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New EPO sanctions against Russia
Anthony Judd - December 18, 2024

New EPO sanctions against Russia

As reported here, in late June 2024 the European Union (EU) extended their package of sanctions in ...

Claim Requests found Inadmissible in EPO Appeal Proceedings: What Can Proprietors Do?
Rebecca Tollervey - October 28, 2024

Claim Requests found Inadmissible in EPO Appeal Proceedings: What Can Proprietors Do?

Since the EPO’s Rule of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (RPBA) were revised in 2020, parties have ...

Most opposed medical device companies at the EPO 2023
Tom Furnival - October 8, 2024

Most opposed medical device companies at the EPO 2023

Following on from our recent post on the Most Opposed Companies at the EPO 2023 we’ve broken that ...

Most opposed companies at the EPO 2023
Katherine Green - September 17, 2024

Most opposed companies at the EPO 2023

The European Patent Office grants about 100,000 patents per year (EPO Statistics here). The grant ...

Preparing your patent for success in EPO opposition proceedings
Emily Hayes - September 6, 2024

Preparing your patent for success in EPO opposition proceedings

Emily Hayes shares five simple prosecution tips to strengthen EP patents, ensuring they are in the ...

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions
Alex Galbraith - September 4, 2024

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions

We really are experts when it comes to opposing patents and our enviable success rate speaks for ...

Most opposed patents of 2023
Katherine Green - February 2, 2024

Most opposed patents of 2023

Multiple sclerosis therapies are the subject of two of the most opposed patents of 2023. Novartis’ ...

Amended Rules of Procedure of the EPO Boards of Appeal are coming into force on 1 January 2024
Emily Hayes - December 20, 2023

Amended Rules of Procedure of the EPO Boards of Appeal are coming into force on 1 January 2024

The EPO Boards of Appeal have now published their amended Rules of Procedure and these will be ...

EPO will accelerate oppositions when there are parallel UPC infringement or revocation proceedings
Lucy Coe - December 4, 2023

EPO will accelerate oppositions when there are parallel UPC infringement or revocation proceedings

The EPO have announced in the November 2023 Official Journal that they will accelerate opposition ...

Practical tips for EPO appeal proceedings under the new, stricter rules: 5 key takeaways from a recent EPO conference
Sean Constable - November 30, 2023

Practical tips for EPO appeal proceedings under the new, stricter rules: 5 key takeaways from a recent EPO conference

In 2020 the EPO revised the rules that govern the procedure at the EPO Boards of Appeal. As we ...

Most opposed patents of 2022
Katherine Green - November 13, 2023

Most opposed patents of 2022

As with CRISPR, patents directed to Nobel Prize-winning technologies are viewed as extremely ...

Opposition and examination oral proceedings by videoconference (ViCo) now as standard
Jonathan Wills - November 23, 2022

Opposition and examination oral proceedings by videoconference (ViCo) now as standard

In response to the significant travel restrictions that were in place across Europe during the ...

Positive feedback on oral proceedings in oppositions carried out by videoconference
Simon Kiddle - November 16, 2022

Positive feedback on oral proceedings in oppositions carried out by videoconference

In September, the EPO commissioned a survey about their opposition procedure, in particular asking ...

Eight days – the longest ever opposition hearing at the EPO?
Katherine Green - November 7, 2022

Eight days – the longest ever opposition hearing at the EPO?

The EPO Opposition Division just issued its decision on European Patent 2 188 302 following an ...

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions
Emily Hayes - August 5, 2022

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions

We really are experts when it comes to opposing patents and our enviable success rate speaks for ...

Most opposed patents of 2021
Katherine Green - July 28, 2022

Most opposed patents of 2021

When we reviewed our list of the most opposed European patents of 2021, we found that the patent at ...

EPO extends pilot for oral proceedings in opposition by videoconference to 31 December 2022
Emily Hayes - April 7, 2022

EPO extends pilot for oral proceedings in opposition by videoconference to 31 December 2022

On 6 April 2022, the EPO issued a notice extending its pilot project for conducting oral ...

A guide to EPO opposition proceedings by videoconference
Katherine Green - January 26, 2022

A guide to EPO opposition proceedings by videoconference

EPO oppositions by videoconference only became possible relatively recently, in April 2020. In 2021 ...

EPO extends pilot for oral proceedings in opposition by videoconference to 31 May 2022
Emily Hayes - November 24, 2021

EPO extends pilot for oral proceedings in opposition by videoconference to 31 May 2022

On 23 November 2021, the EPO issued a notice extending its pilot project for conducting oral ...

Videoconference oral proceedings: Enlarged Board of Appeal issues reasons for its decision in G 1/21
Emily Hayes - October 29, 2021

Videoconference oral proceedings: Enlarged Board of Appeal issues reasons for its decision in G 1/21

The Enlarged Board has now issued its full written decision in G 1/21 relating to videoconference ...

