Thursday Thingies

With Thursday coming to an end, readers are informed about relevant developments in the IP world.

Forthcoming conferences/events/webinars

New events and conferences are added to our Events page continuously, so do not forget to check it out regularly!

Events

Peter Meier-Beck on 10xGenomics v Nanostring: How are novelty and inventive step to be assessed and should the patent claim be construed first? (June 12th, 18:00 – 19:00)

How the patentability of an invention is examined and assessed is primarily determined in Europe by the case law of the EPO Boards of Appeal. However, national courts, in particular UK and German courts, have in some cases developed their own and differing standards. 

Against this background, the lecture will deal in particular with the question of how the Court of Appeal methodically approached the construction of the patent claim by the Local Division, the assessment of the novelty of the subject matter of this claim and the question of whether the invention was obvious to the skilled person.

The event is an in-person event held at UCL’s Faculty of Laws (Bentham House, Endsleigh Gardens, London WC1H 0EG). Participants will also be able to join online. Read more about the event and register here.

Campaigns

Canada is currently consulting on proposed amendments to the Plant Breeders' Rights Regulations (see here), which are an extension of the 2015 amendments to the Plant Breeders' Rights Act.

The amendments are intended to further:

· improve accessibility to the intellectual property framework;

· facilitate the release of foreign bred plant varieties into the marketplace;

· encourage even greater levels of investment and innovation in Canada's agriculture, horticulture, and ornamental sectors.

Any groups or individuals who are interested in provided feedback should read the Proposed amendments to the Plant Breeders' Rights Regulations and send ideas or comments by email by July 12, 2024. Details and contact details here.