Understanding Patent Applications and Methods for Best Approaches in Europe and the U.S.
On June 1, 2025, the Unified Patent Court marked its second anniversary - we are one of very few firms that has top-tier patent litigators in all major EU jurisdictions and the UK – we’ve been defending clients in...more
In a recent decision the Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) has for the first time addressed the use of AI to support arguments on claim interpretation, in this case deciding that ChatGPT cannot be used as a...more
UPC case law on the assessment of inventive step is still evolving. Most local division (LD) decisions have indicated a slightly diverging practice from the EPO’s problem-solution approach. However, more recently, others have...more
With nearly 800 cases adjudicated or pending thus far at the Unified Patent Court (UPC), a possible procedural gap has appeared in the European patent system: no clear legal mechanism currently exists to resolve conflicting...more
In a landmark decision (UPC_CFI_15/2023) delivered on November 15, 2024, the Unified Patent Court's Local Division in Munich (UPC, LDM) ruled in favor of Edwards Lifesciences Corporation in a patent infringement case against...more
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is revolutionizing the way patents are enforced in Europe, and McDermott’s intellectual property (IP) team is here to help you navigate this dynamic landscape. Our Legal Lens on the Unified...more
In March 2024, the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry published changes to its 2003 Patent Rules. These applicant-friendly changes include (1) a relaxation in the rules relating to the submission of information...more
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is revolutionizing the way patents are enforced in Europe, and McDermott’s intellectual property team is here to help you navigate this dynamic landscape. Our Legal Lens on the Unified Patent...more
While the genus antibody claim was effectively killed by the U.S. Supreme Court in Amgen v. Sanofi, it lives on in Europe despite a few recent setbacks at the European Patent Office ("EPO") and the Unified Patent Court...more
Franz Kaldewei GmbH & Co. KG v. Bette GmbH & Co. KG The Unified Patent Court (UPC) issued its first decision on the merits, granting the first-ever permanent injunction covering seven UPC member states. Franz Kaldewei GmbH &...more
As the era of biologics and biosimilar litigations heats up in the United States, Europe’s Unified Patent Court (UPC) is also taking center stage with the first two biosimilar disputes filed in March and April....more
Hosted by C5 Group, the 17th Annual Forum on Pharma & Biotech Patent Litigation in Europe returns for another exciting year with curated programming that will provide up-to-the-minute information and strategic insights on...more
This past Thursday, the Board of Appeals of the European Patent Office released the minutes of oral proceedings in which the Board rendered a decision in closely watched appeals relating to Broad patents directed to...more
The European Patent Office ("EPO") has committed to specific timelines for its new practice of accelerating opposition proceedings....more
The global patent landscape shifted very significantly in June last year, with the opening of the long-awaited European Unified Patent Court (the UPC). This single, one-stop judicial framework provides, for the first time, a...more
The UPC, a single patent court for European Union Member States, has published the first statistics on its case load since its establishment in 2023. Between June 1, 2023, and January 31, 2024, a total of 196 cases were filed...more
On December 26, 2023, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit issued its decision in K-Fee System GMBH v. Nespresso USA, Inc. While nominally a case related to coffee makers, its teachings are highly...more
December 2023 Federal Circuit Newsletter (Japanese) - Intel Wrongly Denied Opportunity to Litigate License Defense that Could Unwind $2.1 Billion Judgment - In Vlsi Technology LLC v. Intel Corporation, Appeal No....more
Precedential and Key Federal Circuit Opinions - 1. PARKERVISION, INC. v. VIDAL [OPINION] (2022-1548, 12/15/2023) (Prost, Wallach, and Chen)* - Chen, J. The Court affirmed the PTAB’s determination that the patent...more
The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed and remanded a district court’s claim construction and related summary judgment rulings after determining that the district court erred in construing a claim term by...more
K-Fee System GmbH v. Nespresso USA, Inc., Appeal No. 2022-2042 (Fed. Cir. Dec. 26, 2023) In an appeal from a district court judgment of noninfringement, the Federal Circuit reversed the underlying claim construction...more
Patents are increasingly being used to protect innovation in the food technology space. Food technology companies should carefully decide whether to use patents or trade secrets to protect their proprietary assets. ...more