Japan and the USA Join the Hague System

Japan and the USA Join the Hague System

The Hague System for the International Registration of Industrial Designs is run by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) and provides a practical and efficient business solution for registering designs in over 64 territories. Furthermore, one single...
New CTM Guidelines

New CTM Guidelines

Another revision is currently underway and further updated Guidelines are expected to be issued in the second half of 2015. The format and structure of the Guidelines has been updated to make it clearer, and the case-law section has been updated. A number of errors...
PCT Direct at the European Patent Office

PCT Direct at the European Patent Office

Background Applicants wishing to obtain patent protection in more than one country have various options for doing so. One strategy is to file a first application at, say, the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) or the European Patent Office (EPO), and then file a...
PCT Direct at the European Patent Office

The Unitary Patent System

Questions When will the Unitary Patent System take effect? This is currently unknown. The system will come into force once the UPC Agreement has been ratified by 13 member states, which must include the UK, Germany and France. At present the “best guess” is mid-2016....