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

The Via members, represented by Licks Attorneys, target the Chinese company and three local outfits, adding to Brazil’s emergence as a key SEP litigation venue
The firm, which has revealed profits of £990,837, claims it is the disruptive force in the IP-legal industry
In the first of a two-parter, lawyers at Santarelli analyse the patentability of therapeutic inventions where publication of clinical trial protocols occurs before the application's filing date
Arun Hill at Clarivate assesses the Top 100 Global Innovators 2026 list, including why AI has assumed a strategic importance for innovation
Practitioners and law firms should keep their eyes peeled for the shortlists for our annual awards
Despite a broader slowdown in US IP partner hiring in 2025, litigation demand drove aggressive lateral expansion at select firms
Winston Taylor is expected to launch in May 2026 with more than 1,400 lawyers across the US, UK, Europe, Latin America and the Middle East
News of White & Case asking its London staff to work from the office four days a week and a loss for Canva at the Delhi High Court were also among the top talking points
With boutiques offering an attractive alternative to larger firms, former Gilbert’s partner Nisha Anand says her new firm will be built on tech-smart practitioners, flexible fees, and specialised expertise
IP specialists Jonathan Moss and Jessie Bowhill, who worked on cases concerning bitcoin, Ed Sheeran, and the Getty v Stability AI dispute, received the KC nod
Gift this article