Blog Post
An extension to the life of pharmaceutical patents?
Yesterday the Labour party claimed to have uncovered documents concerning talks on the NHS between UK and US officials. Pertinently, these are alleged to include discussions about lengthening the life of pharmaceutical patents. But how would this work within the current UK legal framework? And what ramifications would this have for the UK as a whole?
Blog Post
From machines to plants: the battle continues over non-human inventions
In a previous blog post, we looked at the issues surrounding the patentability of AI-generated ideas. In this post, we explore the latest developments in the field of non-human inventions and think further about the implications for IP law.
Blog Post
Unitary Patents and Brexit: where are we?
Amidst all the highly-charged Brexit debates, little has been said recently about the position of the Unitary Patent and the UPCA. Hot off the press is the publication of a European Parliament Think Tank paper on this very issue, as we discuss briefly in this blog.
Blog Post
Two can play at this game: Joint ownership of copyright
The Court of Appeal has provided a helpful summary in Kogan v Martin on the law of joint ownership of copyright, recognising that author contributions do not need to be equal nor in the form of only written words, and can arise by intangible input whilst collaborating on plot or character development. The case also discusses the different methods of analysing ownership of works that develop over a number of drafts, and how this can influence the outcome of a case.
Blog Post
Puzzle (re)solved: General Court rules on Rubik's Cube (again)
In the long running saga over registration of the shape of the Rubik's Cube as an EU trade mark, the General Court has confirmed the cancellation of the registration following the CJEU's ruling in 2016.
Blog Post
Shanks for the compensation: Supreme Court holds Unilever should pay £2m to an employee inventor
The Supreme Court has recently handed down a judgment (Shanks (Appellant) v Unilever Plc and others (Respondents) [2019] UKSC 45) clarifying when (and how much) compensation is owed to employee inventors under s40(1) Patents Act 1977.
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Brexit update: trade marks and designs ** POSTPONEMENT **
THIS HAS NOW BEEN POSTPONED. We have been informed by the UKIPO that all online services for trade marks and designs will be unavailable immediately after Brexit (from 11pm on 31 October 2019 until 4 November 2019). This planned shutdown is to enable the UKIPO to create the UK comparable trade marks and re-registered designs following the UK's departure from the EU.
Blog Post
Glaxo pauses for breath – purple inhaler does not infringe
Mr Justice Arnold has recently handed down a lengthy judgment (Glaxo Wellcome UK Limited and Anor v Sandoz Limited and Ors [2019] EWHC 2545 in which he dismisses Glaxo's claims of passing off in relation to its purple inhaler.
Blog Post
Making Host-ory: CJEU rules that when a host is ordered to remove infringing content this includes identical and equivalent material
The CJEU has ruled in Eva Glawischnig-Piesczek v Facebook (C-18/18) that when a host is ordered to remove illegal content, it must take down both identical and equivalent material.
Blog Post
Brexit: UK government publishes no-deal readiness report – IP provisions
Last week the UK government published a No-deal Readiness Report, setting out the changes that could take place in the event of a no-deal Brexit and what steps it is taking to be prepared for Brexit on 31 October 2019. In this blog we recap briefly at what the government is doing in relation to intellectual property, as outlined in the report.