Commission investigates Samsung over 3G patents The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into whether Samsung Electronics breached EU competition law by enforcing standard-essential patents for 3G technology By James Nurton January 31 2012
Patent cliff prompts generics to rethink branding As more blockbuster drugs tumble off the patent cliff this year, the generic industry is set to become more profitable than ever - but the spike in competition means generics may also have to become more brand-savvy By Eileen McDermott January 31 2012
Unitary patent on Council agenda Heads of government at today’s EU Council meeting will be discussing the euro, youth unemployment and boosting enterprise - but they may also find time to break the deadlock on the planned unitary patent By James Nurton January 30 2012
Q&A: Patents at the EPO A comprehensive guide to filing and protecting your patent at the EPO. By Andrew Hammond of Valea By Managing IP Correspondent January 27 2012
Federal Circuit clarifies patent eligibility post-Bilski The Federal Circuit has ruled that the words “computer-aided” do not limit a claim for a method of managing a credit application meaningfully enough to make it patent-eligible By Eileen McDermott January 26 2012
Interdigital strategy highlights shifting IP paradigm Just months after the mega-deals for Nortel and Motorola patents, Interdigital has failed to find a bidder for its portfolio. Is the patent boom over already? By Eileen McDermott January 26 2012
Germany and China launch PPH IP owners in Germany and China can now apply to have their patent applications examined more quickly after the German Patent and Trademark Office and China’s State Intellectual Property Office launched a patent prosec... By Emma Barraclough January 24 2012
Research on patents and cities published What role do patent applications play in the growth of cities? Evidence from the UK and China suggests there are lessons to learn for urban planners and innovators By Emma Barraclough January 24 2012
Patents, paper and microbreaks: a day in the life of an EPO examiner Willem Gijsels is an examiner in the telecommunications cluster at the EPO. He joined the Office in 1996 after five years in industry and works in The Hague. This EPO site is home to about 2,500 EPO staff, roughly hal... By Emma Barraclough January 23 2012
New: weekly IP news quiz Following the success of Managing IP's 2011 quiz of the year, we are launching a weekly version – based on the week's IP news By Managing IP Correspondent January 20 2012
EPO figures show changing fortunes of patent filers More patents than ever were filed at the EPO last year, but the upward trend masks the shifting fortunes of developed and emerging economies By Emma Barraclough January 18 2012
Emergency measures to deal with patents in Portugal The Portuguese government has taken radical steps, including imposing compulsory arbitration, in an attempt to improve access to generic medicines By James Nurton January 17 2012
Lawyers welcome patent-specialist court Litigators in Switzerland say the country’s new Federal Patent Court should make cases quicker and decisions more consistent By James Nurton January 13 2012
IBM still top patent holder – but not for long IFI Claims Patent Services’ list of the top 50 global companies awarded the most US utility patents in 2011 ranks IBM on top for the 19th year in a row By Eileen McDermott January 13 2012
Exclusive interview: Dieter Brändle, President, Swiss Federal Patent Court The president of Switzerland’s new patent court talks to James Nurton about judges, language and competition between European jurisdictions By James Nurton January 13 2012
Proving patent infringement just got easier in China A recent Opinion by China’s Supreme People’s Court should make it easier for owners of method patents to prove infringement. But it also reinforces the difficulty of obtaining interim injunctions By Managing IP Correspondent January 13 2012
Q&A: Patents in the Philippines A guide to filing, protecting and defending patents in the Philippines by Sapalo Velez Bundang & Bulilan By Managing IP Correspondent January 13 2012
Supreme Court gets tough on USPTO in Kappos v Hyatt The USPTO today faced aggressive questioning from Supreme Court justices regarding the agency’s request to overturn a Federal Circuit en banc ruling it says will encourage patent applicants to withhold evidence in exa... By Managing IP Correspondent January 09 2012
Offices clash over route to harmonisation Last week the director of the USPTO pledged to expand its network of patent prosecution highways as it seeks to cut pendency and backlogs. But not all big offices share his approach By Emma Barraclough January 09 2012
USPTO fast-track “a welcome change” The USPTO released a report last week on the progress of Track 1 of the Office’s three-track programme, which promises examination in 12 months to those willing to pay a $4,000 fee By Eileen McDermott January 09 2012
CIPO allows one-click patent, but questions remain Amazon’s controversial patent on the so-called one-click method of online shopping has been granted in Canada following a Federal Court of Appeal decision in November By Eileen McDermott January 04 2012
Expedited examination in Korea: expansion of patent prosecution highway provides more o... By Managing IP Correspondent January 03 2012
Court order prohibiting manufacture, sale and export of products using trade secrets By Managing IP Correspondent January 03 2012
Strengthening the protection of IP rights based on the free trade agreement between Kor... By Managing IP Correspondent January 03 2012
New requirement regarding background art disclosure in specification of patent application By Managing IP Correspondent January 03 2012