As we are approaching the holiday season, Sweden has a special gift for SPC applicants and proprietors. This comes in the wake of the recent decision PMÄ 7804-24 of November 11, 2024, in which the Swedish Patent and Market Court endorsed a change of practice regarding the manner in which the SPC term is calculated….
Many thanks to all of the entrants to the UPC Christmas quiz – a number of the entries scored 100%. Of all of these top scoring entries, we have selected one winner at random….. Alexander Jamnišek. Many congratulations! We will be in touch shortly to arrange delivery of your copy of The Unitary Patent and…
Although plastics are essential to the economy, plastic pollution is threatening ecosystems all over the planet. Plastic waste remains in the environment, taking from decades to centuries to naturally decompose. In addition, plastic materials also degrade, producing small particles, which are not visible to the human eye, leading to the terms “microplastic” and “nanoplastic”. Microplastics…
UPDATE on December 24: The Brazilian PTO issued Ordinance Nº 26/2024, introducing critical updates to the Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) program under Phase V, the so called Global PPH (GPPH) adhesion, set to begin on January 1, 2025. Among these changes is a restriction that excludes patents classified under IPC H04 (Telecommunications) from the PPH…
It has been 1,5 years since the UPC opened its door. The novelty is wearing off as the UPC’s case law takes shape. This is a good moment to reflect a little more on another aspect of the UPC’s operation: the rules of conduct that UPC representatives have to follow. In general, the rules of…
The 2015 landmark decision by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) in Huawei/ZTE established a balanced framework for licensing standard essential patents (SEPs), striking a compromise between the interests of SEPs holders and implementers. The ruling notoriously clarified when SEP holders can seek injunctions without abusing their dominant market position. It stated…
Forget about Gangnam Style, it is overrated. Aya Nakamura Djadja is more than ever the dance-floor song of the moment (especially since her performance at the 2024 Olympics Game opening ceremony). Is Joost Luchtballon able to dethrone the French Queen? Same question for UPC: after the French and the Italian Styles, now we also have…
As we approach 18 months since the UPC opened its doors and the festive season, we thought this would be a good time to offer our readers the chance to showcase their UPC knowledge by participating in the Kluwer UPC Christmas Quiz. We have set 20 questions with multiple choice answers. Please submit your answers…
In case you missed it, here are the main points from the EPO Boards of Appeal Case Law Conference 2024. As ever, this was a really interesting event with lots of high quality presentations. Above all, it is great to hear at first hand what the Board members themselves think of the hot topics at…
In a decision rendered on 12 June 2024, the full chamber of the private law division (‘Segunda Seção’) of the Brazilian Superior Court of Justice ruled that state courts may decide on the validity of patents when the validity is put in issue by way of defence in civil proceedings for infringement (EREsp 1.332.417/RS). The…
