From the 6 April 2017, the United Kingdom Intellectual
Property Office ("UKIPO") will only allow omnibus claims
in United Kingdom (UK) patent applications and European patent
application designating Great Britain (GB) in limited
instances.1 Furthermore, it will no longer be possible
to amend a granted UK patent or a European patent designating GB to
include one or more omnibus claims. However, it will not be a
ground of revocation for a granted UK patent to have an omnibus
claim.2
The change has been adopted after stakeholder consultation and a
UKIPO review of omnibus claim practice.3 Indeed this is
one of several practice "improvements" being administered
by the UKIPO after public consultation in 2016 regarding a set of
proposed changes to the Patents Rules 2007 which set out the
procedural and administrative requirements that apply to patents
and patent applications in the UK. These changes are intended to
simplify, clarify and bring greater certainty to users of
