The EPO has proposed new amendments to the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (RPBA) to support more ambitious timeliness objectives. In our view, they are unlikely to shorten appeal proceedings, will reduce the quality of decisions, and are unfair on Respondents so should not be adopted in full. Background As can be…
It will be nothing new for regular readers of this blog that I and many others have long been advocating for more well-qualified examiners at the EPO, e.g. here. Obviously, these examiners also need to be given adequate time to scrutinize the ever-increasing number of new patent applications per year thoroughly. Alas, it will also…
In Brazil amendments to claims are possible if the patent applicant can show the changes are limited to the matter initially disclosed in the patent application (Article 32 of Patent Statute 9,279 of 1996). Thus, like most other countries, Brazilian patent law contains a prohibition against added matter. However, in a separate provision, the Brazilian…
Substantial evidence supported a Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) decision finding the challenged claims were obvious. A PTAB decision finding that Sony Interactive Entertainment had shown that a Bot M8’s patent directed to a video game authentication system was obvious over prior art has been affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the…
The level of transparency at the Unified Patent Court is far below what would normally be considered acceptable in civil court proceedings in most of the EU member states, says UK, Dutch and European patent attorney Joeri Beetz of law firm Keltie. He decided to build a UPC search site himself. Kluwer IP Law interviewed…
The first two substantive public hearings of the Unified Patent Court will be held next month at the local division in Munich about applications for provisional measures. The hearings, on 5 (and if necessary 6) September and 19 September 2023, concern applications for preliminary injunctions in infringement cases brought by 10x Genomics against Nanostring Technologies….
There was no error in an inter partes review decision finding obviousness in a communication system patent because the board properly relied on materials in the record in its claim construction and obviousness analysis. An inventor of a communication system failed to show any error in an IPR proceeding which found his invention obvious, the U.S. Court…
Since the start of June 2023, 21 new technically qualified judges have been appointed to the Unified Patent Court and more will follow later this year. According to a UPC announcement, candidates will be contacted for interviews in the upcoming weeks. Before taking up their duties, the newly appointed judges take an oath in open…
In what will be seen as a welcome development to IP owners, the Brazilian Patent Office (BRPTO) is improving the system to record IP agreements. More specifically, on 11 July 2023, the BRPTO published Ordinances 26 and 27/2023, improving the guidelines for registration of technology transfer and franchise agreements. For recordal purposes, complete agreements are…
As with many other jurisdictions the fight over Novartis’ contested Fingolimod-patent (EP 2 959 894) (the “patent-in-suit”) is raging on in Denmark. Two recent cases from June and July yielded positive results for the patent proprietor in cases against Viatris and Zentiva respectively. The cases initially begun in Denmark in the spring of 2022, where…
