"Cell free DNA" (cfDNA) refers to fragmented extracellular DNA that is present in bodily fluids of a subject, most notably in blood.

The UK Government has now approved draft regulations, The Designs and International Trade Marks (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, which set out what will happen to European Union Design rights on "exit day".

During the transition period the UK will be treated as if it were a member of the EU and as a consequence the status quo as far as IP is concerned will be maintained.

Since the UK Court of Appeal judgment in Menashe v William Hill, it has not been safe to assume that infringement of a patent claim including a processor or a processing step can be avoided...

Imagine you have spent years building a successful business, backed up by a strong patent protecting your core activities. Out of the blue, an old acquaintance claims they made and...

The referral in Abraxis C-443/17 was made by Mr Justice Arnold of the English High Court in a case concerning an application for an SPC for the oncology product ABRAXANE®.

In 2014, the EPO launched the Early Certainty initiative to speed up the patent granting process. This initiative has resulted in speedier establishment of search reports and a shorter examination procedure.

Transforming research carried out in institutions such as universities and hospitals into commercial products and services can be a long and complex journey...

As reported here and here, a referral was made to the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) concerning the legality of holding oral proceedings by video conference without the consent of the parties.

There is no doubt that the Earth is getting warmer. According to the 2022 Global Climate Report from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information, 2022 was the sixth warmest year...

Since the discovery of the structure of DNA, the accepted central dogma of molecular biology states that the genetic information contained in our DNA is transcribed into short-lived messenger RNA, ...

It was in 1928 that the first antibiotic, penicillin, was discovered by Alexander Fleming. The discovery was a major breakthrough in modern medicine, and penicillin became mass-produced...

As we recently reported, the Board of Appeal in T697/22 has referred questions to the EBA concerning whether the description should be amended to address any inconsistencies with the claims.

The Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) has issued its preliminary opinion in case G 1/25. The case concerns whether the description of a European patent application should be amended to address any inconsistencies with the claims.

The EU IPO commences phase I of its procedural changes to the (now called) Registered European Union Design (REUD) system on 1 May 2025...

In a recent decision in case UPC_CoA_489/2023, the UPC's Court of Appeal overturned an order of the Court of First Instance (Helsinki Local Division) that the withdrawal of an opt out was invalid.

A recent Italian court decision challenges the widely accepted interpretation of the UPC transitional period, potentially requiring patent holders to file opt-outs before bringing actions in national courts. The Court of Venice ruled that non-opted-out European patents fall under exclusive UPC jurisdiction, contradicting the prevailing view that parallel jurisdiction exists during the transitional period.

Goods and people have been transported by sea throughout human history. In the modern world, shipping remains the most efficient method for moving cargo where speed is not a major concern.

The President of the European Patent Office has decided that applicants will soon be able to request, at the EPO, a delay in the issuance of a European patent until entry into force of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Agreement...

Quantum computing is a potentially revolutionary field of technology, which uses quantum phenomena to solve problems that would take a conventional computer thousands of years.