A rigorous pan-European system exists for qualifying as a European Patent Attorney. Once a year, simultaneously across Europe, candidates sit identical exams albeit in different languages (English, French or German). The pass rates for the final examinations are low relative to the figures for many other professions. Historically, UK candidates have fared very well when compared to those from other European countries. The numbers for the 2018 exams have recently been released. The published...
When looking in from the outside the world of Intellectual Property may well feel overwhelming, and startups or individuals with limited experience of IP may consider leaving this until later. However, launching your product and then seeking protection for it may cost you the chance to obtain several types of available rights. While copyright exists from the moment the work is created, if an invention is disclosed before a patent is filed protection will be unavailable in many...
Everyone has heard about the damage single use plastics are doing to the environment and work must be done to change it. It is, however, not the only thing we are dumping into our planets ecosystems. Electronic devices may be seen as too difficult to recycle efficiently and are often dumped. However, they are full of potentially valuable components. Urban mining is the process of extracting valuable metallic components from waste electronics and it is potentially big business. Not only does...
Cambridge, a small, historic city an hour north of London, is a fantastic place to be working in tech. One of the many benefits of practising as a patent attorney in this great city is the opportunity it brings to work alongside adventurous, often early-stage companies with incredible prospects. Part of my role is to help companies, much of the time at a strategic level, to build value and encourage investment through constructing an intellectual property portfolio from the ground up. A...
As a patent attorney with a keen interest in cancer research, I am always excited to learn about new developments in this field. In the last couple of years, cancer research in the UK has received a huge boost with the opening of the Francis Crick Institute in London - the largest biomedical research facility under one roof in Europe. Yesterday I attended a seminar at the Crick Institute to hear about a fascinating avenue of immunotherapy research - the use of gamma delta T cells. Ten years...
Online piracy continues to be a thorn in the side of content creators. For as long as music, videos and games have been available on the internet, people have been finding ways to avoid paying for them. While consumers are very aware of the existence of copyright in content, it is unfortunate that some people are determined to acquire it by illegal means. However, recent figures released by the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) hint that attitudes may be changing, at least amongst...
Nigel Farage has found himself in hot water over the name of his podcast "Farage Against the Machine" following a cease and desist letter sent by representatives for the band Rage Against the Machine demanding that he change the name of his podcast. While some may look at this and think it is just a play on words, a closer look at the actual use on the podcast shows that the band may be in a strong position. In the marketing and advertising (https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/podcasts/) the RAGE...
The UK Government has finally confirmed that it wants to remain part of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement after the UK leaves the EU. However, there is no indication yet as to how EU designs and trade marks will be handled after the UK leaves the EU.
I am very pleased to see that the UK has maintained a top 5 position in the Global Innovation Index (GII). The GII is a quantitative ranking produced by WIPO, Cornell University and INSEAD indicating how innovative a country is based upon the assessment of various areas of the economy. Interestingly the main drivers for a high ranking in the GII for the UK are its market sophistication (e.g. access to venture capital and the level of competition) and its creative outputs (e.g. cultural &...
It is certainly the most common reason I have encountered when discussing why people (myself included) have dismissed buying an electric car. The lack of available charging points leaves people worrying they will have to plan their journeys around where they can charge rather than where they need to go. Steps need to be taken both to improve the situation, and change public perception. I am not sure whether all new housing and office space should be required to install charging points but it...
On 28 June, the UK Court of Appeal granted permission for GSK to pursue their claim for Arrow relief in the case of Glaxo Group Limited & Ors v Vectura Limited. I for one, thought that following the grant of Arrow relief in the case between Fujifilm v Abbvie last year, Arrow declarations may simply be a "one hit wonder". After all, when Fujifilm were awarded the very first Arrow declaration last year, 10 years had passed since this form of relief was first considered in the case between Arrow...
António Campinos has recently begun his term as the President of the European Patent Office (EPO) and has published his first blog post. I have followed the President's blog posts for a few years now and always noted how the previous President, Benoît Battistelli, consistently emphasised the improvements in "efficiency" he had implemented at the EPO. Mr Campinos however has indicated in his blog post that he wants to focus on "effectiveness" and in his letter of motivation states that he...
No professional advisor worth their salt is going to suggest that any particular option is without risk. Risk-free just doesn’t exist. (If your financial advisor suggests a “risk-free” investment, walk away!) What clients often need from their professional advisers is a risk analysis – something that sets out where the risks are most likely to arise and how they compare for different options. The client then makes their choice on the basis of their commercial objectives and their appetite...
As those familiar with the experience will attest, applying for a patent is often not a quick process. It takes time for a patent office to process an application, perform a search on relevant prior art and conduct an examination on whether an invention should be granted a patent. This delay can be frustrating for applicants, who would prefer to be able to commercialise their Intellectual Property as soon as possible. In recognition of applicants’ desires, the European Patent Office (EPO)...
Running a startup is exciting, varied and unbelievably busy. You're working on your first product. The concepts are there but the execution's still in progress. You've enough capital to keep your fledgling business going for months not years. It's all hands on deck to push forward to launch because the pressure's on to begin generating revenue. You know at the back of your mind you ought to give some resource to protecting the investment. But you're not sure where to start. For many people in...
