Patents

Tue 19th Mar 2024

On 21 March Patent Attorney Sam Judge will be speaking on ‘The Role of Patents in Promoting Innovation and Economic Growth.’

Fri 15th Mar 2024

On 21 March 2024 Patent Attorney Olivier Martinez will be on hand to discuss how our team can help agricultural innovators safeguard their innovations through patents.

Tue 5th Mar 2024

The EPO brings welcome clarity to the examination practice concerning sufficiency and technical effect of AI inventions, confirming that, in general, there is no need to disclose a specific training set.

Mon 4th Mar 2024

As announced in the Decision of the Administrative Council of 14 December 2023, effective from 1 April 2024 many of the fees of the EPO will be increasing.

Wed 3rd Jan 2024

The Supreme Court has ruled that only a human can be an ‘inventor’ in patent law. What are the real-world ramifications for individuals and companies seeking to protect innovations devised using AI?

Fri 1st Dec 2023

The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has issued a practice update regarding the examination of patent applications involving artificial neural networks (ANNs). Patent Attorney Thomas Mahon explains more.

Tue 28th Nov 2023

Emma Berry reflects on an insightful day at the first UK MedTech Innovation Assembly hosted by Halston Group.

Mon 27th Nov 2023

The UK High Court has issued a game changing judgement in Emotional Perception AI Ltd vs Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (2023).

Thu 9th Nov 2023

Patent Attorney David Roberts explains the Legal Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office’s decision requiring wet signatures on all assignments of European patent applications.

Mon 6th Nov 2023

On 8 November Patent Attorney Sam Judge is presenting on ‘Navigating a maze: AI and software in chemical patents.’

Fri 13th Oct 2023

Patent and Trade Mark Attorney Peter Kindermann has joined our Munich office as a Partner

Mon 31st Jul 2023

When is a product that has actually been marketed not prior art?

Wed 19th Jul 2023

Virginia joined a distinguished panel for a 'Fireside chat on Leveraging the Investment Ecosystem', an Accelerating Funding for Women in Business event run by Fund Her North, an organisation which supports funding for female founded companies and in conjunction with the NatWest Entrepreneur Accelerator.

Wed 5th Jul 2023

19 companies selected for the 2023 list.

Sat 3rd Jun 2023

An opportunity for judges, attorneys and a member of the administrative committee to discuss important issues shortly before the start of the new Unified Patent Court (UPC)

Wed 24th May 2023

Virginia Driver contributes to a white paper exploring the emerging innovations and challenges of the new world of MedTech and what the future holds for the industry.

Tue 11th Apr 2023

Changes to R&D tax relief for costs relating to innovations that are not covered by a granted patent, took effect on 1 April 2023.

Tue 11th Apr 2023

How Patent Box tax relief can help companies holding a qualifying patent reduce their rate of corporation tax.

Mon 20th Mar 2023

Once you have decided to go ahead with an FTO search to establish that you will have freedom to operate in your chosen markets, how do you ensure that your IP resources are focused most effectively?

Mon 13th Mar 2023

A freedom to operate (FTO) analysis should be an essential part of the intellectual property (IP) management and compliance process for new product development in every manufacturing or merchandising company.

Mon 20th Feb 2023

The Unitary Patent is now ready to enter into operation on 1 June 2023, after the German government deposited its instrument of ratification of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA) with the Council of the European Union on the 17 February 2023.

Thu 9th Feb 2023

In an article for The Life Sciences Lawyer first published in January 2023, partner Roona Deb discusses the admissibility of post-published evidence for the assessment of an inventive step at the EPO.

Mon 6th Feb 2023

As part of the digitisation strategy of the European Patent Office (EPO), from 1 November, documents will be deemed to be notified on the date they bear and deadlines will be calculated from that date rather than the mailing date plus 10 days.

Mon 9th Jan 2023

The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) have opened their call for applications from innovators, entrepreneurs, start ups or companies with sustainable solutions and inventions worthy of being nominated for the Earthshot Prize 2023.

Mon 9th Jan 2023

Page White Farrer is pleased to announce the promotion of European patent attorney Dr. Andrew McKinlay in our Leeds office from a senior associate to partner.

Mon 19th Dec 2022

As part of its dedication to promote inclusivity in the field of intellectual property, patent attorney David Roberts has been providing 1:1 mentoring to an undergraduate student, Sofie Spasov.

Thu 15th Dec 2022

In the second of our IP Guides for Startups, patent attorney Elizabeth Mills explains what is happening at the patent office while you wait to hear if you have been granted a patent.

