EPO vs EU – Can You Patent a GMO Per Se?

EPO vs EU – Can You Patent a GMO Per Se?

Can you patent a genetically modified organism? While Article 53(b) EPC is clear that essentially biological methods of producing an organism, i.e. crossing and selection, are not patentable there has been ongoing debate as to whether the organisms resulting from...
No SPCs for Medical Devices

No SPCs for Medical Devices

The time-consuming and costly regulatory review of new pharmaceuticals led to the Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) system being introduced in 1992. The SPC system is designed to compensate for the shortening in effective patent term that arises from the...