Dr Julian Potter

The EPO is due to increase its fees on 1st April, 2024. There are some large increases planned in relation to renewal fees, particularly the third- and fourth-year renewal fees that are to increase by approximately 30%.

Artificial Intelligence In a long-running dispute centred around whether DABUS, an Artificial Intelligence(AI)-based creativity machine, can be named as an inventor of two GB patents, the UK Supreme Court finally issued the long-awaited decision. Dr Stephen Thaler, the creator and owner of DABUS has ultimately failed in his landmark bid to register two GB patent…

With the new Unified Patent Court (UPC) due to commence operations from 1st June 2023, and unitary patents to become available for the first time, the current sunrise period is approaching its end.  To allow for centralised updates to the on-line case management system prior to the UPC entering into force, it was confirmed yesterday…

After over 40 years in gestation, the long-awaited EU Unitary Patent package is coming into force soon. This entails: • A Unitary Patent (UP) that will cover the European Union member countries that have ratified the Unitary Patent Agreement (applicants can obtain the UP by filing a request at the European Patent Office, the EPO).…

Recently, 1 March 2023, the EPO published its updated EPC and PCT-EPC Guidelines for Examination. They have been available to preview for the last month but have now officially entered into force. Should you wish to see the changes that have been made since the 2022 Guidelines, PDF versions of both sets of Guidelines are…