Our publications
Formal entitlement to priority : decision issued by Enlarged Board of Appeal of the EPO
The Enlarged Board of Appeal issued a decision on the consolidated referrals G 1/22 and G 2/22, ruling that the EPO is competent to assess entitlement to priority and that +
Substantial increase of official fees in Canada and Argentina
Patent fees will increase up to 36% in Canada as from January 1st, 2024. +
End of the 10-day postal fiction at the EPO
A new fiction for notification and time limit calculation will enter into force on November 1st, 2023. +
Review of French and EU case law relating to pharmaceutical trademarks and designs 2023
Lavoix presents a review of pharmaceutical trademark and design decisions handed down by French and European Union courts. +
Tolerating is risky!
Often commented on, the FREE v. FREE SBE decision (Paris Court of Appeal – Pôle 05 ch. 02, January 14, 2022 / n° 20/05019, S. A.S. FREE/S. A.S. FREE SBE) +
Conditions of validity of a clause stipulating the assignment of copyright in forthcoming creations
The Paris Court of Appeal recognizes the validity of a clause transferring copyright of an assignment clause in an employment contract. +
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeals – G1/23 Solar Cell
Referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeals – G1/23 Solar Cell +
Easyfinance – New module available on IP data²
easyfinance is a new module in IPdata² that enables you to independently consult and extract your accounting and financial information, along with some business-specific information. +
Trademark ownership and legal limitations: necessary use and comparative advertising
Trademark registration confers on its owner a right of ownership over this trademark for the goods or services covered by it (article L.713-1 of the French Intellectual Property Code – +
Data protection March-May 2023
This quarterly LAVOIX newsletter presents a selection of legal news in the field of personal data protection for the period of March-May 2023. +
New Guidelines for Examination in the EPO
In March, the European Patent Office (EPO) has published a new version of the Guidelines for Examination. +
A word on plausibility and subsequent resumption of stayed proceedings
In November 2021, a Technical Board of Appeal referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal regarding the notion of Plausibility and how it should be approached before the EPO. +
Increased burden of proof for owners of well-known trademarks
The decision of the General Court of European Union (December 7, 2022, T-623/21, EU:T:2022:776, Puma SE / EUIPO – Vaillant GmbH) has been widely commented by the IP community. +
World Quantum Day
Today, April 14, is World Quantum Day! +
MetaBirkin case: deafeating dissimulation and deceptive appearance!
On 8 February 2023, the New York Court found the American artist Mason Rothschild guilty of counterfeit and dilution of the registered trademark BIRKIN for marketing under the name “MetaBirkins” +
Data protection January-February 2023
This LAVOIX newsletter presents a selection of legal news in the field of personal data protection for the period January – February 2023. +
With Decision of the Administrative Council of 14 December 22, the EPO announced an adjustment of official fees
The fees and expenses as revised by the EPO are binding on payments made on or after 1 April 2023. This adjustment comes only one year after the last fee +
Start-up, SME: how to finance your patents with the Pass PI?
A start-up that owns a patent is at least three times more likely to succeed than others (Forbes, 2018). +
EPO celebrates the 50th anniversary of the EPC
The European Patent Convention (EPC) was signed in Munich on October 5, 1973 and entered into force on October 7, 1977 for the following member states: Belgium, Germany, France, Luxembourg, +
Early request for Unitary Patent possible from January 1st, 2023
The European Patent with unitary effect (“Unified Patent”) will be introduced soon. The final missing ratification is expected to be deposited by Germany in December. +
EPO abolishes 10 day “delivery grace period”
1. Under the current EPC system, letters from the EPO are deemed to be delivered to the addressee on the tenth day following its handover to the postal service provider. +
Infringement of the Protected Geographical Indication COGNAC
The INPI recognizes an infringement of the Protected Geographical Indication COGNAC by a trademark claiming eaux de vie benefiting from the geographical indication "Cognac". The COGNAC appellation is protected as a Protected Geographical Indication +
National measures accompanying the implementation of the unitary patent
It is expected that the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA) will enter into force in spring 2023. At the same time the European Union regulation 1257/2012 and 1260/2012 will enter into force +
Systematic top-up search for earlier national rights by the EPO
The EPO will conduct additional searches to determine earlier national rights and further determine their prima facie relevance starting September 1, 2022. The EPO already carries out a search for prior European patent applications, +
EPO welcomes Montenegro as new member state
Montenegro accomplished the final step towards acceding to the European Patent Convention on July 15, 2022, and will thus become the 39th member state of the European Patent Organisation from October 1st, 2022. 1. +
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