Market Intelligence

Inventive Step: Starting Points Evaluated as a Whole and Strict Thresholds for Combinations (Art. 56 EPC)

Discretionary decisions on belated patent amendments under Rules 30.2 and 263 RoP are subject to limited appellate review

Like Panel 1 of the LD Düsseldorf (cf. UPC_CFI_807/2024, decision of May 27, 2026), Panel 2 of the LD Düsseldorf applies the assessment criteria for equivalence under patent law established by the LD The Hague (UPC_CFI_239/2023, decision of November 22, 2024; UPC_CFI_479/2025, order of September 11, 2025), as, pursuant to Panel 2, these criteria form a coherent framework and, as such, are suitable for the assessment of equivalence.

The Joint Committee of European Supervisory Authorities has released its 2027 work programme, outlining concrete steps for digital resilience, investor protection, sustainable finance, and supervision of financial conglomerates. Financial institutions must now prepare for enhanced oversight of critical technology service providers, revised capital reporting requirements, and updated product information standards, while distinguishing between existing obligations and reforms still pending legislative approva

Modern corporate management faces unprecedented cybersecurity threats, with German legislators responding through the NIS 2 Implementation Act and reformed Federal Office for Information Security Act, drastically tightening IT risk management requirements. Board members and managing directors now bear heightened personal responsibility for cybersecurity measures, raising critical questions about organizational obligations, liability exposure, and proper delegation of IT security tasks.

Mit dem Inkrafttreten des NIS-2-Umsetzungsgesetzes und der Reform des BSI-Gesetzes stehen Vorstände und Geschäftsführer persönlich in der Pflicht für IT-Sicherheit. Die neuen Anforderungen an das IT-Risikomanagement sind drastisch verschärft worden, wobei der Ermessensspielraum der Geschäftsleitung beim "Ob" der Umsetzung gesetzlicher Mindestmaßnahmen endet. Dieser Beitrag zeigt auf, welche organisatorischen und haftungsrechtlichen Anforderungen zwingend zu beachten s