Thursday Titbits

Applied arts under IP LAW: the uncertain Border between Beauty and Usefulness.

All work and no play makes a dull Kat

IP addict looking for a last minute summer holiday? Look no further than the Association Littéraire et Artistique Internationale congress running 14-15 September in Rome. The organisers say: "these two days – focused on Applied Arts and the Law – find their epitome in Fontana di Trevi, just a few steps away from the Congress venue. ALAI Congress proposes to analyze the different forms of protection granted to arts applied to the industry, with reflections on the 3D Technology and its impact on IP paradigms." Registration details here. The event coincides with the 75th anniversary of the Italian Copyright Act, enacted on April 22, 1941, one of the world's longest standing copyright laws

MIP European Patent Reform Forum, taking place in Munich on September 6 and in Paris on September 8.

With apologies for the last minute nature of the invitation: "Managing IP invites IPKat readers to attend the MIP European Patent Reform Forum, taking place on 6 September in Munich at the Charles Hotel and on 8 September in Paris at the Pullman Paris Eiffel Tower Hotel. Members are invited to join over 200+ patent counsel and private practice to discuss the latest in European patent developments and there's even more reason for IP professionals to join the event this year. With a momentous couple of months in the UK post-Brexit, there are of course many questions and concerns from patent owners regarding the introduction of the UPC." Registration is still open - see here.

The present and future of data mining and data sharing in the EU.

Registration is still open for this event at the University of Southampton on 23 September. The aim is to bring together academics, practising lawyers, data scientists and industry actors to explore current and future data mining and data sharing practices in the European Union. More information here.

IP awareness survey

The UK Intellectual Property Office has released its third Intellectual Property Awareness survey. The 2015 report spans a cross section of UK businesses covering all industry sectors and business sizes. This year, researchers posed the same questions to businesses that have engaged with the IPOs outreach program (IP engaged businesses). 66% of the IP engaged respondents had protected some sort of IP (either through a single right or a combination). This compares with 52% for respondents in the wider business population. 28% of firms in the IP engaged community provide staff training on IP. This is 10% for firms responding to the main survey.

United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) launches Cancer Moonshot Challenge

The Cancer Moonshot Challenge aims to enlist the public’s help in leveraging patent data to reveal new insights into cancer research through visualization and interactive mapping. The competition challenges participants to use the Cancer Moonshot Patent Data, a data set of roughly 270,000 cancer-related patent documents, to build meaningful visualizations and analytical tools that can guide public policy and research. The competition will conclude on September 12, 2016, and winners will be announced September 26, 2016. You can find information about how to enter here.

A plea for a German translation of the Bundesgerichtshof decision in on the patentability of methods for detecting a biomarker (FLT3)

Jonathan Liddicoat, Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, writes:

"Earlier this year, the Bundesgerichtshof decided a case on the patentability of methods for detecting a biomarker (FLT3). Although the warm weather has motivated this researcher to stretch his paws out to the wonderful world of German patent law, the language barrier is a little too high to jump. There are a few commentaries on this case in English, but what I really need is an English translation of the whole thing. Readers of the IPKat have a well deserved reputation for depth of knowledge and erudite discussion, but can anyone help me by sending through an English translation of this case? The German version can be found here. Of course, if anyone has expertise in this case, I’d love to chat and potentially collaborate on some work."