Catch up on the year with our most-read IP articles
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Catch up on the year with our most-read IP articles

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We look back at some of the biggest intellectual property stories of 2018

It has been another busy year in the intellectual property world. We at Managing IP have also been busy keeping on top of all the changes.

Our most-viewed articles

Our exclusive awards, rankings and data feature heavily in the list of our 20 most-viewed articles published for subscribers.

MIP Dec Nov 2018 cover

Our most-read article was the recent relaunch of our 50 most influential people in IP list. Our IP Stars rankings of firms for patent and trade mark work, published early in the year, were also popular.  

In March, we revealed EMEA, Americas and Asia winners in our restructured awards programme.

Popular data on the site included our rankings of firms for PCT work, PTAB work and US district court litigation.

Interestingly, two hot IP topics proved very popular. Our articles on blockchain and artificial intelligence feature high in the rankings.

Here are our top 20 most-viewed articles published for subscribers in 2018:

The 50 most influential people in IP, November 28

Top firms for trade mark work: IP Stars rankings, February 1

This year’s top firms for patent work: IP Stars rankings, March 4

Managing IP EMEA Awards winners 2018 revealed, March 9

How blockchain will change intellectual property – trade marks and brands, February 27

Rankings: the top firms for PCT work this year, December 3

Managing IP Americas Awards winners revealed, March 16

Managing IP Asia awards winners revealed, March 21

2017 PTAB rankings – the top petitioners, patent owners, law firms and attorneys, January 10

How AI affects patent prosecution and litigation, June 5 2018

US patent litigation trends to watch in 2018, January 25

How blockchain will change intellectual property – trade secrets, March 27

How blockchain will change intellectual property – copyright, March 13

Special report: will blockchain revolutionise IP?, April 2

Trade mark C&D letters: the good, the bad and the ugly, April 2

How AI affects trade mark prosecution and litigation, May 10

IP cases to look out for in Europe in 2018, January 5

Why is it so hard to register shape marks in the EU?, August 21

Data: 2017 US patent cases – plaintiff, defendant, law firm and district rankings, January 18

Pharma repurposing: old drugs, new tricks, February 27

Autonomous vehicles and IP special report

IP and automotive sector

During the year we took a deep dive on another hot IP topic that is increasing in importance. In July, we published an in-depth report, in association with Gowling WLG, on the automotive industry and IP. The report is based on a series of detailed interviews with industry figures, published research and data and an online questionnaire that received more than 200 responses. You can read the report for free by clicking this link:

How autonomous vehicles will change IP strategies

The year in headlines

As always, it was an entertaining year for IP news.

Some of the highlights include:

US Supreme Court Joao 168

In the US, Andrei Iancu was approved as USPTO director; he wasted no time changing the tone and making changes that pleased patent owners. The Supreme Court changed PTAB practice by ending partial institution in SAS Institute v Iancu and allowed the award of foreign lost profits patent damages in US patent cases in WesternGeco v Ion Geophysical. The Federal Circuit moved the pendulum on Section 101 back a bit with its Berkheimer ruling, as well as issuing important rulings on CRISPR and sovereign immunity. Congress even passed IP legislation, with the Music Modernization Act and SUCCESS Act.

Canada had a number of big news stories: the legalisation of cannabis had IP implications; the Supreme Court issued a ruling on ISPs; and the USMCA overhauled some important IP issues.  

Latin America saw a number of changes to IP systems. This included Argentina revamping its patents, trade marks and designs regulations.

Christian Archambeau 168

In Europe, Christian Archambeau took over as EUIPO executive director. The European Commission released a controversial waiver proposal. Among important rulings, the CJEU ruled Louboutin’s red sole does not fall within absolute grounds for refusal, the UK Supreme Court issued decisions in Cartier v BT and Warner-Lambert’s pregabalin patent case, and UK Court of Appeal declared a global licence can be FRAND in Unwired Planet v Huawei. But one thing did not happen: the German Constitutional Court has not issued its vital ruling on the UPC – yet.

In Asia, a number of big stories in China have dominated. A Federal Circuit-style appeals court is being established. China’s IP office was restructured – goodbye SIPO, hello CNIPA.

SIPO 168
The year began with a blockbuster ruling, with Huawei scoring a standard essential patent win against Samsung in Shenzhen court. In India, after being virtually dormant for a few years, and amassing a fearsome backlog, India’s Intellectual Property Appellate Board was back in business.

One of the longest-running IP stories of recent years ended this year: Apple and Samsung settled their dispute. In contrast, the battle between Apple and Qualcomm intensified during the year.

You can read about all of these and more on our selection of news and analysis headlines from the year below:

Interesting details from Apple injunctions in Qualcomm’s China cases, December 13

Andrei Iancu interview: a change in tone at the USPTO, November 28

SEPs appeal: How Unwired Planet ruling helps telecoms and automotive companies, November 27

UK Supreme Court affirms Warner-Lambert’s pregabalin patent is invalid, November 14

Why Judge Koh’s Qualcomm FRAND ruling is a big deal, November 10

China contemplates IP appeals court, October 25

IP systems updates in Latin America, October 5

How the USMCA will affect Canadian IP, October 3

How the Music Modernization Act changes US copyright law, October 2

Christian Archambeau’s challenges as EUIPO executive director, October 2

Canadian Supreme Court rules ISPs can charge some costs of identifying illegal downloaders, September 14

Federal Circuit backs Broad Institute in CRISPR patent dispute, September 10

Federal Circuit affirms tribal sovereign immunity cannot be asserted in IPRs, July 20

Analysis: Section 101’s power wanes post-Berkheimer, July 18

SPC change: The European Commission's controversial waiver proposal, July 3

WTO ruling likely to encourage more countries to pass plain packaging laws, July 2

Apple and Samsung settle – highlights of the seven-year battle, June 28 

PTAB practice in a post-SAS world, June 25

US Supreme Court allows award of foreign lost profits patent damages, June 22

What Cartier v BT means for rights holders, June 15

Louboutin red sole does not fall within absolute grounds for refusal, says CJEU, June 12

Calculating design patent damages after Apple v Samsung, June 11

China’s SIPO restructure explained, May 20

RPX sale agreed in $555m deal, May 1

Intellectual property in the age of Trump, May 1

India’s Intellectual Property Appellate Board back in business (almost), April 9

A CRISPR picture – what to expect from the gene-editing patent boom, March 20  

Canada’s budding cannabis trade mark industry, March 6

Argentina's rule changes for patents, trade marks and designs explained, February 27

Lessons from the Waymo v Uber trade secrets settlement, February 20

Analysing Huawei’s SEP win against Samsung in Shenzhen court, January 19

We’ve enjoyed bringing you coverage of all these stories this year and look forward to reporting on all that 2019 brings. In the meantime, happy holidays from the Managing IP editorial team!

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