Meade J reaffirms the UK Courts’ approach to disclosure of confidential information How far should the Court go to protect a party’s confidential information during disclosure? In a recent decision ([2022] EWHC 490 (Pat)) in two related patent infringement actions between Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy (“SGRE”) and General Electric (“GE”), Meade J confirmed that there…
The Bulgarian Supreme Court of Cassation (SCC) confirmed a second instance court judgment considering, inter alia, the effect of a later exclusive patent license contract having the same subject matter as an earlier one and the effect of (non-)registration of an exclusive patent license contract and its termination with the Bulgarian Patent Office (BPO). Case…
If, in an action for a declaration of invalidity of a patent brought by several plaintiffs, the proceedings against one of the plaintiffs are interrupted pursuant to Section 240 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CCP), a partial judgment may be given against the other plaintiffs. Case date: 24 August 2021 Case number: X ZR 59/19 Court:…
The article “One small step for “artificial intelligence”, and a giant leap for the Australian patent system? The Federal Court decision in Thaler v Commissioner of Patents” analyses the reasoning of Beach J in the Thaler decision at first instance, noting that this decision is the first judicial consideration in Australia relating to the impact…
Back in 2021 the Competition Enhancement Office and the Intellectual Property Policy Office at the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) established the “Study Group on Licensing Environment of Standard Essential Patents”. Various experts and corporate actors joined this group and reviewed the international environment surrounding SEP licensing negotiations and further discussed the…
The Board incorrectly interpreted Section 311(b)’s “prior art consisting of patents or printed publications” to encompass applicant admitted prior art, but such art may be relevant as an admission. Concluding that the Patent Trial and Appeal Board incorrectly considered applicant admitted prior art (AAPA) in its review of a Qualcomm’s integrated circuit patent in a…
Following nullity advice from the Dutch Patent Office, the Dutch administrative body for license plate registration filed the present successful nullity suit against a private inventor in relation to a patent for vehicle license plates with a built-in RFID chip. This case demonstrates the disadvantages of the Dutch registration patent system which can allow the…
The Administrative Committee of the Unified Patent Court has been inaugurated. It will replace the UPC Preparatory Committee, which has so far been in charge of preparations for the new court. An Advisory Committee has been appointed as well, which will interview candidate judges, a process which is expected to start late March. The inaugural…
Members of the trade union of the European Patent Office, SUEPO, have voted for industrial action, including ‘work to rule’, ‘go slow’, and a strike on 22 March 2022 during the meeting of the Administrative Council. They SUEPO members demand the restoration of fundamental rights at the EPO and the suspension or reversal of major…
Even the best European Patent Attorneys may occasionally have to represent a client in an appeal case that turns out to be increasingly hopeless, or they are representing the patentee in examination appeal proceedings in a field where technology advances faster than the Boards of Appeal are able to deal with their cases. In such…
