IP portfolio management

Tue 27th Feb 2024

Patent Attorney Sam Judge explains more about how to apply for funding.

Tue 14th Nov 2023

One of the money- saving “tricks of the trade” of the UK trade mark registration system is protecting a series of trade marks in a single application. This can save application and renewal costs and make your portfolio easier to manage.

Tue 30th Aug 2022

Upon the grant of a European patent, a parallel national German patent will normally lose its effect within the overlapping scope of both patents.

Mon 18th Jul 2022

On 3 October 2022, amendments to Canadian Patent Rules will come into force, introducing changes to patent prosecution in Canada.

Fri 24th Jun 2022

Page White Farrer attorneys attended a variety of events over the course of London Tech Week, from conferences to webinars, gaining key insights to further develop their expertise in tech IP in a range of fields.

Mon 20th Jun 2022

For any business which is launching a new product, tough decisions need to be made about where to invest your (often scarce) financial resources.  Should you attend this trade fair? Or visit more suppliers? Invest in more marketing or build up the sales team?

Thu 16th Dec 2021

Top of the IP strategy agenda for any patent owners in 2022 should be the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and the unitary patent (UP), according to Olaf Ungerer, a German and European Patent Attorney in Munich.

Fri 26th Nov 2021

Our patent attorneys highlight some of the information that you need to provide to ensure that your assignment sails through at the EPO without delay.

Tue 9th Nov 2021

Patent attorney Roona Deb, specialising in life sciences, explores EPO’s move to address ambiguity over post-published data in proving a patent’s inventive step.

Mon 1st Nov 2021

If set up and administered well, patent pools can provide significant benefits for the market, such as reductions in transaction costs, more reasonable aggregate royal-ties, and a better ability to create a level playing field. These benefits can make pa-tent pools an attractive option for standard-based licensing where there are multiple licensors holding SEPs.

Wed 6th Oct 2021

James Cornish, head of the trade mark team at Page White Farrer, outlines key steps that you need to take in the trade mark registration process.

Fri 10th Sep 2021

One of the greatest concerns regarding the use of patent pools, especially by technology giants, is that collaboration can also lead to anti-competitive practices.  So, while patent pools have many benefits, especially for emerging technologies, the risks cannot be ignored.

Wed 4th Aug 2021

Patent pools have a long history, and one of the first patent pools was formed in 1856 for sewing machines.  These days they form an important part of the basis for industry standards in regard to technologies which are necessary (essential) to develop compatible products and services. Examples can be seen in the fields of mobile communications, information coding, public health etc. and they often relate to technologies that are yet to be fully developed.

Thu 29th Jul 2021

We often encounter software engineers who are under the impression that it is not possible to obtain a patent for their software, and that their invention or innovation is protected by copyright or simply not suitable for a patent.

Thu 22nd Jul 2021

Where a company is developing technology which needs to adhere to industry-wide standards, then it may be advantageous or necessary to participate in a patent pool.

Wed 14th Jul 2021

Yet another step forward has been made towards the establishment of the Unified Patent Court, with the rejection by the German Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) of the two applications for preliminary injunction against the ratification Bill of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court.

Tue 27th Apr 2021

Is there hidden value in your designs? On International Design Day, David Roberts outlines the key benefits of registering your designs in the UK and abroad.

Tue 13th Apr 2021

When the UK left the EU, new intellectual property rights and exclusions were created in the system of protection for designs. These changes mean that companies and designers have some important choices to make about where to disclose designs first; whether to register designs; and if so, where to register their designs first. Oliver Spies and David Roberts highlight the three key lessons for design owners.

Mon 15th Mar 2021

Olaf Ungerer, a partner and European patent attorney in Munich, highlights key lessons for patent attorneys concerning the patentability of computer-implemented simulations, following the long-awaited decision from the European Patent Office (EPO) on the referred questions in G1/19.

Thu 10th Dec 2020

The advice of the UK government on its website is as follows:

“We strongly recommend you seek legal advice before applying for a patent, as it can be a complex and costly process”.

Wed 25th Nov 2020

Subject to final legislative implementation, from 1 January 2021 you will need an address for service in the UK, Gibraltar or the Channel Islands for new UK patent, registered trade mark and registered design applications, for granted EP(UK) patents if a representative for the proprietor is to be appointed, and for any proceedings concerning patents. An address for service in the EEA will no longer be acceptable.

Thu 19th Nov 2020

For EU design registrations which are registered and published by the end of 2020, an equivalent “cloned” UK registered design will be automatically created at no cost to the EU registered design rights holder. 

Fri 13th Nov 2020

After the UK leaves the EU at the end of the Brexit transition period on 1 January 2021, new EU registered community designs (RCDs) will no longer provide registered design protection in the UK.

After 1 January 2021, if you wish to obtain both EU and UK registered design protection, it will be necessary to apply for these registered designs separately.

Sat 17th Oct 2020

Innovate UK has published its updated ‘Design in Innovation Strategy’ to cover the period 2020 to 2024, as part of the government’s commitment to increase public and private investment in R&D activities.

