The Intellectual Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014 and the Legislative Reform (Patents) Order 2014 have each now been published and will affect the scope of patent infringement in Ireland and the United Kingdom, respectively. The research exemption in the legislation is to be enhanced, benefitting companies engaged in the pharmaceutical sector. The Irish Association of [...]
In our news post around this time last year here we reported that the Irish Government was to hold a Constitutional Referendum with the goal of amending the Constitution to enable a new Court of Appeal interposed between the High Court and the Supreme Court to be established. The referendum succeeded in October 2013 with [...]
Flexibility in prosecuting certain European patent applications is currently restricted by the inability to obtain a search report for claims which the EPO considers to relate to more than one invention. In such cases, the EPO searches the invention first presented in the claims and raises a lack of unity objection for all other claims. [...]
We mark the recent passing of an outstanding scientist and inventor Stephanie Kwolek on June 18th 2014 in her 91st year. Ms. Kwolek was a researcher for several decades at DuPont, where she was engaged in the development of new fibres. Most famously, in 1965 she and her team developed the polymer commonly known as [...]
Abstract ideas and pure methods of doing business have for some time been excluded from patentability in the United States. On 19th June 2014 the United States Supreme Court handed down its Decision in Alice Corp. v CLS Bank International, which involved a method for performing a financial transaction, and has unanimously ruled that abstract ideas and business methods, even [...]
Following up on our post in April 2014 this year, we can now confirm that the CJEU has ruled in the proceedings Of Karen Millen Fashions Ltd v Dunnes Stores, Dunnes Stores (Limerick) Ltd on how so-called “individual character” of a design is to be assessed. The decision has just been posted on the Curia website. The Supreme [...]
The 33rd Annual Conference of ECTA will be taking place this year in Alicante, Spain. Norman MacLachlan, the former Treasurer-General of that organisation, will be attending on behalf of our firm. The object of ECTA (European Communities Trade Mark Association) is to promote the knowledge and professionalism of members and owners alike in the fields of [...]
Dr Yvonne McKeown is attending the UNION-IP Congress in Berlin from 4th-6th June 2014. The many topics to be discussed at the Congress include the Unitary Patent, the European Patent Court and strategic choices as regards IP Litigation in Europe.
Bernadette Walsh will be attending the INTA (International Trademark Association) Meeting in Hong Kong from May 10th to May 14th. It has been reported that there will be around 8,500 attendees from over 140 countries at the meeting, which will be the 4th largest in the history of INTA. If you are also attending the conference [...]
As we recently celebrated World Intellectual Property Day, we thought we might investigate the background to the first granted patents and registered trade marks. Patent Firsts UK patent law applied in Ireland until the formation of the Irish Free State in 1921. It was not until the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act 1927 that [...]