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

Latham & Watkins bolstered its IP litigation bench in California with the addition of Kieran Kieckhefer, as partner demand for trial-ready expertise shows no sign of slowing
With the launch of a new patent eligibility AI tool, Sterne Kessler is leading a growing movement of law firms taking AI development into their own hands
UPC cases are (very) gradually becoming more distributed across other local divisions outside Germany, which can only be good news for the pan-European forum
Clarification concerning jurisdictional reach and latest stats released by the court were also among the top talking points in recent weeks
Although unanimous decision by the top court clarifies several aspects of the honest concurrent use defence, practitioners say ambiguities remain
Tristan Sherliker says he hopes to solve an access to justice issue by making the automated court bundle tool free to use
The team, comprising two partners and one senior consultant, plans to offer “highly differentiated” services to clients
HGF’s new ownership model frees it from the hiring constraints of traditional partnerships, its CEO told Managing IP
New timeline for 2026 aims to provide clearer guidance to firms and practitioners on the full jurisdictional market view
Attorneys contemplate whether clients using AI for legal guidance is beneficial to attorney-client relationships or more of a nuisance
Gift this article