Wed 14th Oct 2020

Figures published by the UK Intellectual Property Office show a marked upturn in the number of filings of trade mark and design right applications since April 2020.

Fri 25th Sep 2020

This is a brief note on the position concerning how EU-wide trade marks and EU-wide registered designs will be affected by Brexit from 1 January 2021. The advice below is applicable to trade marks and designs equally.

Please note the European Patent Office is not an EU institution and European patents and patent applications are not affected by Brexit.

This is a very important notice for the owners of EU-wide trade marks and designs. Please contact us if you have any questions.

Mon 24th Aug 2020

An audit of your intellectual property will pay dividends as it enables a business to identify new revenue streams, enhance business value, implement best practice, assess and reduce the risk of competition.  It is particularly important for any business with a strong brand or knowledge-based products or services.

Mon 27th Apr 2020

Invalidation is the legal procedure which allows anyone to try and remove a trade mark from a register and can relate to the entire registration, or only some of the goods or services covered by the trade mark. This is important if:

Tue 21st Apr 2020

Sometimes you expect something to happen, but it still surprises you when it does occur.

Wed 8th Apr 2020

We hope that you are keeping well and are settling into this new way of working.

Fri 27th Mar 2020

The UKIPO announced changes to its services on 27 March 2020 as a result of the business /postal disruption during the coronavirus pandemic.

Fri 27th Mar 2020

The UKIPO issued details of changes to their services on 27 March 2020 as a result of the disruption to applicants’ businesses and the ability to receive and send post during the current coronavirus pandemic.

Mon 23rd Mar 2020

Progress towards a Unified Patent Court for Europe has been dealt a blow after the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany declared the ‘Act of Approval’ void.

Tue 25th Sep 2018

On 24 September, the UK government released its latest pre-Brexit updates for businesses in regard to the implications for intellectual property. These papers outline the situation in the event of a ‘no deal’ scenario, explain the implications for businesses in the UK, the EU and other countries, and they highlight any actions which are required by businesses and other stakeholders.

Mon 24th Sep 2018

With a history dating back to the Sumerians, Egyptians and Celts - there is still much work going on to optimize beer production with new inventions in the field of brewing, particularly in Germany.

Mon 6th Aug 2018

On 27 March 2018, the German Federal Court of Justice (the Bundesgerichtshof – Germany’s highest court of civil and criminal jurisdiction) made a decision relating to case X ZB 18/16 ‘Feldmausbekämpfung’ which confirms that methods cannot benefit from patent protection under the utility model in Germany.

Mon 2nd Jul 2018

The outcome, implications and effect of Brexit remain unknown and unclear. However on 19 March 2018 the European Commission published a draft agreement indicating terms that have been agreed with the UK in the event of a wider agreement concerning Brexit and those yet to be agreed.

Thu 19th Apr 2018

In Activis v Eli Lilly Lord Neuberger referred to certain circumstances where it would be appropriate to consider prosecution history to assist in claim interpretation. Jeff Daniels explains that this does not open the door generally to file wrapper estoppel, and reference to the prosecution history is the exception and not the rule.

Mon 19th Feb 2018

On 6 April 2018 patent fees payable to the UK IPO are changing. The fee changes apply to some filing, prosecution and grant fees. The fee changes also apply to some post-grant renewal fees.

Mon 17th Jul 2017

The UK BioIndustry Association is celebrating getting a public commitment from government ministers via a letter to the Financial Times calling for post Brexit co-operation with the EU on medicines regulation.

Sat 1st Jul 2017

From 1 July 2017, the European Patent Office (EPO) will be applying an amended version of Rules 27 and 28 EPC. Most notably Rule 28 EPC has been amended to indicate explicitly that patents will not be granted in respect of plants or animals exclusively obtained by means of an essentially biological process.

Mon 9th Jan 2017

If you sell products, or services internationally, then you will need to consider where and when to register trade marks to protect the intellectual property in your branding. Planning your approach is an important part of your IP strategy.

Thu 10th Nov 2016

It is good housekeeping to ensure that any Intellectual Property Office records are kept up to date to reflect the correct owner details for your trade marks.

Fri 4th Nov 2016

The Madrid international application system for trade marks offers a money-saving, convenient and simple scheme for brand owners who want to protect their trademarks in numerous countries.

Mon 17th Oct 2016

Protecting the uniqueness of your brand is important if you wish to preserve its value and reduce the risk of market erosion from competitors. It is therefore advisable to look out for any other trade mark applications, company names and domain names that are similar to yours and might cause concern.

Fri 30th Sep 2016

The fees for registering a design and renewals have been reduced. The UK Intellectual Property Office will allow applicants to register with online forms for a reduced fee of £50 and renew registered designs for a significant reduction.

Wed 1st Jun 2016

Following the decision for the UK to leave the EU, James Cornish, of European IP specialists Page White and Farrer, provides some reassurances to brand owners and their advisers on the position regarding existing and future intellectual property rights in Europe.