November

November

EU Unified Patent Court Update
November 18, 2014

The European Patent system is in the final stages of a significant change. On November 18, 2014, European Union Advocate General Yves Bot issued a press release affirming his opinion that the European Court of Justice should dismiss Spain’s current legal challenge to the creation of the Unitary Patent System. Under the Unitary Patent System, the countries of the European Union would allow patent matters to be adjudicated by a single court that would have jurisdiction over most countries in Western Europe. A patent holder in this new system would be able to bring one action at this new court, the Unified Patent Court (UPC), and receive one judgment that would be effective within multiple European countries.

EPO Implements New Examination Guidelines
November 1, 2014

The EPO has implemented new Guidelines for Examination, which are based on recent decisions by the EPO Boards of Appeal. The changes will likely have a mixed impact on patent applicants – some changes will make it more difficult to get claims through the EPO, while others will make it easier. See here for a more detailed summary. See here for a link to the current and complete set of EPO Guidelines.
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