News

The UK’s Prime Minister David Cameron recently announced that a referendum will be held on 23 June 2016 to decide whether the UK will remain a member of the European Union. It is widely expected that the UK will vote to remain in the EU, but we are happy to confirm that, regardless of the […]

The European Council has published news of impending changes to the Community Trade Mark Regulation and a new Trade Mark Directive, most of which will come into effect in March 2016. The changes do away with some of the idiosyncrasies which have made European trade mark law less accessible to the non-professional public. Most saliently, […]

Unitary Patent (UP) The UP draws ever closer, and recent events suggest early 2017 is the hot favourite for commencement. If you haven’t considered the ramifications of the UP for your business yet, now is the time to start. The Select Committee, who set the rules and fees for the UP, recently announced that their […]

It has been common drafting practice to include both pre-EPC 2000 Swiss-type claims and post-EPC 2000 purpose-limited second medical use claims in the same patent application.  Once again, whether this is allowable or not, has been considered by the EPO Boards of Appeal. At the start of last year we reported to you that the […]

Patent Box is a UK tax scheme whereby UK companies pay a reduced rate of corporation tax on profits generated from patented technology.  Shortly after the scheme came into effect in April 2013 it came under attack from foreign governments and this led to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) issuing its requirements […]

Our latest IP Review is now available online here: www.withersrogers.com/ebrochure/ip-review/autumn-2015/ In this issue we report on some interesting developments, including a wave of altruism that has swept over some of the world’s best known companies in recent times, changes in US practice that affect the patentability of biodiagnostics, and recent developments in China to strengthen its […]