When will the Unified Patent Court go live?
The Unitary Patent (UP) and the Unified Patent Court (UPC) go live on 1 June 2023, when the UPC Agreement (UPCA) enters into force.
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Let’s ask Artificial Intelligence: how good is your grammar?
Senior associate Parminder Lally looks at artificial intelligence-based grammar tools, and provide advice on whether this type of technology is patentable.
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T1989/18: No legal basis for description conformity requirement
Following a 2021 Board of Appeal decision, patent applications cannot be refused on the grounds that the description describes something that is not (or no longer) claimed.
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Progress and promise for green plastics
A recent EPO report on plastic recycling and plastic alternatives provided an analysis of innovation in technology areas such as chemical and biological recycling, and bioplastics. We discuss the findings.
Read moreA brief guide to patenting surgical inventions in Europe
Inventions can be broadly split into products (i.e. physical entities) and methods (i.e. activities). This brief guide aims to clarify which surgical products and methods can and cannot currently be patented in Europe.
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Patenting computer simulations: the fusion sector
The UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) recently started a new collaboration
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The Greenshoots Podcast by Appleyard Lees – episode 18 – filing multidisciplinary patents
In this episode, patent attorneys and Appleyard Lees partners Barbara Fleck, Julia Gwilt and Howard Read, discuss the difficulties of obtaining a patent involving both biotech and software, and the importance of a multidisciplinary team of patent attorneys.
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A brief guide to patenting diagnostic inventions in Europe
Inventions can be broadly split into products (i.e. physical entities) and methods (i.e. activities). This brief guide aims to clarify exactly which diagnostic products and methods can and cannot currently be patented in Europe.
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Is it worth patenting your AI tools for drug discovery?
Often, when the AI identifies a drug, and experiments confirm it is useful for the intended purpose, the drug can be patented. But what about the AI itself – can the AI be protected by patents, and should you try to?
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Patenting computer-implemented simulations
It is possible to patent computer-implemented inventions at the European Patent Office (EPO). In particular, it is possible to patent computer-implemented inventions (CIIs) which function in the real-world.
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Rule changes in India: simplifying requirements for filing Working Statements
Indian patent law requires all patentees to file an annual Statement of Working, by means of a Form 27. This Statement sets out the extent to which the patented invention has been worked (or not) on a commercial scale in India.
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