for patent holders.

The management of patents claiming technology that is essential to an industry standard is an important, but challenging area of patent law.

The US has launched an accelerated examination procedure for patent applications relating to COVID-19, as Eric Enderlin explains.

The current health crisis has inspired inventors from a wide range of industries and organisations to look for ways to help, including meeting the urgent need for protective equipment in hospitals.

On 7 May, we brought together a team of experts to discuss how to effectively manage patent portfolios at this time of crisis, remote working and increasing pressure on budgets.

The Unified Patent Court Agreement received a further blow this month after Germany’s Federal Constitutional Court declared the Act establishing the system null and void on constitutional grounds.

Earlier this year, the EPO published its decision setting out the reasons for its refusal of two European patent applications in which an AI system was designated as the inventor. 

The revised Rules of Procedure at the EPO’s Boards of Appeal (RPBA), known as ‘RPBA 2020’, came into force on 1 January 2020. The revised rules apply to any appeal pending on, or filed after, this date.

Announcement last week that the UK ‘will not be seeking involvement’ in the Unified Patent Court and Unitary Patent system is the latest blow for the much delayed EU patent, as Robert Balsters explains. 

The proposed Unitary Patent system promised a simpler and more cost-effective route to patent protection in and across the EU member states; however, its route to implementation is far from certain. We set out the answers to some frequently asked questions.

France’s new PACTE law has set out to modernise utility certificates by increasing their term of protection and adding new provisions to allow applicants to transform utility certificate applications into patent applications.

Will the PACTE law, which seeks to tighten up the way in which patents are issued in France, result in stronger French patents or a gradual abandonment of its measures?