Likely Change in Practice in the Assessment of the Novelty of Purity Inventions at the European Patent Office

September 20, 2022By Julia D'ArcyPatents

The established assessment of purity inventions has been that increased purity of chemical compounds was only considered novel, if the claimed high purity could not be achieved by conventional means. Recent EPO Board of Appeal decision T0043/18 has ruled that this approach contradicts the overarching principles of novelty, and found instead that novelty can only … Read More

European Inventor Awards

September 16, 2022By Julia D'ArcyPatents

The closing date for nominations to the European Patent Office’s European Inventor Awards 2023 is 3 October 2022. The awards showcase inspiring ideas and highlight the role that inventors play in building a smarter, more sustainable world. Nomination and selection criteria are available here.

The Unitary Patent Court: Preparations Continue

September 9, 2022By Julia D'ArcyPatents, Unitary Patent Court, Unitary Patent System

The set-up of local and regional divisions of the Court of First Instance of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) was confirmed in a meeting of the Administrative Committee of the UPC on 8 July 2022. These divisions will be located in: Austria (Vienna) Belgium (Brussels) Demark (Copenhagen) Finland (Helsinki) France (Paris) Germany (Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Mannheim, … Read More

EPO Oral Proceedings by Video Conference

September 5, 2022By Julia D'ArcyPatents

In April 2021, it was explicitly provided that a European Patent Office Board of Appeal may hold oral proceedings by video conference whenever it considers it appropriate to do so, and without the consent of all parties. In G 1/21, the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) established that holding oral proceedings by video conference is … Read More