Your U.S. Patent Might End Up in a German Court (Yes, Really)
January 23, 2026
When U.S. Patent Disputes Go Global If you’re an inventor or a patent owner, you probably have a simple mental map of how patents work:
Getty v. Stability AI: A Win for AI—But Don’t Pop the Champagne Yet
December 29, 2025
The UK High Court has finally weighed in on generative AI and copyright, and if you’re an AI developer, the decision probably felt like a
Patentees in Indonesia: Don’t Forget Your 31 December 2025 Statement of Working
December 16, 2025
If you hold a patent in Indonesia, this is your annual wake-up call: the Statement of Working (SOW) is due 31 December 2025. This isn’t
China Finally Gets Serious About Fair Play in the Marketplace
August 25, 2025
Why China’s Revised Anti-Unfair Competition Law Is a Big Deal For years, China’s business environment has been a bit like the Wild West—only with more
IP Updates in Korea
June 17, 2025
Export may constitute infringement Korea has added exporting an invention to the list of what constitutes “practicing an invention”. This means patent holders can claim
Revised Policy on Same-Day Dual Filings in China: Invention and Utility Model Applications
June 12, 2025
China’s Two Patent Model Types There are two types of patent protection in China: invention and utility model patents. Invention patents are similar to the
Update on the European Unitary Patent – Coming April 1, 2023
December 6, 2022
What is the European Unitary Patent? The new European Unitary Patent (UP) system is now coming into effect on April 1, 2023 for 17 EU
The European Unitary Patent – Coming Soon
August 11, 2022
A New European Unitary Patent System A new European Unitary Patent (UP) system is expected to come into effect in the second half of 2022.
Update on the Chinese Foreign Filing License Requirement: Was Your Invention Developed in China?
May 26, 2022
Understanding China’s Foreign Filing License Requirement When an invention is developed in China, Chinese Patent Law requires applicants to obtain a foreign filing license before
European Unified Patents Update
February 22, 2022
Ratification of the Unified Patent Court Protocol We posted an update in November 2021. All 13 countries have now ratified the Protocol on Provisional Application
Patent Eligibility of Blockchain Inventions
December 3, 2021
The Australian Patent Office recently handed down a decision clarifying the patent eligibility of blockchain inventions, at least so far as Australian law is concerned.
Unitary Patent in Europe
November 16, 2021
Efforts Toward a Unified European Patent System Since the 1970s, there have been attempts to replace individual European country patents with a unified patent covering
Trademark Registration Protection in the US and Canada
November 9, 2021
The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) has determined that registration of a trademark is a complete defense against claims for infringement and passing off. Travelway,
Good News – Chinese Trademark Office Starting to Enforce Against Squatters
September 8, 2021
Surge in Trademark Squatting After the Tokyo Olympics In the wake of Chinese athletes’ excellent performance at the Tokyo Olympic Games, trademark squatting surged. Applicants
Australian Design Patent Statute Amendment
September 3, 2021
The Designs Amendment Bill 2020 passed both houses in Australia on August 30 and is now waiting Royal Assent. This bill introduces a 12-month grace
China implements stronger punitive damages
August 19, 2021
Recent Changes to China’s IP Legal System China has recently made some changes to the legal system. Intentional and serious intellectual property infringement will now
Patent Prosecution Highway- Phase II
January 13, 2021
Brazil Approves Phase II of its PPH Program The Brazilian IP Office (Instituto Nacional de Propriedade Industrial – INPI) approved phase II of its Patent
The Inventive Step in Chinese Patent Law
December 29, 2020
China is becoming an increasingly attractive patent filing destination for foreign companies. But foreign counsels are often confused by the country’s inventive step requirement. Chinese
Standards Essential Patents
August 26, 2020
What are Standards Essential Patents? Standards Essential Patents (SEPs) cover technological inventions necessary to satisfy a technical standard. Think, for example, of MP3 music compression
FRAND (Fair Reasonable And Non-Discriminatory licensing)
July 29, 2020
In May, the German Federal Court of Justice recently issued a landmark, 41-page decision that could well make Germany the “go-to” venue for patent owners
Indian IP Office Extends Deadlines
July 23, 2020
The Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks (The Indian IP Office) has extended all trademark deadlines until further notice.