Protect English courts tackle Swiss claims and off-label useThe English courts have recently considered a question pivotal to the perceived value of Swiss-type claims: to what extent can such claims be used to restrict off-label use where other uses of a drug are no longer protected by a patent?Read More 05Feb2015 Second medical use claims for devices – an uneven playing field?European patent law offers extra protection for pharmaceuticals that is not available for medical devices. Second medical use claims for pharmaceuticals are routinely accepted in Europe, whereas the same style of claim is generally not permissible for medical devices. Recent case law has seen a shift towards rewarding new uses for existing medical devices, but achieving such protection requires care during prosecution.Read More 30Oct2014 IP Act 2014 – Changes to UK designs law come into forceIn an earlier briefing note, we summarised the main changes to UK law introduced by the Intellectual Property Act 2014. A number of these changes come into effect today (1st October 2014), including measures intended to modernise, simplify and strengthen the law relating to designs – an area of protection often overlooked by IP owners. This short article reviews some of the more significant changes to designs law brought about by provisions in the Act.Read More 01Oct2014 Extended protection for medical devices – a hot topic in the UKManufactures of medical devices are requesting an increasing number of patent term extensions in a bid to recover the cost of getting regulatory approval. Recent decisions show that the UK IPO is taking a strict approach when examining patent term extensions for medical devices, but there are still situations where extra protection might be available.Read More 21Aug2014 Patentable parthenotes? Advocate General says yesIn the latest development to the patentability of human stem cells, the AG has recommended that stem cells derived from parthenogenically activated oocytes should not be excluded from patentability any longer. The AG drew the distinction between totipotent and pluripotent cells, noting that cells that do not have the capacity to develop into a human being should not be excluded from patentability.Read More 31Jul2014 UK High Court makes sense of CJEU’s decision on interpretation of Article 3(a)In a pro-patentee judgment, the UK High Court suggests that SPCs can be based on most types of claim provided that the product which is the subject of the SPC falls within the scope of the claim.Read More 29Jul2014 Intellectual property rights and 3D printing: a threat or an opportunity?The latest developments in 3D printing and the implications for IP protection.Read More 28Jul2014 Changes to searches on applications entering Europe via the PCTAs of 1st November 2014, the EPO is changing the way it searches PCT applications entering the European regional phase which are considered to relate to more than one invention. These changes will result in increased flexibility for the applicant and should help to reduce the likelihood of encountering unexpected costs.Read More 14Jul2014 Clinical trials in the UK are given immunity to patent infringementNew legislation introduced by the UK government should shield clinical trials in the UK from the risk of patent infringement from 1st October 2014.Read More 05Jun2014 Board of Appeal finds Swiss-type claims have different scope to EPC 2000 second medical use claimsA decision (T1780/12) from the EPO technical boards of appeal indicates that Swiss-type claims of the form “Use of [product X] in the manufacture of a medicament for the treatment of [disease Y]” provide a different scope of protection than EPC 2000 second medical use claims of the form “[product X] for use in the treatment of [disease Y]”Read More 29May2014<1…242526272829> Type Firm News Insights PodcastsServiceProtectDealDisputeSectorHealthcare+Energy+Life SciencesChemistryMaterialsEngineeringTechCreativeArchive2026January2025DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2024DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2023DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2022DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2021DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2020DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2019DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2018DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2017DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2016DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2015DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2014DecemberNovemberOctoberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchFebruaryJanuary2013DecemberNovemberOctoberSeptemberAugustJulyJuneMayAprilMarchJanuary2012NovemberJulyJuneMayAprilFebruaryJanuary
