Latest Managing Patents News

• UK patent box consultation closes

  The UK government has concluded its consultation on a proposed patent box, which it hopes will encourage investment and economic growth and prevent innovative businesses moving intellectual property offshore

• This week’s IP quiz – February 6-10

  Test your knowledge of the week’s IP news with our quick, five-question quiz. Answers next week

• How the EU could make it easier to enforce IP rights

  The European Commission has outlined how it might reform its enforcement directive to make it easier for IP owners to take action against infringers

• All you need to know about the new USPTO procedures

  Fees are too high, page limits are prohibitive and litigators will be more in demand – these are some initial reactions to the USPTO’s proposed rules on various proceedings mandated by the America Invents Act

• The road to the rules: a conversation with Janet Gongola of the USPTO

  USPTO Patent Reform Coordinator Janet Gongola gave Eileen McDermott a sneak peek into the months leading up to Tuesday night’s rules package implementing the contested cases provisions of the America Invents Act

• Apotex paid Sanofi and Bristol-Myers $445 million

  Sanofi’s annual results have revealed that generic rival Apotex paid it and partner Bristol-Myers Squibb over $445 million to settle a dispute over blockbuster drug Plavix

• The rules are out: key provisions of new USPTO procedures

  The USPTO’s proposed rules for post grant review, inter partes review, transitional covered business methods programme and derivation proceedings have been posted on the Office’s website

• Red bags and chambers tea: a day in the life of a barristers’ clerk

  Sue Harding is the senior clerk at Hogarth Chambers, a set of barristers in London that specialises in IP and chancery work. She tells Emma Barraclough what it’s like to help a group of self-employed advocates manage their business

EU patent

• Unitary patent on Council agenda

  Heads of government at today’s EU Council meeting will be discussing the euro, youth unemployment and boosting enterprise - but they may also find time to break the deadlock on the planned unitary patent

• It’s now or never for EU patent reform - Commission

  If EU member states ever want to get a deal on the patent reform package they need to put their negotiating cards on the table, a senior Commission official said today

• EU agreement held up over seat of court

  EU ministers came close to agreeing a full package of patent reforms last night – but not close enough. The main hurdle that remains to be crossed is the location of the central division of the proposed unified patent court

• Ministers close to EU patent deal

  European ministers meeting in Brussels could reach agreement on the elements of a patent reform package by the end of today

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Hyatt v Kappos

• Supreme Court gets tough on USPTO in Kappos v Hyatt

  The USPTO today faced aggressive questioning from Supreme Court justices regarding the agency’s request to overturn a Federal Circuit en banc ruling it says will encourage patent applicants to withhold evidence in examination

• New standard for civil suits against the USPTO

  A full panel of the Federal Circuit ruled last week that patent applicants may present new evidence in civil actions challenging decisions by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences

• Rules seek to curb BPAI backlog

  The Hyatt v Kappos decision is particularly significant, as the number of appeals being heard by the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences (BPAI) has increased exponentially in recent years

• USPTO implements new rules on patent appeals

  The USPTO has published controversial new rules on filing appeals before the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences that will change the way patent practitioners craft appeals briefs

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Patent prosecution highway

• Germany and China launch PPH

  IP owners in Germany and China can now apply to have their patent applications examined more quickly after the German Patent and Trademark Office and China’s State Intellectual Property Office launched a patent prosecution highway yesterday.

• China joins PPH network

  The first ever patent prosecution highway involving China’s State Intellectual Property Office will launch tomorrow with the Japan Patent Office

• USPTO in worksharing spree

  The USPTO has stepped up its international patent prosecution cooperation efforts in an attempt to reach its worksharing goals

• EPO and USPTO to extend pilot PPH

  The European Patent Office and the USPTO have agreed to extend the pilot patent prosecution highway (PPH) between the two offices for another 16 months.

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