Knowledge

06.05.2022

The unitary patent system, comprising the unitary patent and Unified Patent Court (UPC), is now expected to go live either later this year or early next year. The exact date will be known as soon as Germany deposits its instrument of ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement which will kick start a sunrise period. Following this sunrise period, the UPC will open its doors and it will be possible for a patent owner to obtain a single unitary patent which provides patent protection in at least 17 EU member states.

01.02.2022

The unitary patent system took a step closer to coming into force recently and the Unified Patent Court and Unitary Patent now look like they could start in either late 2022 or early 2023.

13.12.2021

The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has published an open consultation which calls for views on the intellectual property rights of patents and copyright for creative works or inventions that have been created using artificial intelligence (AI).

29.11.2021

Can an AI be an inventor of a patent? A series of patent applications around the world are asking that very question...

09.09.2021

The UK is looking to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a trade agreement among 11 countries around the Pacific rim.

19.08.2021

Last week, after years of delay caused by challenges in the German Federal Constitutional Court, legislation enabling Germany to ratify the Unified Patent Court Agreement came into force. German ratification of the UPCA is a required step in setting up the unitary patent system and so this development moves the Unified Patent Court slightly closer to reality.

16.12.2020

What can the intellectual property sector expect?