Most opposed patents of 2020
Katherine Green - September 6, 2021

Most opposed patents of 2020

Every year at the EPO about 3000-4000 patents are opposed. This figure represents only about 3-4% ...

Board of Appeal oral proceedings may be held by videoconference (ViCo) in an emergency
Emily Hayes - July 21, 2021

Board of Appeal oral proceedings may be held by videoconference (ViCo) in an emergency

On 16 July 2021, the Enlarged Board of Appeal confirmed that Board of Appeal oral proceedings may ...

Videoconference Oral Proceedings for EPO Oppositions – an Update
Christopher Casley - November 13, 2020

Videoconference Oral Proceedings for EPO Oppositions – an Update

The EPO has announced changes to the Pilot Project for Video Conference (ViCo) Oral Proceedings ...

EPO Zooming to catch-up
Christopher Casley - November 13, 2020

EPO Zooming to catch-up

UPDATE 6 APRIL 2022: On 6 April 2022, the EPO issued a notice extending its pilot project for ...

Most Opposed Patents of 2019
Katherine Green - August 21, 2020

Most Opposed Patents of 2019

The four thousand or so European patents that are opposed every year represent only about 3% of all ...

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped clear a new path to patenting dosage regimes
Simon Kiddle - August 20, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped clear a new path to patenting dosage regimes

Case 10 – T 1020/03 (EPO Board of Appeal, 29 October 2004)

Oppositions & Appeals: novelty of a patient sub-population
Seán Walton - July 24, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: novelty of a patient sub-population

Case 9 – T 734/12 (EPO Board of Appeal, 17 May 2013)

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped determine the meaning of “surgery”
Simon Kiddle - June 29, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: we helped determine the meaning of “surgery”

Case 8 – T 1695/07 (EPO Board of Appeal, 28 September 2011)

Oppositions & Appeals: We helped shape the debate on medical use claim patentability
Simon Kiddle - May 18, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We helped shape the debate on medical use claim patentability

Case 7 – T 879/12 (EPO Board of Appeal, 27 August 2014)

Oppositions & Appeals: We moved the conversation on animal involvement
Simon Kiddle - April 27, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We moved the conversation on animal involvement

Case 6 – T 1262/04 (EPO Board of Appeal, 13 July 2012)

Oppositions & Appeals: We set the standard for the strawman
Seán Walton - March 12, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We set the standard for the strawman

Case 5 - T 649/92 (EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal, 2 July 1996)

EPO streamlining: the opposition timeline tightens
Katherine Green - February 24, 2020

EPO streamlining: the opposition timeline tightens

Our analysis of patent oppositions has revealed that early action has become imperative for ...

Oppositions & Appeals: we opened the door for different types of data to support a medical use 
Richard Clegg - February 12, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: we opened the door for different types of data to support a medical use 

Case 4 - T 801/06 (EPO Board of Appeal, 4 March 2009)

Oppositions & Appeals: We made the case for a new technical effect
Simon Kiddle - January 29, 2020

Oppositions & Appeals: We made the case for a new technical effect

Case 3 - T 1642/06 (EPO Board of Appeal, 23 August 2007)

Meet the team: Richard Clegg, Partner, European Patent Attorney, Patent Attorney Litigator
Richard Clegg - November 15, 2019

Meet the team: Richard Clegg, Partner, European Patent Attorney, Patent Attorney Litigator

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Richard Clegg about his journey to becoming a ...

New report launched: EPO Opposition Trends in the Life Sciences Sector
Maria Hall - November 14, 2019

New report launched: EPO Opposition Trends in the Life Sciences Sector

Our new research has revealed several recent patterns regarding the European Patent Office ...

EPO oppositions: Nine key questions answered
Katherine Green - November 14, 2019

EPO oppositions: Nine key questions answered

Mewburn Ellis has dug deep into a decade of EPO life sciences' decisions to discover fresh insights ...

Meet the team: Chris Denison, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Chris Denison - November 12, 2019

Meet the team: Chris Denison, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Chris Denison about his journey to becoming a ...

Oppositions a case to remember: we forced a fuller view of technical features
Seán Walton - November 11, 2019

Oppositions a case to remember: we forced a fuller view of technical features

Case 1 – T 1859/08 ( EPO Board of Appeal, 5 June 2016)

Meet The Team: Simon Kiddle, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Simon Kiddle - November 8, 2019

Meet The Team: Simon Kiddle, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Simon Kiddle about his journey to becoming a ...

Meet The Team: Katherine Green, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Katherine Green - November 5, 2019

Meet The Team: Katherine Green, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Katherine Green about her journey to becoming a ...

Oppositions - a case to remember. Flexibility around added matter
Katherine Green - October 30, 2019

Oppositions - a case to remember. Flexibility around added matter

Case 2 – T 0099/13 (EPO Board of Appeal, 14 January 2016)

Meet The Team: Emily Hayes, Partner, European Patent Attorney
Emily Hayes - October 28, 2019

Meet The Team: Emily Hayes, Partner, European Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Emily Hayes about her journey to becoming a ...

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