News

Agreeing a Price for IP Rights

The UK Intellectual Property Office published the booklet 'Agreeing a Price for Intellectual Property Rights'. The booklet forms part of the 'IP Healthcheck' series of online tools to help identify, protect and exploit intellectual assets. Have a look at it.

TransKnowlia course on Consortium Agreements and IP issues. AGAUR-ACC1Ó, 26 November 2012, Barcelona

The Agència de Gestió d'Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR) and the Catalan business competitiveness support agency (ACC1Ó) have organised a course on Consortium Agreements and IP issues in European R&D Projects, which will take place on the 26 November 2012 in Barcelona, Spain. The course is mainly addressed to R&D project managers and will be given by TransKnowlia. Further info and registration.

The Impact of the Patent System on SMEs

This study, commissioned by the Strategic Advisory Board for Intellectual Property (SABIP) and published by the UK Intellectual Property Office, considers evidence about the propensity of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to patent their innovations. Drawing on UK, European and US data sources, the research conducted shows that small firms are less likely to use patents as a means of protecting their investment than other means such as confidentiality, secrecy or being first to market with a new idea. Check the report out.

TransKnowlia will give a lecture on IPR issues for collaborative projects at EARMA Annual Conference in Dublin

TransKnowlia will participate next July 9, 2012 in the 18th Annual Conference of EARMA (European Association of Research Managers and Administrators) with a lecture on IPR issues for non-FP7 projects. EARMA's Conference will take place in July 8-11, in Dublin (Ireland). Further info.

TransKnowlia will give a lecture on Consortium Agreements on 19 June 2012 in El Ferrol (ES)

TransKnowlia's experts will give a lecture on Consortium Agreements - Theory and Practice next June 19, 2012 in El Ferrol (Spain). The lecture is part of the 'Curso de Capacitación en Xestión de Proxectos Europeos de I+D' organised by CIS Galicia & Fundación para o Fomento da Calidade e o Desenvolvemento Tecnolóxico de Galicia. Further info.

European Union. European Parliament gives consent for EU Patent

The European Parliament has voted in favour of the creation of a common EU patent system using the enhanced cooperation procedure. The Council of Ministers will then formally adopt the decision authorising enhanced cooperation. This will clear the way for the European Commission to submit two legislative proposals: establishing the single patent and formalising the agreed upon language regime.

Currently, only Italy and Spain remain outside the system. The "enhanced co-operation" can be used to enable a group of Member States to adopt new common rules when a unanimous EU-wide agreement cannot be reached. Both countries may opt in at a later if they wish.

EU. Consultation on Misleading and Comparative Advertising

The European Commission is preparing a Communication on the application of Directive 2006/114/EC concerning Misleading and Comparative Advertising. As part of the process, a public consultation is being carried out. Should you wish to give your views, please note that the consultation is open until 16 December 2011.

Commission Recommendation on Digitisation and Digital Preservation

The European Commission has adopted a new Recommendation on the digitisation of cultural material, asking EU Member States to increase their efforts and involve the private sector in this activity. The Commission considers it essential to make European cultural heritage more widely available and to boost growth in Europe's creative industries. The digitised material would be made available through 'Europeana', Europe's digital library. Commission's

EU. The Court of Justice rules on stem-cell patents

In a preliminary ruling delivered yesterday on the interpretation of Article 6(2)(c) of the Biotech Directive 98/44/EC, the Court of Justice of the EU found that such article excludes an invention from patentability where the technical teaching which is the subject-matter of the patent application requires the prior destruction of human embryos or their use as base material, whatever the stage at which that takes place and even if the description of the technical teaching claimed does not refer to the use of human embryos. The exclusion from patentability concerning the use of human embryos for industrial or commercial purposes also covers use for purposes of scientific research, only use for therapeutic or diagnostic purposes which are applied to the human embryo and are useful to it being patentable.

UK. Customers are needed to assert goodwill trade mark rights

The High Court of Justice has recently ruled on appeal that reputation is not enough to assert goodwill trade mark rights in the UK. Companies must have customers in the country, and having website visitors is not sufficient. The decision analyses the question of 'passing off' and the conditions for claiming it. Have a look at the ruling.

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