The Unified Patent Court Announces Judicial Appointments
The Unified Patent Court (UPC) has announced the appointment of 85 judges to the court, as well as announcing the composition of the UPC’s Presidium following election.The court will be led by Mr Klaus Grabinski as President of the Court of Appeal and Ms Florence Butin as President of the Court of First Instance. The […]
Implications for FRAND royalty rate determination of the Updated IEEE IPR Policy
The Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) has announced a change to its IPR policy in relation to standards which will take effect from 1st January 2023. The changes relate to Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) which patentees agree to license to downstream innovators on a fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND) basis. These changes hold […]
Meta to pay almost $175M for patent infringement – How are Damage Calculations reached?
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has been ordered to pay almost $175 million having been found to have infringed patents belonging to Voxer. The ruling follows a two-year legal battle between the companies with echoes of David and Goliath relating to communications technologies patented by Voxer used in Meta’s Facebook Live and […]
The mini-budget: its implications for Intellectual Property Management and IP Valuation
As other commentators have already noted, the ‘mini-budget’ delivered by new Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng on Friday (23/09) was anything but mini, carrying £45 billion in tax cuts across a range of instruments. Innovation was a phrase that appeared several times in his speech to the House and, whilst much analysis has already been produced following […]
A valuation perspective on the FRAND injunction issued in Unwired Planet vs Huawei
Dr. Ghafele’s paper, ‘A valuation perspective on the FRAND injunction issued in Unwired Planet vs Huawei’ has now been published. The paper can be read at: https://authors.elsevier.com/a/1fgzpdA7TeK1b. Abstract: On August 26, 2020 the UK Supreme issued a landmark decision in the matter of Unwired Planet vs Huawei. The decision revolutionised the debate on standard essential […]
In Memoriam: Queen Elizabeth II
OxFirst joins the nation, the Commonwealth, and the world in mourning the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Her era-defining reign was characterised by devoted public service and absolute dedication to the United Kingdom. Through official activities, charitable works, moments of great national celebration and great sorrow, she has remained a fixture of our […]
Thaler -v- Comptroller – A patent valuation perspective on Non-Human Inventions
The UK’s Supreme Court will consider the appeal of Stephen Thaler in the case of ‘Thaler -v- Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks’. The case centres on the question of whether a non-human can own IP. It is a question that has been asked before: between 2011 and 2018 a series of (frankly humorous) […]
Moderna sues Pfizer-BioNTech for patent infringement of Covid vaccines
In a significant step, Moderna will sue Pfizer-BioNTech for patent infringement of mRNA technology used in both companies’ incredibly successful COVID-19vaccines. Courts in Massachusetts and Düsseldorf will determine if Pfizer’s product infringes on Moderna’s patented technology underpinning the mRNA platform used in both vaccines. Moderna alleges infringement in relation to both the chemical modifications made […]
Review of the Consultation of the UKIPO on Standard Essential Patents
Standard Essential Patents and Innovation: Call for views The Intellectual Property Office of the UK (UKIPO) has recently released a landmark report assessing the efficiency of the existing regulatory framework for Standard Essential Patents (SEPs) in the UK. The report is the result of a 12-week consultation process which took place between the end of […]
Coming to Grips with Patents and Tobacco Harm Reduction
Why developing countries are woefully short of tobacco harm reduction patent protection? Originally published on IP Kat. Says Neil Wilkoff: Kat friend Roya Ghafele offers a challenging analysis of why (the lack of) IP protection for harm reduction technologies is contributing to the rise of smoking in the developing world. Though global public health governance […]