Just over 3 months after we reported a referral from the Finnish Market Court concerning Article 3(c) for combination products (see our news item, here), the Irish Supreme Court has now made its own, similar referral.

The opposition procedure before the European Patent Office (EPO) has been a highly attractive forum for challenging patents since the first European patents were granted.

The number of people following a vegetarian or vegan diet is increasing. Whilst exact numbers are hard to establish, data based on surveys published by the UK Vegan society suggest that the number of vegans...

Last summer, we reported on the UPC's first ever revocation decision, UPC_1/2023, which concluded that Amgen's patent (EP 3666797) lacked an inventive step.

More than 20 years late, the UK Supreme Court has today decided that the UK's approach to computer-implemented inventions is wrong and that instead the EPO approach, as set out in G1/19, should be followed.

Visitors to a supermarket will be confronted with thousands of famous and distinctive brand names competing for space in their (virtual or physical) shopping basket.

You have a new technical idea. When will you be ready to draft a patent specification? When will it be appropriate to file an initial application at the Patent Office?

A company must elect in to the Patent Box regime in order to take advantage of the reduction in payable UK Corporation Tax.

A significant decision has been handed down this week by the Court of Appeal in England and Wales which has confirmed that the UK would not depart from the landmark...

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has been in the spotlight recently. Last month, the UK government announced a policy paper on "Delivering Energy Security and Net Zero"...

The EUIPO Board of Appeal recently upheld a request for a declaration of invalidity against the following grey/orange colour combination trade mark, on the grounds that its imprecision allows for multiple different combinations of the two colours.

This document is intended to provide a brief introduction to Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) for plant protection products.

The EU and the UK formally adopted the Windsor Framework (WF) on 24 March 2023. Subsequently, the UK government has issued some additional guidance...

The Supreme Court, the highest Court for England and Wales, has given guidance as to considerations to take into account when deciding whether an activity can be regarded as "making" a patented product...

The Unitary Patent (UP) will probably be introduced in 2023. After this point, applicants for European Patents will be able to decide whether the European Patent should become a Unitary Patent...

Blockchain is a technology dating all the way back to a 1991 paper discussing the time-stamping of digital documents and is the driving force behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and Ether.

For many of us, the ability to travel by air plays an important role in our lives, allowing us the freedom to explore new places and to stay connected with the people and things we love.

Over the last few years, the additive manufacturing industry has experienced strong growth, with revenue tripling from USD 6 billion in 2016 to USD 18 billion (EUR 16.17 billion) in 2022.

The Local Division of The Hague recently issued a procedural order which provides insight into various aspects of the UPC's jurisdiction. Perhaps of most interest is that the court ruled that, as long as there is...

The EU's manufacturing waiver for supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) permits third parties to manufacture medicinal products for export outside the EU, but divergent court interpretations have led to a 2026 CJEU referral. As national courts grapple with notification requirements and stockpiling provisions, the European Commission has announced a public consultation to evaluate whether the waiver has achieved its intended objectives.