News

The Russian Federation has ratified the Hague Agreement for the International Registration of Industrial Designs. Russia can be designated in new Hague design filings from 28 February 2018. The Hague Agreement enables applicants to seek protection of registered designs/design patents in 67 territories (that includes all European Union member states, USA, South Korea and Japan) […]

A decision by the EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal has been published with respect to some questions raised in relation to undisclosed disclaimers.  Undisclosed disclaimers are a common means of amending a claim to exclude subject that: a) is disclosed in an earlier patent document under Article 54(3) EPC; b) represents an accidental anticipation in […]

On 5 December 2017 the European Commission together with the European Union Intellectual Property Office published a notice regarding the effect of Brexit on EU trade marks and community designs. The notice confirms that as of the date of withdrawal of the UK from the EU (expected to be 29 March 2019) and subject to […]

Earlier this year the Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal by Professor Ian Alexander Shanks (Shanks) against an earlier dismissal of his appeal against the decision of Hearing Officer, Mr Julyan Elbro, dismissing his claim for employee compensation in favour of the defendants Unilever PLC, Unilever NV and Unilever UK Central Resources Limited (Unilever). The […]

At first glance, it seems straightforward to assign intellectual property rights from one entity to another.  A recent decision by the EPO’s Board of Appeal in T1201/14 (see here) shows that it can, and relatively often does, go wrong. According to European jurisprudence it is generally accepted that the right to claim priority arising from […]

Supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) (as provided under EU Regulation (EC) No. 469/2009) are intended to compensate patent proprietors for any potential loss of exclusivity due to the long regulatory approval procedures required to get new drugs onto the market. To this end SPCs can provide up to five years of patent term extension in relation […]