In-house IP roundup: UPC litigation uncertainty to stall cases; software development speed diminishes patent office value

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In-house IP roundup: UPC litigation uncertainty to stall cases; software development speed diminishes patent office value

Money

Managing IP rounds up the latest news and analysis from patent-focused businesses on the UPC, blockchain, software FTO and Chinese litigation

Drugs

UPC: businesses hesitant to litigate in untested court

Counsel from pharmaceutical, agro-chemical and telecoms companies say that a lack of established rulings and a new structure will make them hesitant to use a newly-emerged Unified Patent Court, should it come into being. Read More... 

Software development speed makes patent offices and FTO less valuable

Tech companies say freedom-to-operate searches are becoming more difficult because patent registers are less reflective of the landscape and subject matter is more difficult to find. Read more... 

Blockchain prosecution easier at USPTO but more reliable at EPO

Stakeholders in the distributed ledger market say Section 101 creates eligibility uncertainty for filing at the USPTO, but the EPO sets a higher standard for granting software-related patents. Read more... 

China court improvements increase foreign litigators’ confidence

While some companies continue to be wary of litigation in China, recent examples of foreign patent wins are convincing many that they can get sound and efficient judgments from the country’s courts. Read more... 





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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
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