Posts in International

EPO Applications Up 4%, Led by Digital Communication and Computer Technology, 5.5% Rise in U.S. Applicants

Patent applications filed at the European Patent Office (EPO) rose 4% to 181,406 in 2019, driven by substantial increases from Chinese, Korean and U.S. applicants, according to a report published by the Office yesterday. The United States was the number one country of residence of applicants, with 46,201 applications—a rise of 5.5%. This accounted for 25% of all European patent applications. The U.S. was followed by Germany and Japan. Applications from the People’s Republic of China increased by 29.2% to 12,247 putting the country in fourth place, while those from the Republic of Korea grew by 14.1%.

European Union and Russian Approaches to Registering Cannabis Trademarks

Recent case law demonstrates that judicial bodies in the European Union and Russia have taken the stance that cannabis signs and slogans are not acceptable as trademarks as they are contrary to public interest. While the EU Courts are likely to evolve more rapidly on this issue in the near future, for now the position in both the EU and Russia is clear. The interests of the business community must be protected by governments in all countries, and business initiatives should be welcomed. But when weighing the physical and mental health of society on the one hand and business interests on the other, the priority must be the former.

United States Welcomes Tang’s Nomination as WIPO Director General

U.S. Government officials have congratulated Daren Tang on his nomination as WIPO Director General. As reported by IPWatchdog yesterday, Tang was nominated to the post by the WIPO Coordination Committee at a vote in Geneva. The nomination is expected to be confirmed by the WIPO General Assembly when it meets on May 7-8, 2020. Tang will then succeed Francis Gurry on October 1, 2020. According to reports from Geneva, Tang won after two rounds of voting. He led the first round with 37 votes out of the 83 members of the Coordination Committee, with the Chinese candidate, Wang Binying, in second place with 19. Tang then secured a clear victory in the second round, with 55 votes to Wang’s 28.

UK Rules Out Participation in Unified Patent Court, Defines Priorities for FTAs

The UK Government has confirmed that the country will not be part of the planned Unified Patent Court (UPC). The decision was revealed in a statement sent by a government spokesperson to IAM Magazine on February 27, after it had been hinted at in an electronic mailing distributed by a trade association and shared on social media. This represents a reversal of policy, since the UK ratified the UPC Agreement in April 2018. Ironically, the minister who signed the ratification was the then Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson. He is now the Prime Minister. However, the change was expected after the government published its approach to negotiations on the future relationship with the EU earlier on February 27. This document explicitly ruled out “any jurisdiction” for the Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) in the UK.

Singapore’s Daren Tang to Succeed Gurry as Next WIPO Director General

Daren Tang has been elected to be the next WIPO Director General, succeeding Francis Gurry. Tang is currently the Chief Executive of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS). He has served in this capacity since 2015. Prior to that he was Deputy Chief Executive and Chief Legal Counsel for IPOS and Senior State Counsel, International Affairs Division at the Singapore Attorney-General’s Chambers. He also has served as Chairperson for WIPO’s Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights.

Cybersecurity: What You Need to Know and Do to Avoid a Breach

We are fast approaching the second anniversary of the enactment of the European Union General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), yet businesses are still dragging their heels when it comes to cybersecurity. A recent report by insurance firm Gallagher found that 82% of UK businesses do not have specialist insurance in place to indemnify them for the cost and impact of a cyber-attack. Midsize businesses were found to be particularly exposed, with nearly half (46%) believing that cyber-attacks are “mainly an issue for bigger organisations”. Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Any business, no matter its size, can fall victim to a data breach and find itself dealing with a reputational and financial crisis.