lead position
Patents
In the second of a two-part article, Gabrielle Faure-André and Stéphanie Garçon at Santarelli unpick EPO, UPC and French case law to assess the importance of clinical development timelines in inventive step analyses
February 10, 2026
Features list
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In an exclusive interview with Managing IP, new USPTO Director Michelle Lee lays out a multi-faceted internationalist vision and explains how the Office is addressing users’ concerns. Leaders of IP associations explain what they believe her priorities should be. By Peter Leung in Washington DC -
Marketers often want to reference other people’s trade marks. But what are legitimate defences to infringement in these and other circumstances? Specialists in six countries discuss the law and recent cases
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Hsu Wei-Fu of MediaTek speaks to Managing IP about why trade secret protection is so important for his industry and how he helped to usher in Taiwan’s trade secrets law
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The health tech market is booming, with both new and established players rushing to bring products to market. Andy Leck and Ren Jun Lim explain the IP and legal issues that companies need to be aware of
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Hedge fund manager Kyle Bass has outraged the pharma and biotech industries by seeking to invalidate their patents at the PTAB, with some observers linking his attacks to short-selling of company stocks. Michael Loney reports on a controversy that goes to the heart of the US patent system
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Rumours of the death of software patents are greatly exaggerated, say Elliot Cook, Brandon Bludau and Darren Jiron. Various software-based inventions were patented by the USPTO at rates even higher in 2014 than previous years while many types of software patents are being upheld by courts
Local Insights
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Bird & Bird
Fame means not all literary figure marks are created equal, says Charlotte Colthurst of Bird & Bird in examining an EUIPO Grand Board of Appeal ruling
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Becerril, Coca & Becerril
Stephania Cardiel of Becerril, Coca & Becerril examines how recent reforms signal a regional move towards faster, more internationally aligned innovation systems
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Inlex
Pravir Palayathan of Inlex explains Mauritius’ customs-led system for protecting trademarks, regulating authorised importers and exporters, and swiftly seizing counterfeit goods
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That.Legal
Gillian Tan of That.Legal explains how accidental font licensing gaps arise in practice, and how Singapore’s compensatory copyright framework affects enforcement outcomes
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Inlex
Igor Charles of Inlex explains how the EUIPO Board of Appeal recognised the Givenchy 4G logo’s reputation in France, linking luxury goods to financial services under Article 8(5) of the EU Trademark Regulation
Sponsored by
Wanhuida Intellectual Property
Yue Guan of Wanhuida Intellectual Property explains how the CNIPA’s rulings on mirogabalin besylate tablets highlight the importance of formulation patent drafting and claim amendments in China’s drug patent landscape
Sponsored by
Tilleke & Gibbins
Thanh Phuong Vu of Tilleke & Gibbins explains how Vietnam’s 2025 Intellectual Property Law amendment introduces protection for partial and intangible designs under Locarno Class 32
Sponsored by
Gün and Partners
A reversal decision by the Turkish Court of Cassation clarifies when patent enforcement may trigger unfair competition liability, report Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın, Selin Sinem Erciyas, and Beste Turan Kurtoğlu of Gün and Partners
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Hanol IP & Law
Min Son of Hanol IP & Law explains how the decision clarifies that multiple-word trademarks can infringe if an element serves as an essential distinctive part
Sponsored by
Saint Island International Patent & Law Offices
Taiwan has stepped up trade secret enforcement through legislative reform and court practice, says Tony Tung-Yang Chang of Saint Island International Patent & Law Offices