Withers & Rogers

Archives

  • Patent ruling could lead to ideas race | 20th July, 2008

    A recent landmark ruling by the House of Lords could have far-reaching implications for pharmaceutical and chemical companies, making it easier for them to seek patent protection in the UK for product developments and innovations. more...

  • New dot anythings' are timely reminder to review online trade mark protection | 1st July, 2008

    The recent move to permit the use of top-level domains with any ending is a timely reminder for businesses and organisations to review their online trade mark protection. more...

  • Two weeks to opening of new Midlands Office | 5th September, 2007

    Our new office Midlands Office will open on Monday 24 September, merging the operations of the existing Birmingham and Leamington Spa offices. more...

  • New Midlands Office - Update | 7th May, 2007

    Our new Midlands office, Nicholas Wilson House, Dormer Place, Leamington Spa, is now watertight and the internal fit out is well underway. more...

  • World Intellectual Property Day Thursday 26 April 2007 | 20th April, 2007

    To mark this important day, the brainchild of World Intellectual Property Office WIPO, the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) is hosting an event at the British Library Business and IP Centre. It will be opened by Ian Fletcher, the new Chief...more...

  • The Patent Office Re-branded | 9th March, 2007

    The U.K.'s Patent Office has now announced that it is to change its name to the UK Intellectual Property Office. more...

  • New Midlands Office - Update | 2nd March, 2007

    Work on Withers & Rogers' new Midlands office continues apace, as you will see from the two photographs, and the firm remains on target for moving-in in the summer. more...

  • Malta to join EPC and PCT | 5th January, 2007

    On 1 March 2007, Malta will become a full member of the European Patent Organisation. more...

  • EPO Decision on the Patentability of Diagnostic Methods | 22nd December, 2006

    On 16th December 2005, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) issued the long-awaited decision (G01/04) relating to methods of diagnosis. more...

  • Inventive Step - The Problem-Solution Approach | 9th December, 2006

    The Problem-Solution Approach to determining the inventive step, as used by the European Patent Office. more...

  • New Midlands Office | 7th November, 2006

    Withers & Rogers LLP has announced that in mid-2007 its two Midland offices, currently at 75 Colmore Row, Birmingham and 60 Holly Walk, Leamington Spa, will amalgamate in a purpose built Midlands office in Dormer Place, Leamington. The new office is...more...

  • Way open for reduction in European patent costs | 2nd October, 2006

    Currently, at the grant stage of a European patent application, translations of the full specification have to be filed in most European Patent Convention contracting states. more...

  • Disclosure of Source of Genetic Material | 28th September, 2006

    Clients should be aware of a new requirement in some countries to provide a statement of the geographical origin or specific source of genetic material used in biotech inventions which are the subject of patent applications. more...

  • Qualification successes at Withers & Rogers | 27th September, 2006

    We are pleased to report that two members of our Life Sciences & Chemistry group, Dr Rhiannon Turner and Dr Chris McDonald, have passed the European qualifying examinations this year at their first attempt in order to become European patent attorney...more...

  • EPO issues favourable software patent decision to Microsoft. | 9th June, 2006

    The EPO has upheld its position on the requirement for a technical solution to a technical problem in a favourable software patent case in the name of Microsoft Corporation (T425/03). more...

  • Withers & Rogers helps steer new IP Forum for the West Midlands | 4th June, 2006

    We are delighted to report that not only has a proposal for an IP Forum been accepted by Advantage West Midlands (AWM) but the contract is now in place for delivery of the initiative to increase awareness of the benefits of IP for West Midlands' bus...more...

  • Supplementary Protection Certificates unavailable for new formulations of known drugs | 25th May, 2006

    On 4th May 2006, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) issued a judgement on case C-431/04 which essentially rules out Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) for new formulations of active ingredients. In this decision, it was decided that a novel f...more...

  • Fee Payments in Canada | 20th March, 2006

    Most university and small organisation clients will be aware that they may be entitled to pay Canadian official patent and application fees at a reduced rate compared to non-University applicants which have more than 50 employees. A recent Canadian cour...more...

  • The Patent Office Re-branded | 9th March, 2006

    The U.K.'s Patent Office has now announced that it is to change its name to the UK Intellectual Property Office. more...

  • Negligent to ignore software patents? | 12th December, 2005

    Intellectual Property Rights, including patents and trademarks, promote innovation and creativity. They also form a valuable business asset when running a business successfully. A patent for a new business idea or new software could become a ticket to e...more...

  • Dosage Regimen Claims Deemed Patentable by EPO Board of Appeal | 12th December, 2005

    In August 2005, a Technical Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) issued a decision allowing a dosage regimen claim to be patentable. The decision related to a patent application for a novel dosage regimen of insulin-like growth factor-I (...more...

  • House of Lords clarifies novelty test: Synthon BV v Smithkline Beecham plc | 10th December, 2005

    Patent owners have won new powers to enforce their rights in the UK after a House of Lords ruling clarified when an invention can be considered new and patentable. more...

  • G3/04 - Interveners during appeal cannot continue after withdrawal of appeal | 5th December, 2005

    According to the recent EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal Decision G3/04, after withdrawal of the sole appeal, the proceedings cannot be continued with a third party that intervened during the appeal proceedings. more...

