European Union: Patent

Foreseeable professional commitments and school holidays do not amount to “exceptional circumstances” under R. 9.3(a) RoP

Alternative service under R. 275.2 RoP may be ordered once formal service attempts fail for reasons attributable to the defendant, provided it is not contrary to the law of the state of service (R. 275.4 RoP)

No leave to appeal re. application for re-establishement of rights

The European Patent Office's Enlarged Board of Appeal has issued a landmark decision in G 1/25 "Hydroponics," addressing a fundamental question that has divided practitioners for years: when patent claims are amended during examination, must the description be adapted to match? The ruling establishes that inconsistencies between claims and descriptions only require correction when they result in non-compliance with the European Patent Convention, not merely for achieving formal consistency.

À l'occasion de sa campagne estivale 2026, l'Union des fabricants (Unifab) a multiplié les actions de prévention auprès du grand public afin de mieux faire connaître les risques associés à l'achat de produits contrefaisants. Déployée dans plusieurs stations touristiques françaises, cette opération avait pour objectif d'aider les consommateurs à identifier les indices permettant de distinguer un produit authentique d'une copie illicite

Most companies lack a deliberate strategy for their external patent firm network, treating foundational inventions the same as routine cases. Leading IP functions segment firms into strategic tiers, manage relationships as partnerships across full lifecycles, and leverage joint planning and AI to transform how external counsel delivers value.

The European Patent Office's Technical Board of Appeal examined whether a medical intervention control system using AI and expanded datasets could be patented, focusing on whether data analysis that assists physicians constitutes a technical effect or merely an intellectual activity.

Translation automation is a no-brainer. We are all looking for ways to use AI to improve the quality of a wide range of outputs. Everyone in today’s economy, for one reason or another, is facing budget constraints...

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