In-house roundup: SPC waiver backed by some innovators; car companies want design patents for AVs; counsel and academic reactions to AI inventorship

Managing IP is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Gardens, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

In-house roundup: SPC waiver backed by some innovators; car companies want design patents for AVs; counsel and academic reactions to AI inventorship

Drugs

Managing IP rounds up the latest news and analysis of patent-focused businesses



Drugs

Poll: SPC waiver backed by some innovators

In part one of Patent Strategy’s survey, 30 pharmaceutical in-house counsel commented on the timeframe, challenges and opportunities surrounding the SPC waiver, with almost a third of innovator lawyers saying they supported or were at least not against the regulation. Read more... 

Driverless car sector looks to design patents after Ford win

Counsel at car companies and their suppliers say the focus on autonomous vehicles and recent successes asserting shape protections in the US courts have elevated the importance of design patents in the automotive sector. Read more... 

Professor and practitioner: Can an AI be an inventor?

In-house counsel and academics butt heads on the ethical and legal questions raised by the University of Surrey’s research on whether patent applications should or could name an artificial intelligence as an inventor. Read more... 





more from across site and SHARED ros bottom lb

More from across our site

Peter O’Sullivan, a former professional services executive, says he is looking forward to helping Pearce IP become the leading life sciences firm in Australia and New Zealand
Matteo Di Lernia, advocate at LCA Studio Legale, unpicks the CJEU’s ruling in M.M. Ristorazione v Villa Ramazzini, including its impact on litigation strategies
Leaders at IP boutique say the decision to pursue sponsorless partnership with the specialised investment arm of a private equity firm comes at a time of ‘profound transformation’ in the profession
Patrick Zhang, formerly of Atlassian and TiVo, will become Via’s vice president of licensing and commercial strategy, tasked with helping expand client partnerships and licensing deals
IP services firm says new platform will cut patent portfolio analysis from months to minutes and optimise monetisation efforts
New role for the High Court judge will leave a gap for an IP specialist judge at the first instance
Laura Achával, founder of Achával IP in Argentina, shares how an evolving vision led her to launch her own practice
Monetisation is standing at the forefront of patent development, and one firm says AI is increasingly being deployed
Data centres are being built across the US, prompting patent disputes, but Texas’s thriving tech industry and patent-ready courts make the state particularly ‘ripe’ for litigation
Carpmaels & Ransford is set to bolster its UK attorney team with the appointment of Simmons & Simmons’s head of IP in the UK
Gift this article