23 Feb 2023
EPO announces increase in official fees from 1 April 2023
The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced that the official fee schedule for European patents will be revised from 1 April 2023, resulting in an increase of around 5% on most fees.
Read more21 Feb 2023
Unitary patent (UP) and Unified Patent Court (UPC) will go live on 1 June 2023
Germany has deposited its instrument of ratification and, as such, the Unitary patent and Unified Patent Court will go live on 1 June 2023, with the sunrise period starting on 1 March 2023.
Read more18 Jan 2023
Slingsby Partners continues partnership with Career Ready for a second year
Slingsby Partners has renewed its partnership with Career Ready to continue to provide insight and support for young people through mentoring. Alex, Anna, Ollie and Annabel are each paired with a mentee and will be offering their mentee an introduction to the business world for the next 12 months.
Read more30 Nov 2022
Slingsby Partners presents at the University of Bath Law Society
Slingsby Partners is proud to have sponsored the University of Bath Law Society for the last two years. We have now run three events with the society. This most recent presentation provided an insight into intellectual property (IP) law, and the career options within the industry.
Read more23 Nov 2022
EPO – Oral proceedings by Video Conference
As was widely expected, the EPO have now confirmed that oral proceedings will continue to be held by videoconference from 1 January 2023, except in exceptional circumstances.
Read more14 Jul 2022
Appeal Oral Proceedings by Video Conference
The EPO has reaffirmed that Appeal Board oral proceedings can be held by videoconference despite disagreement from one or both parties during a general emergency. This still appears to be considered a temporary measure until restrictions that have arisen due to the pandemic fully subside.
Read more13 Jul 2022
Slingsby Partners recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 2022
Slingsby Partners LLP is pleased to announce that we have been recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 2022 for UK patent prosecution. The IAM Patent 1000 2022 has the following to say about the firm:
Read more12 Jul 2022
Excluded subject matter at the UK IPO: tips for succeeding in an ex-parte hearing
Last year the UK IPO conducted 56 ex-parte hearings on excluded subject-matter. Only five were decided in favour of the patentee. Slingsby Partners handled three of those successful five – a 100% success rate for our firm. Here we distil the lessons that we learnt from those hearings.
Read more20 May 2022
Does new case law contradict (again) the EPO’s position on description amendments?
The decision in T 1989/18 released earlier this year raised hopes that the EPO’s increasingly onerous stance on description amendments might be due to relax, only for subsequent case law (T 1024/18 and T 0121/20) to affirm the EPO’s current position.
Read more14 Apr 2022
Slingsby Partners engages with design and engineering students at Middlesex University
Slingsby Partners is delighted to have been involved for the second year running in providing pro-bono information and advice for up-and-coming designers and engineers at Middlesex University in relation to intellectual property.
Read more01 Apr 2022
G1/22 and G2/22 – Entitlement to claim priority
Two questions have been referred to the Enlarged Board of Appeal regarding the entitlement to priority of a Euro-PCT application where the PCT application was filed naming different applicants for different contracting states.
Background
Read more09 Mar 2022
EPO Guidelines 2022 – Minimal update re amendment of description
The 2022 EPO Guidelines have been released and have been updated, albeit in a very limited way, to soften slightly the EPO’s position on the requirements surrounding amendment of the description.
Read more07 Feb 2022
Slingsby Partners is excited to partner with Career Ready
Slingsby Partners has partnered with Career Ready to provide mentoring opportunities to young people who may not otherwise have the business connections.
Read more04 Feb 2022
Handling excluded subject matter objections at the UK IPO
There is a general perception that the UK IPO takes a stricter view on excluded subject matter than other patent offices, particularly when it comes to assessing computer implemented inventions and mathematical methods. Last year the UK IPO conducted 56 ex-parte hearings on excluded subject-matter. Only five of these were decided in favour of the patentee.
Read more02 Feb 2022
Amendment of EP descriptions for consistency with claims
It is a well known requirement that the description of an EP patent specification should be in line with the language of the claims, that is the description should not contain statements that are contrary to the claims or might render the claims unclear in any way.
Read more18 Jan 2022
Is this the end to AI as an inventor?
The EPO Legal Board of Appeal recently issued its decision in the appeal in the DABUS cases (J8/20 and 9/20) and confirmed the earlier decisions from the Receiving section of the EPO, meaning that the two EP applications have been refused.
07 Dec 2021
English Courts continue to exercise jurisdiction over global FRAND cases
In August 2020 the Supreme Court affirmed the UK courts’ jurisdiction to determine global FRAND licences in Standard Essential Patent cases (Unwired Planet v Huawei, and Conversant v Huawei & ZTE). The Supreme Court did not claim that that jurisdiction was an exclusive one.
Read more05 Nov 2021
Slingsby Partners Recommended by The Legal 500
We are delighted to be listed as one of the UK’s leading patent firms in the 2022 edition of the Legal 500.
