Understanding Patent Applications and Methods for Best Approaches in Europe and the U.S.
Key Takeaways: - The Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) of the European Patent Office (EPO) issued its opinion in G1/24 on June 18, 2025 resolving divergent case law on how patent claims should be interpreted at the EPO. - The...more
Background - As has been widely reported, major changes are looming for the European patent landscape. After many years of preparatory work and negotiations, Europe’s new Unified Patent Court (UPC) is expected to open for...more
In 1973, in response to concerns about the costs of securing patent protection in Europe, the European Patent Convention was signed to set up a common patent office to examine patent applications for any European country that...more
European and UK patents are not impacted by Brexit. The European Patent Office (EPO) is established under the European Patent Convention (EPC). The EPC is separate from the European Union and the UK is, now, one of several...more
On 24 September 2018, the UK Government outlined its position on how the various Intellectual Property (IP) rights will be treated following "Brexit Day" – planned for 29 March 2019, in the unlikely event that the United...more
The UK government’s draft EU Withdrawal Bill (the “Brexit Bill“) aims to incorporate EU directives and regulations into UK domestic law in their current form immediately following Brexit (“Retained EU Law“). This article...more
This is the fifth in an ongoing series of blog posts by Foley & Lardner LLP on the implications of the June 23, 2016 voter referendum in the United Kingdom (“UK”) to exit the European Union (“EU”) (“Brexit”)....more
The UK will ratify the Unified Patent Court Agreement despite the Brexit vote, it was announced yesterday. It is unclear whether this marks the start of a long participation of the UK in this 40-years-in-the-making unifying...more
This is the third in an ongoing series of blog posts by Foley & Lardner LLP on the implications of the June 23, 2016 referendum decision in the United Kingdom (“UK”) to exit the European Union (“EU”) (“Brexit”)... ...more
Now that some time has passed since the Brexit vote, some of the ways in which the vote is likely to impact British patent law are becoming clearer. Here is a quick summary of some of the primary concerns....more
The process of Brexit will take many years, and the implications for our clients’ business will unfold over time. Our MoFo Brexit Task Force is coordinating Brexit-related legal analysis across all of our offices, and...more
Now that the United Kingdom has voted to withdraw from the European Union (commonly known as “Brexit”), we turn to the question of how Brexit will affect intellectual property rights in the UK and Europe. The good news...more
In a June 23, 2016 referendum, the combined electorates of the United Kingdom and Gibraltar voted in favor of the United Kingdom, and consequently Gibraltar, leaving the European Union (EU). According to Article 50 of...more
Although the United Kingdom (UK) vote to leave the European Union (EU) will ultimately impact intellectual property (IP) rights in both territories, the UK remains a member of the EU until the exit terms are formalized, so...more
The United Kingdom (UK) voted to leave the European Union (EU). The vote to leave the EU will not affect the UK’s relationship with the European Patent Office (EPO). The EPO is governed by the European Patent Convention...more
By now, everyone has likely heard about the United Kingdom’s vote last week to leave the European Union. Few things are certain at this time, as governments around the world are still making plans to deal with Brexit....more
Despite the UK’s vote to leave the European Union, companies doing business in the UK can still continue to trade with the European Union in exactly the same way as they have done in the past. The UK is still a member of...more
As the UK leaves the EU, in light of the seismic result of the United Kingdom referendum on June 23, 2016, there will be an immense amount to do, for the UK and the remaining EU, and for companies that are either based in, or...more
On June 23, in the popularly-termed “Brexit” referendum, the United Kingdom voted to exit the European Union, a decision which will have wide-ranging effects, including potential effects on intellectual property rights in the...more
Now that the UK has voted to exit the European Union, you may be asking – “how does this affect our intellectual property rights in Europe and the UK.” The short answer – it has no immediate affect at all. Regarding...more