  • Biological sequence databases are part of the 'common general knowledge' | 28th November, 2005

    A recently-published decision from one of the European Patent Office's Boards of Appeal will be of interest to clients in the biotech area. more...

  • European Patent Litigation Agreement Gets Judges' Approval | 8th November, 2005

    In an extraordinary show of European judicial unity, senior IP judges from several EU countries have banded together to promote a legislative initiative aimed at providing a single European patents court to hear patent cases. more...

  • Patent Term Incentives to Improve Paediatric Medicines | 27th October, 2005

    During September 2005, the European Parliament (EP) had first reading of a proposed regulation to ensure that medicinal products for use on children are fully studied and formally approved for use in such age groups (see page 2 of our August 2005 IP Rev...more...

  • Patent Infringement by Trans-National Distributed Systems: A Similar Trans-Atlantic Approach? | 26th October, 2005

    The prospect of patent infringement by the use of “trans-national distributed systems”, by which we mean a system wherein elements of the claimed system can be located within different countries without the operation of the system being affe...more...

  • 'Bolar' Exemption to Patent Infringement Enacted in the UK | 24th October, 2005

    With time to spare, the European Directive (2004/27/EC) containing a ‘Bolar' exemption to patent infringement for generic pharmaceutical manufacturers (see Withers & Rogers IP Review, August 2005) has been enacted in the UK.   ...more...

  • Community Trade Mark Office Reduces Official Fees | 22nd October, 2005

    There has been a substantial reduction in many official fees payable to the Community Trade Marks Office. more...

  • Bridges smashed between USPTO and EPO in landmark business method decision - Oligopoly/Lundgren | 20th October, 2005

    In a significant affirmation of the liberal attitudes in the US to the question of what should be patentable, the Board of Patent Appeals and Interferences in the US Patent and Trademark Office has decided that there is no test for whether an inven...more...

  • European Community Trade Mark - Amendments to Regulations | 21st September, 2005

    With effect from the 25th July 2005, various changes have been made to certain of the Implementing Regulations governing the European Community Trade Mark system. more...

  • Extended European Search Report | 29th June, 2005

    On 1 July, new rule 44a EPC comes into effect. According to that rule, the search examiner will send an opinion on patentability with the European Search Report, the whole to be known as an EESR (Extended European Search Report). more...

  • Inventorship | 9th May, 2005

    Correctly identifying inventors in connection with patent applications is important as, in principle, the right to a patent belongs to the inventor or his or her successor in title.  Determining inventorship can be a tricky issue and the purpose of...more...

  • Biological Sequence Data | 6th May, 2005

    New requirements for PCT applications that include biological sequence data On 1 April 2005, the European Patent Office introduced new provisions for PCT ('international') applications that include biological sequence data.   ...more...

  • Oncomouse Patent Upheld in the EPO | 31st March, 2005

    The Oncomouse patent has finally been upheld in amended form in the European Patent Office by the Board of Appeal. more...

  • EPO practice on business methods laid bare | 28th February, 2005

    Recently we were very pleased to welcome to our offices Yannis Skulikaris, head of one of the nine EPO Examination Directorates handling computer related inventions, to present to attorneys and clients on the latest developments on EPO practice in this ar...more...

  • The Mismatch of the Law and Science | 25th February, 2005

    The interaction of the law and science has become increasingly important with the greater use of technology in our everyday lives - reflected by the greater importance of patents in business today. more...

  • Bosnia & Herzegovina | 17th December, 2004

    From 1 December 2004 it will be possible to extend European patent applications and patents to Bosnia and Herzegovina.     more...

  • UK PO vents frustration at poor business method specifications | 25th November, 2004

    The following Notice of 23 November 2004 from the UK Patent Office highlights the frustration examiners feel in having to deal with patent applications directed to pure business methods.  more...

  • House of Lords issues important decision in major Biotech case | 18th November, 2004

    An important decision in the biotechnology field has just been issued by the House of Lords. The Kirin-Amgen case relates to a European (GB) patent, due to expire in December 2004, relating to production of erythropoietin (EPO). The EPO product has been...more...

  • Iceland and Lithuania become EPC-contracting states. | 18th November, 2004

    From 1st November and 1st December 2004 it will be possible to designate Iceland and Lithuania, respectively, in European patent applications. more...

  • CONVERSION TO LLP STRUCTURE - 2005 | 9th November, 2004

    Withers & Rogers has grown considerably in recent years and in line with current developments in the professional services sector we are pleased to announce that the partnership has resolved to transfer the business into a limited liability partners...more...

  • Champagne Success!!! | 22nd October, 2004

    We are please to announce that Karl Barnfather was surprised to learn recently he won a case of champagne, from no lesser body than the Institute of Directors.   more...

"Whilst W&R are instructed directly through our external Australian attorneys, we find W&R understand our patent portfolio and our cases are not treated as simply foreign referrals. It is invaluable having direct access to W&R if we have any queries on our EP/UK portfolio and related strategies."

John Walker, Senior Manager, CSIRO - Intellectual Property Portfolio Management