The site, the first to be dedicated to French IP cases, is freely accessible and designed to benefit all AIPPI members, wherever they are based.
Béatrice Thomas, in-house lawyer at RATP and a member of the French group, said the website came about after AIPPI France President Thierry Sueur asked for ideas to build on the 42nd World Congress, which was held in Paris in 2010. Of the three ideas suggested, the creation of a list of important cases was chosen.
“There were two aims behind this project: first, to thank all the participants and not only the French group for their work in Paris, and second to improve our scientific work through better knowledge of each year’s cases,” said Thomas.
The cases are presented in four categories: designs, copyright and unfair competition; trade marks and unfair competition; patents, know-how and unfair competition and general issues. A panel comprising representatives of AIPPI and INPI suggests cases to be included in each category. Professor Michel Vivant of SciencesPo chairs the selection committee.
“We think this process ensures that the decisions chosen are very relevant for international practitioners,” said Denis Monégier du Sorbier of Hoyng Monegier, who worked on the project. He said there are more than 200 decisions in France just in patent cases each year, and many more involving trade marks. The website will be updated twice a year and will include the most important ones.
All the cases are translated into eight other languages, with the translations provided by RWS Group. The site provides a summary of each case, as well as a more detailed document setting out the facts and proceedings, decision, explanation and assessment and a link to the full ruling in French.
“We have already had some reaction and we are interested in AIPPI members’ thoughts,” said Thomas. “We hope to develop the site in the future with more feedback.”
The cases can be seen on AIPPI France’s website at http://www.aippi.fr/fr/focus.
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