Mon 5th Dec 2022

In the first in a series of posts which explore themes around sustainable innovation, Kelda Style looks at the issues facing companies with an eye on the Earthshot Prize and the 2030 goal of finding and growing the solutions that will repair our planet in the next ten years.

Tue 22nd Nov 2022

In 2021, Page White Farrer signed up to support two mentoring schemes, one of which was ‘Black Lawyers Matter’ which was established by the Stephen James Partnership in an effort to level the playing field for Black lawyers in the UK.

Tue 15th Nov 2022

A patent is a useful business tool as it can be utilised to stop competitors from copying your invention, to attract investors, for publicity and marketing, and to obtain revenue through licensing. 

Fri 7th Oct 2022

The Department of International Trade is offering an Internationalisation Fund for businesses based in England as part of the European Regional Development Funding (ERDF). The scheme offers match-funded grants of between £1,000 - £9,000.

Thu 29th Sep 2022

Innovate UK, as part of UK Research and Innovation, is offering up to 50 Women in Innovation Awards to women entrepreneurs in UK businesses.  Each award will provide £50,000 of funding. The competition is specifically for women with exciting, innovative ideas and ambitious plans that will inspire others.

Fri 16th Sep 2022

We have updated our useful map showing the options for registering a patent across 44 European states under the European Patent Convention as the European Patent Organisation welcomes Montenegro to its growing number of member states from 1 October 2022.

Wed 7th Sep 2022

Yes, you can patent an app. We are often asked this question by app developers, and many find that answer surprising because there is a myth that it is not possible to obtain a patent for computer code.

Mon 15th Aug 2022

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has published its summary of findings from its consultation on whether the ecosystem around Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) is functioning efficiently and effectively.

Wed 20th Jul 2022

The process of setting up the Unified Patent Court is gaining momentum after a number of significant decisions were made at the meeting on 8 July 2022.

Mon 18th Jul 2022

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

Tue 12th Jul 2022

On 17 June 2022, members of the World Trade Organization (WTO) reached an agreement to suspend patent protection for the production and supply of Covid-19 vaccines with the aim of increasing access to Covid-19 vaccines in developing countries.

Mon 11th Jul 2022

The EPO Legal Board of Appeal issued a decision (J 8/20) in December 2021 to dismiss an appeal against a decision to refuse a patent application the basis that the designation of inventor named ‘DABUS’, an AI system, as the inventor.

Fri 8th Jul 2022

Innovate UK are today launching a new series of grants totaling £30 million. The Fast Start: Innovation Grants application process is open for entry to innovative UK small and micro-businesses from 11 to 26 July 2022.

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.

Wed 8th Jun 2022

Page White Farrer is pleased to announce the promotion of three European patent attorneys in our London office.

Mon 30th May 2022

A new global sequence listing standard (WIPO Standard ST.26) will be coming into effect on 1 July 2022. New PCT and national/regional applications filed after 1 July 2022 will need to comply with ST.26.

Tue 24th May 2022

Trainee patent attorney Siya Maini discusses her first year working in the IP industry after joining Page White Farrer.

Thu 3rd Mar 2022

USPTO report examines overall patenting trends as well as trends in patent filings and value indicators in the four most-patented 5G-related technologies.

Mon 14th Feb 2022

The question of whether the European Patent Convention confers jurisdiction on the EPO to determine whether a party validly claims to be a successor in title as referred to in Article 87(1)(b) has been referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal.

Tue 18th Jan 2022

Could your invention be in with a chance of a £1 million Earthshot prize?

Mon 10th Jan 2022

The European Patent Office (EPO) has ruled that an AI system will not be recognised as an inventor for the purposes of obtaining a European patent as, unlike a human, a system does not have legal capacity.

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.

Thu 4th Nov 2021

There has been an extension to the period for PCT applications to enter the national phase in Germany, to 31 months which will come into force from 1 May 2022.

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.

Tue 31st Aug 2021

The Second Patent Law Modernisation Act (Patentrechtsmodernisierungsgesetz) aims to simplify and modernise the Patent Act (Patentgesetz) and other IP laws in Germany and it came into force on 18 August 2021.

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.

Fri 23rd Jul 2021

Page White Farrer is pleased to announce the promotion of three promising European patent attorneys in our London office.

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.

Mon 19th Jul 2021

On 16 July 2021, the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBoA) of the European Patent Office issued its decision in case G 1/21

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 13th Jul 2021

Congratulations! You have come up with THE BIG IDEA. You think you know how to solve a problem in a way that people are likely to pay for. It could be life changing, it is so exciting!!

