Understanding “Freedom to Operate”

What is "Freedom to Operate"? Generally speaking, Freedom to Operate refers to the ability to use or commercialise a product or process without infringing on another party's valid Intellectual Property rights.  While the term Freedom to Operate generally refers to Patents, it is wise to consider other types of IP rights before launching any product [...]

2022-06-08T09:58:33+00:00June 7th, 2022|Publications|

Cherrie Stewart contributes to CITMA Review

Cherrie Stewart, Chartered Trade Mark Attorney in Ansons, part of the M&D group, has recently contributed an insightful article to the CITMA Review on the current situation of Intellectual Property in Northern Ireland.  With the Northern Irish Protocol now in place following the implementation of Brexit, the implications for IP have become ever more complex. [...]

2022-01-12T15:08:02+00:00June 29th, 2021|News, Publications|

Trends in Assistive Technologies

WIPO have published a Technology Trends report on Assistive Technology which can be found here. It identifies a list of emerging assistive technologies and has analyzed related patenting activity.   They have made it simple to assess the wide range of assistive technologies, meant to support people with functional limitations, by creating an interactive and accessible [...]

2021-05-05T12:54:57+00:00May 5th, 2021|News, Publications|

What you need to know about Trade Mark Infringement

Trade mark infringement can be loosely defined as the unauthorised use of a registered trade mark by any third party in the course of trade. In fact, the purpose of a trade mark registration is to provide the owner with a monopoly right in a sign used by them to distinguish their goods or services [...]

2022-01-10T14:27:17+00:00February 17th, 2021|News, Publications|

“Where the bands have the same name”

Most of you would be familiar with the U2 song "Where the Streets Have No Name". Now according to the BBC ( http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-beds-bucks-herts-44088403 ), it's a case of "Where the bands have the same name" for Elijah Hewson, son of U2 frontman, Bono.  Hewson is a member of a four piece band called INHALER (INHALER IE) [...]

2020-10-20T13:39:52+00:00May 16th, 2018|News, Publications|

Role of software-based inventions in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

In this post, I would like to discuss a recent EPO report that provides an overview of the major technology trends observed, based on EP patent information, across a range of technology fields associated with the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR). More specifically, I would like to discuss the role of software patents in 4IR and the changes [...]

2022-01-10T14:38:40+00:00December 18th, 2017|Publications|

Class Headings and the IP Translator case

Trade Marks are registered in respect of goods and/or services which fall in one or more of 45 classes established through the Offices of WIPO (the World Intellectual Property Organization) by the Nice Agreement in 1957.  The 10th Addition of the Classification came into force on January 1 2016. Each class has a heading.  For [...]

2020-10-22T09:46:57+00:00May 18th, 2016|Publications|

Getting Ready for a new European Patent System

The patent landscape in Europe is set to change dramatically with the introduction of the Unitary European Patent and Unified Patent Court (UPC). The various working groups of the UPC Preparatory Committee, together with national patent offices, are continuing to work out details of the rules for Europe’s new patent system, which we expect will [...]

2020-10-22T11:13:08+00:00June 4th, 2015|News, Publications|

Relative grounds examination

The Office for the Harmonization in the Internal Market (the OHIM) will not refuse an application to register a trade mark even if the same trade mark is already registered, unless the owner of the earlier registration successfully opposes the application. Largely as a result of the Community Regulation establishing the European Community system, a [...]

2020-10-22T13:48:35+00:00October 31st, 2014|Publications|
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