02 Mar 2021
CIPA Webinars
Slingsby Partners’ Director of Practice Operations, Charlotte Knight, and Senior Paralegal, Emma Norris, have held three webinars for the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) on formal aspects of filing patent applications at the US Patent Office.
Read more18 Jun 2020
Slingsby Partners included in the FT's list of Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2020
Slingsby Partners LLP is pleased to announce that they have been included in the FT's list of Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2020. This listing of Europe’s leading patent law firms is based on recommendations by clients and peers.
The full listing can be found here.
18 Jun 2020
Slingsby Partners recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 2020
Slingsby Partners LLP is pleased to announce that they have been recommended in the IAM Patent 1000 2020 for UK patent prosecution. The IAM Patent 1000 2020 has the following to say about the firm:
Read more14 Apr 2020
Technetix V Telestre: Equivalence and "The Gillette Defence"
One of the questions that has preoccupied patent pundits since the Supreme Court first introduced a doctrine of equivalents into the UK patent system in Actavis v Eli Lilly ([2017] UKSC 48) is the fact of the so-called "Gillette Defence". Is it still a defence against patent infringement to do something which differs from the prior art only in non-patentable ways?
Read more14 Apr 2020
Regen V Estar: Applying Actavis To Numerical Limitations
The Supreme Court introduced a doctrine of equivalents into the UK patent infringement system for the first time in Actavis v Eli Lilly ([2017] UKSC 48). Regen v Estar ([2019] EWHC 63) applied this new approach to a claimed numerical limitation.
Read more14 Apr 2020
Amazon sets up simple patent infringement system
Amazon has introduced a trial system to combat patent infringement on its platform. A patentee who believes that a product for sale on the Amazon Marketplace infringes its patent can request an evaluation by paying a deposit of $4000.
Read more19 Jun 2019
Regen V Estar: Applying Actavis To Numerical Limitations
The Supreme Court introduced a doctrine of equivalents into the UK patent infringement system for the first time in Actavis v Eli Lilly ([2017] UKSC 48). Regen v Estar ([2019] EWHC 63) applied this new approach to a claimed numerical limitation.
Read more03 Jun 2019
Technetix v Telestre: Equivalence and “The Gillette Defence”
One of the questions that has preoccupied patent pundits since the Supreme Court first introduced a doctrine of equivalents into the UK patent system in Actavis v Eli Lilly ([2017] UKSC 48) is the fate of the so-called “Gillette Defence”. Is it still a defence against patent infringement to do something which differs from the prior art only in non-patentable ways?
Read more14 Apr 2019
IAM Patent 1000
Slingsby Partners is a prosecution boutique whose sole focus is on patents. Superb at drafting bespoke applications to fit any engineering, electronic or physical sciences invention, it eschews a 'cookie-cutter' approach in favour of targeted, commercially sensitive advice.
Read more20 May 2018
Official fee changes – April 2018
Both the EPO and the UK IPO have modified their fees from this April. The EPO has attempted to reduce the cost burden to applicants, notably avoiding inflationary increases. This is good news.
Read more13 Jul 2016
EPO confirms Brexit will not affect European patents
The European Patent Office has confirmed that the outcome of the UK referendum on 23 June does not affect the status of European patents in respect of the UK. The UK will remain a member of the European Patent Organisation, and our firm will continue to be able to represent you and your clients before the European Patent Office in all pre- and post-grant proceedings.
Read more03 Jun 2016
Slingsby Partners IP events in Cambridge
Slingsby Partners is bringing its IP expertise to St John’s Innovation Centre in Cambridge on 4th July 2014 with two free events:
● an intellectual property talk for start-ups and SMEs; and
● a patent advice clinic.
Practical Intellectual Property: Protecting Ideas and Securing Investment
Read more26 Mar 2016
UPC preparatory committee decides on court fees
The Preparatory Committee for the Unified Patent Court has today announced its long-awaited decision on the costs to patentees associated with using the Unified Patent Court. The provisions would seem to work in favour of genuine claimants, especially small ones, whilst sending a warning shot across the bows of any vexatious litigants.
Read more10 Mar 2016
Case Closed: Trunki Sent Packing by the Supreme Court
PMS International Group Plc (Respondent) v Magmatic Limited (Appellant) [2016] UKSC 12
Read more23 Oct 2015
UK Government consultation into proposed changes to the UK patent box
Yesterday the UK Government opened a consultation into proposed changes to the UK patent box. Responses are due by 4 December 2015.
Read more16 Sep 2015
Slingsby Partners recommended in the UK Legal 500 2015
Slingsby Partners LLP are pleased to announce that they have been recommended in the UK Legal 500 2015. The UK Legal 500 2015 has the following to say about the firm:
Read more08 Jun 2015
MedTech Seminar: Protecting Your IP and Securing Investment
As part of London Technology Week, Slingsby Partners LLP, a Legal 500 recommended firm of patent attorneys, will be presenting a free seminar on medical technologies for startups and SMEs.
