Patent Office meaning

CureVac On 27 March 2025, CureVac announced that the EPO has formally permitted it to retain a revised version of its mRNA technology patent. As of 28 March 2025, the EPO’s full written decision was not yet publicly available. In a statement, Alexander Zehnder, CureVac’s Chief Executive, said the bid to secure the patent is a ‘multi-step process’ in Europe and the US. He added that the ruling is a significant milestone on a journey they expect will result in acknowledgement of CureVac’s substantial contribution to safe and effective COVID-19 vaccines as one of the earliest pioneers of mRNA technology...

Emotional Perception AI Ltd seeks to promote a so-called 'Frankenstein test' that merges the European Patent Office's (EPO) endorsed approach, intended purely to excise certain patentability exclusions obstructing protection for its invention, counsel for the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) told the court on 22 July 2025. Describing it as 'a recipe for disaster', Brian Nicholson KC, acting for the comptroller-general of patents, said on 22 July 2025 that almost every patent case would then have to decipher a new standard from the sheet his learned friend handed round. Emotional Perception aims to obtain a patent for an artificial neural network, or ANN, which offers media recommendations by reference to the 'physical' properties of another song or image, as part of its bid to secure patent protection ultimately...

Dish Technologies Llc (a company incorporated under the laws of the state of Colorado, USA) and another company v Aylo Premium Ltd (a company incorporated under the laws of Cyprus) and other companies; Aylo Premium Ltd (a company incorporated under the laws of Cyprus) and another company v Dish Technologies Llc (a company incorporated under the laws of the state of Colorado, USA) [2024] EWHC 1310 (Pat) What are the practical implications of this case? This ruling clarifies the stance of the UK Patents Court when faced with a request for an accelerated trial timetable in patent matters before it. Under the Practice Statement, the Court endeavours, where feasible, to have patent actions listed for trial within 12 months of issue counted from the date the claim is issued. Listings begin from the current Trial Window publicised by the Chancery Division Listing Office; however, the Court can fix a trial up to one month before that slot without any formal expedition application, provided doing so enables the matter...

For many companies, intellectual property rights (IPRs) constitute an increasingly important and significant asset class. Although contemporary technology firms, pharmaceutical businesses and industrial players are most closely and very commonly linked with holding portfolios rich in IPRs, even the least likely organisations may own rights that are fundamental to them and, without which, they simply could not operate (or do so as effectively or profitably) or would suffer significant loss of value. As a broad category, IPRs are wide-ranging and inherently diverse indeed. According to context, there are, in particular, rights beyond the best known (patents, trade marks and copyright) that may—or may not—be generally regarded strictly as IPRs, such as database rights, websites with their associated domain names, goodwill and contractual rights allied to IPRs. For further detail on the principal types of intellectual property rights an insolvency practitioner as office holder may encounter, see Practice Note: IP right comparison table. Patents, design rights and trade marks depend for their existence and protection on registration (at the...

Understanding the IP portfolio Effective stewardship of an IP portfolio is vital to protect and enhance the worth of a business’s intangible assets. A well-structured portfolio enables right holders to pinpoint and safeguard core assets, advance commercial aims, and limit legal and financial risk. This Practice Note offers practical guidance for UK right holders and their advisers on running an IP portfolio efficiently. It spans legal compliance (keeping rights valid, current and accurately recorded) and strategic management (aligning IP protection with business goals). What is an IP portfolio? An IP portfolio is the collective set of registered and unregistered IP rights an organisation owns, holds under licence or otherwise controls. It functions as both a legal architecture and a commercial asset base that can generate income, attract investment and deliver competitive advantage. Portfolio management involves systematically recording, protecting, monitoring and exploiting these rights to ensure they continue to create strategic value. Types of rights commonly included Patents: inventions, processes, chemical compositions. Protection method:...

ARCHIVED: This Practice Note is archived and not maintained. It was originally prepared for Lexis Practice Advisor®, in the US. What is a patent? Under the US Patent Act 1952 (Patents Act), patents are issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). A patent owner holds a time-limited right to stop others from practising the claimed invention within the United States. The most common form is the utility patent, typically claiming a tangible thing or a set of steps. Design patents protect the ornamental appearance of an article of manufacture. Plant patents safeguard a plant variety produced through grafting, budding, or comparable methods (rather than by seed). Importantly, eligible subject matter must be stated in the patent claim itself; a disclosure in the specification alone is not enough. See Two-Way Media Ltd v Comcast Cable Communs, LLC, 874 F.3d 1329, 1338-1339 (Fed. Cir. Nov. 1, 2017) (not reported by LexisNexis®)...

This AGREEMENT bears the date [ insert date ]. Parties [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with number [ insert registered number ] and with its registered office at ] [ insert address ] ( Assignor ); [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] with number [ insert registered number ] and with its registered office at ] [ insert address ] ( Assignee ) (each of the Assignor and the Assignee constitutes a party and, collectively, the Assignor and the Assignee constitute the parties). BACKGROUND (A) The Assignor is the [ owner of OR applicant for ] the Patents as defined herein. (B) The [ Parties have entered into the Main Agreement as defined herein and the ] Assignor has agreed to assign such Patents to the Assignee, and the Assignee has agreed to accept the assignment in accordance...

This DEED bears the date [ insert date ]. Parties [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ], whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (the Assignor); [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ], whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (the Assignee). Each of the Assignor and the Assignee is a party and, collectively, the Assignor and the Assignee are the parties. BACKGROUND (A) The Assignor is the [ proprietor of OR applicant for ] the Patents as defined herein. (B) The [ Parties have entered into the Main Agreement as defined herein and the ] Assignor has agreed to assign such Patents to the Assignee, and the Assignee has agreed to accept the assignment in accordance with the terms of...

This Agreement is made on [ insert date ] Parties [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ insert jurisdiction, eg England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (the Licensor) [ insert name ] [ of OR a company incorporated in [ insert jurisdiction, eg England and Wales ] under number [ insert registered number ] whose registered office is at ] [ insert address ] (the Licensee) Each of the Licensor and the Licensee constitutes a party, and together the Licensor and the Licensee are the parties. Background The Licensor is the [ owner of OR applicant for ] the Licensed Patents and holds the Licensed Know-How. The Licensor intends to grant the Licensee a licence to exploit the Licensed Patents and the Licensed Know-How, and the Licensee agrees to take that licence subject to, and in accordance...