Thu 1st Jul 2021

On 22 June 2021, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) confirmed that a European patent application can be refused under Articles 97(2) and 125 EPC if it claims the same subject-matter as a European patent which has been granted to the same applicant. The Enlarged Board of Appeal is the highest authority at the EPO.

Mon 28th Jun 2021

Sarah Halpin discusses her journey from working as a data scientist in the financial services sector, to joining Page White Farrer as a technical assistant and trainee patent attorney. She also outlines her day-to-day role in the firm and key responsibilities for those interested in starting a career in intellectual property.

Fri 4th Jun 2021

If you are interested in the law and innovation, then intellectual property support might be a career path to consider. 

Wed 5th May 2021

Matthew Codd graduated from the University of Manchester (Master of Physics) in 2014 and began working at Page White Farrer. He qualified as a Patent Attorney in 2021 and mainly works in the electronics team. We asked him to look back on the past few years and answer some of the questions which he might have had as a student looking into a career in intellectual property.

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 11th Mar 2021

The Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) has given its long-awaited decision on the referred questions in G1/19 concerning the patentability of computer-implemented simulations.

Fri 5th Mar 2021

With AI applications developing faster than the regulators can consult and implement new laws, what are the priorities to be addressed in regard to patents and artificial intelligence?

Thu 18th Feb 2021

The latest report from the EU IPO is the result of research by the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property into ‘the impact, role and public perception of intellectual property in the economy of the EU.

Thu 31st Dec 2020

Page White Farrer is delighted that two of its expert patent attorneys, Virginia Driver and Tom Woodhouse, have contributed to a book on artificial intelligence and the law around this, with a chapter delivering insights on intellectual property.

Tue 22nd Dec 2020

In its last meeting last Friday, the Federal Council in Germany approved the Agreement on a European Patent Court (UPCA).

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”.

Fri 4th Dec 2020

At the end of November, the German Bundestag voted through the draft ratification bill which includes consent to the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA).  

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.

Fri 20th Nov 2020

On 10 November 2020 David Roberts, partner and patent attorney with Page White and Farrer, joined over 30 IP professionals to establish a new high-level diversity think tank.

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.

Fri 17th Jul 2020

By 17 June 2020, according to Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP), some $11.4 billion had been donated to help tackle the COVID-19 outbreak.

Large donations have been made by some of the world’s leading companies and foundations, and universities are racing to develop a vaccine.

Tue 16th Jun 2020

The EPO has announced a change in the systems for exchanging priority documents electronically with the JPO which means that the electronic exchange of priority documents will no longer be automatic from January 2022.

Thu 4th Jun 2020

Page White and Farrer in London are pleased to announce the good news of the promotion of six of our expert patent and trade mark attorneys.

Mon 1st Jun 2020

In an article for The Times Higher Education (published May 30, 2020), intellectual property strategists Virginia Driver and Tom Woodhouse have urged universities to guard their IP rights to ensure COVID-19 innovations reach the vulnerable in poorer nations.

Thu 21st May 2020

A recent decision by the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) relates to European Patent Convention (EPC) law and provides guidance for software companies seeking to protect an inventive step in a graphical user interface at the European Patent Office (EPO).

Thu 23rd Apr 2020

Patent attorney Virginia Driver recently gave a presentation to the Bruntwood SciTech Wednesday community, looking at how individual innovators can protect their inventions and creations.

Wed 8th Apr 2020

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

Mon 6th Apr 2020

It seems that some of the Intellectual Property Offices are experiencing issues, but some have arranged extensions of deadlines. Some offices have closed. Problems are occurring in the courts where some hearings are being cancelled.

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.

Wed 11th Mar 2020

Finding and entering new markets is key to the growth of any business, whether this is selling to a new industry sector or into a foreign territory. But this can be time-consuming and labour intensive and difficult to do well if you do not have anyone who speaks the language, understands the sector or is familiar with differences in the cultural or regulatory environment.

Wed 5th Feb 2020

With talk of the House of Lords heading to Yorkshire, Page White and Farrer is one step ahead! The leading firm of patent and trade mark attorneys has taken new office space in Platform, the trendy hub for tech and innovation in Leeds city centre.

Thu 30th Jan 2020

Following the UK general election and conclusion of the EU Withdrawal Agreement, there is now a new stage in the departure of the UK from the European Union.