Read more30 May 2014
London Technology Week 2014
Slingsby Partners is bringing its IP expertise to London Technology Week by offering a series of free patent advice clinics. Each one hour clinic provides an opportunity to receive pragmatic and commercially-minded advice from our team of patent attorneys on any aspect of intellectual property.
We have particular expertise working with start-ups and SMEs to:
Read more17 Mar 2014
Set-Back For IPCom’s Enforcement Efforts In Germany
Two different chambers of the Mannheim Regional Court have just delivered a significant blow to patent licensing firm IPCom. The court found that Apple and HTC do not infringe patents from an IPCom patent family by implementing the 3G/UMTS standard.
Read more13 Feb 2014
Federal Circuit confirms prosecution history estoppel applies to US design patents
Pacific Coast Marine Windshields, Ltd. v. Malibu Boats, LLC (Fed. Cir. 2014)
In a case which has significant implications for design filing strategies, the US Federal Circuit confirmed that the principle of prosecution history estoppel applies to design patents.
Read more22 Nov 2013
US Litigation Reform Comes Closer
The Innovation Act is an attempt to deal with perceived abuses of the patent system in the US. It is designed to discourage frivolous and abusive patent litigation. The bill was introduced in October and has bipartisan support.
Read more30 Oct 2013
Number of UK UPC Local Divisions dependent on method of counting UK patent cases
A study by Powell Gilbert [1] has revealed that if patent cases were counted in the same way as in Germany the UK could be entitled to as many as four local divisions of the UPC. Earlier estimates [2] of the number of patent cases in the UK would have meant that the UK would have been entitled to only one local division.
Read more18 Oct 2013
EPO to reverse restrictive stance on the filing of divisional applications
In an eagerly awaited meeting of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation on 16th October, it was agreed that the controversial amendments made in 2010 to the rules governing the filing of divisional patent applications would be reversed and applicants would once again be allowed to file divisional applications at any point up to grant of the parent application [i].
Read more29 Aug 2013
Update on New Proposals for “Superfast” Patents
In a previous article, we reported that the UKIPO has outlined its initial plans for introducing a “superfast” patent application procedure which could see patents being granted in just 90 days. However, the “superfast” service is likely to come at a substantial cost, which is being proposed to be around £3500-£4000.
Read more03 Jul 2013
Clothing abstract ideas in computer language does not make them eligible for a US patent
CLS Bank v Alice Corp.
On 10 May 2013, the Federal Circuit released an en banc decision [i] about the eligibility of Alice Corp’s computer-implemented inventions under 35 U.S.C. 101. At issue was whether the claims are excluded from eligibility for being drawn to an “abstract idea”.
Read more19 Jun 2013
European Commission objects to potential misuse of standard-essential patents
On 6 May 2013 the European Commission (EC) gave its preliminary view[i] that Motorola Mobility’s seeking and enforcing of an injunction on the basis of its standard-essential patents (SEPs) was an abuse of a dominant position and thus prohibited by EU competition law.
Read more18 Jun 2013
Guidelines for Determining RAND Royalty Rates for Standard Essential Patents
In Microsoft v. Motorola, the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington became the first US court to set fair, reasonable and non-discriminatory (FRAND or RAND) licencing terms for standard-essential patents (SEPs). The 207 page opinion[i] attempts to establish guidelines for the interpretation of RAND licencing of SEPs.
Read more17 Jun 2013
Patent Troll Attacks on the Increase
In 2012 an astonishing 62% of all patent lawsuits in the United States were filed by Patent Assertion Entities (PAEs) or “patent trolls”. According to a survey of 116 in-house United States lawyers by Santa Clara University[i], 82% of companies surveyed said their customers had received PAE demands for using or implementing their products.
Read more13 Jun 2013
New Proposals for “Superfast” Patents
Published:13 June 2013
The UKIPO has outlined its initial plans for introducing a “superfast” patent application procedure which could see patents being granted in just 90 days. However, the “superfast” service is likely to come at a substantial cost, which is being proposed to be around £3500-£4000.
Read more08 Jun 2013
London Technology Week 2015
Free advice clinics during London Technology Week 2015
Read more04 Apr 2013
USPTO to trial new Glossary Pilot Program
The USPTO is to trial a new Glossary Pilot Program [1] that will offer expedited prosecution of patent applications that have an appropriate glossary of terms included within the specification. The trial is due to begin on 2 June 2014 and will last for an initial duration of six months, or until the USPTO accepts 200 grantable petitions under the program, whichever occurs first.
Read more28 Jan 2013
Patent Grace Periods Around the World
Ordinarily, a public disclosure of an invention prior to a patent application being filed would count against the patent application because the prior disclosure would mean the invention is not novel at the time of filing.
Read more