Can an invention whose manufacture, sale or use is illegal still qualify for patent protection? It is a question that surprises many people, because the answer is less straightforward than you might expect. Under European patent law, illegality does not automatically preclude an invention from being patentable.
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What makes the difference between a successful exit and a missed opportunity? An important lesson from Frits Schut, patent attorney at IP firm V.O. Patents & Trademarks: “A stack of patents does not make a strong company. Intellectual property is not something you have, but something you do.” Companies would be well advised to make IP a structural part of their day-to-day operations long before an acquisition.
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On Thursday 2 July, the twelfth edition of the Gerard & Anton Awards ceremony took place at the High Tech Campus Eindhoven. These awards are named after Gerard and Anton Philips, the founders of Eindhoven’s tech industry, and are presented to the 10 most promising startups in the Brainport region.
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With the introduction of the European patent with unitary effect (unitary patent or UP), patent holders now have access to new strategic tools. One of these is the license of right (LoR). What does such a declaration entail, and what advantages and disadvantages can it have for the protection of your intellectual property?
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Visitors to the V.O. website may already have noticed that it has recently been expanded with a new section: Case Law Clarity. With this addition, the website responds to the growing need for clear and consistent explanations of complex legal developments in patent law.
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Copyright protects how software is written. Trade secrets protect what stays hidden. Neither protects what usually matters most, what the software actually does. That is the gap patents are built to fill, and the European rules for filling it are more workable than their reputation suggests.
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We are proud to announce the formation of a new European intellectual property group together with De Vries & Metman, Ström & Gulliksson and Knijff Trademark Attorneys. The new group brings together four leading Tier-1 IP firms to become the leading IP firm in Europe. The initiative is driven by a shared vision: combining the strengths of independent, partner-led firms while preserving the local expertise, entrepreneurial culture and personal relationships that clients value.
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Earlier this year, the Council of Ministers of the Kingdom approved a proposal to modernize the Dutch Patent Act (Rijksoctrooiwet). The legislative proposal is currently with the Council of State for advisory review and will subsequently be discussed in the House of Representatives and the Senate. The proposed changes may affect your patent strategy. In this article, we explain the key changes and what they could mean for you.
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Annelies de Bosch Kemper-de Hilster, Head of Legal at V.O., explains why trade secrets play an important role within organizations.
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On Thursday 4 June, the exciting finale of the TU Delft Impact Contest took place, an event that V.O. sponsors every year. The firm serves as a judge in the 'Ideation' category. In addition, Henri van Kalkeren presented the V.O. Patents & Trademarks Award to Biodetect Diapers.
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