Tue 28th Jan 2020

A Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) is a form of intellectual property that extends the protection of patented active ingredients present in pharmaceutical or plant protection products. SPCs serve to compensate patent holders for the effective loss in patent term that occurs due to delays in receiving marketing authorisation.

Fri 24th Jan 2020

The European Patent Office (EPO) Board of Appeal has given its decision in case T844/18 regarding the CRISPR gene editing patent owned by the Broad Institute, MIT and Harvard College, declaring the patent invalid over prior art that was only citeable because some of the patent’s priority claims were not valid.

Wed 22nd Jan 2020

The German government is planning to introduce an exception to the automatic injunction (paragraph 139 of the German Patent Law).

Tue 27th Aug 2019

In a new decision X ZB 9/18 (“Abstandsberechnungsverfahren”) of 7 May 2019 the German Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof or BGH) has clarified the responsibilities of each of the German patent authorities for receiving and examining divisional applications at different procedural stages.

Mon 21st Jan 2019

Simply, patents protect inventions. Our qualified patent attorneys have put together this collection of frequently asked questions to assist you with securing patent
protections for your intellectual property.

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.

Fri 25th May 2018

The UK has recently ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) and the Protocol on Privileges and Immunities (PPI). Olaf Ungerer discusses the the impact that this will have on Brexit negotiations.

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.

Wed 18th Apr 2018

David Roberts examines the UKIPO’s approach to Landmark Graphics Corporation’s application to patent geological computer software and the requirement for a technical contribution.

Thu 5th Apr 2018

At this year’s iF seminar in London, Virginia Driver was one of a panel of three industry experts discussing the potential for UK SMEs to become leaders in innovation, research and development. The panel discussed a wide variety of topics, including entrepreneurship, patent protection and keys to success.

Sun 1st Apr 2018

The UK has ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement, an international treaty which provides for a single judgment on patent disputes across all the states which have signed up to it.

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.

Fri 6th Oct 2017

On 30 August 2017, in a report commissioned by the UK government, Sir John Bell set out an ambitious vision for the UK health and life science sector, with the aim of making the UK a world-leader in this sector over the next 20 years.

Fri 22nd Sep 2017

The UK Intellectual Property Office has published a study on the performance of the UK patent system, and concluded that it operates in an overall positive way.

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.

Wed 28th Jun 2017

This week, the Unified Patent Court took one step forward in the UK with the publication of remaining draft legislation, but came to a standstill in Germany, where a law suit has brought proceedings to a pause.

Tue 13th Jun 2017

The long-awaited entry into operation of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) will not meet its target date of December 2017, as previously expected. Instead, the preparatory committee forecasts that the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court will be delayed until sometime in 2018, at the earliest.

Mon 5th Dec 2016

The results of a recent EU-wide study have been published by the European Patent Office and the EU Intellectual Property Office. The study analysed the impact of intellectual property rights (IPRs) on the European economy in terms of gross domestic product, employment, wages and trade.

Tue 29th Nov 2016

The UK government has finally ended months of speculation about what, if any, part the UK will play in the establishment of the Unified Patent Court following the country’s decision earlier this year to leave the EU.

Wed 9th Nov 2016

Please be wary of unsolicited correspondence after you have filed a UK trade mark application as it may be a scam and sent by a fraudster.

Wed 2nd Nov 2016

Each week we are notified by a client to say that they have been contacted by an official-looking Chinese domain name company with a notification that a third party is trying to register their brands as Chinese domain names and asking if this is authorised.

Wed 26th Oct 2016

As trade mark registrations are in the public domain, scammers are able to obtain your details from the publicly accessible official trade mark registers.

Wed 19th Oct 2016

To ensure that you do not pay unnecessary costs, businesses interested in trade marks should be on their guard against fraudsters and scams relating to trade marks.

Fri 23rd Sep 2016

There is now a legal path to ensuring the UK’s continued participation in the Unified Patent Court and the Unitary Patent following our exit from the European Union according to the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys and counsel opinion.

Fri 16th Sep 2016

In a recent blog, Benoît Battistelli, president of the European Patent Office, shared his predictions for the future of the unitary patent package following the UK’s decision to leave the European Union.

Wed 14th Sep 2016

The European Patent Office are extending their efficiency scheme, ‘Early Certainty from Search’ to examination and opposition of patents. The improved scheme aims to prioritise the conclusion of grants and reduce the duration of the opposition procedure.

Wed 31st Aug 2016

In a new position paper entitled The impact of Brexit on intellectual property, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) has explained its position on the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court as well as for a range of intellectual property issues that are likely to be affected by Brexit.