On the afternoon of November 14, Watson & Band invited patent attorney from the world renowned German law firm – Grünecker, as well as examiners from the European Patent Office (the “EPO”), to present a lecture on the latest developments in the EPO and other related topics. Representatives from clients’ companies who signed up beforehand and our patent attorneys, in a total number of over 30, attended the lecture.

First of all, the EPO examiners shared information and developments in the follow aspects:

-General conditions of the EPO;

-Origins of European patent applications;

-European patent system extending beyond Europe;

-EPO examiners and their practice conditions;

-Requests and pathways to accelerate the patent examination at the EPO;

-EPO Guidelines for Computer Implemented Invention patents.

Then Thomas Schuster, German and EU patent attorney from Grünecker, shared a comparison (including pros and cons) between inventions and utility models in terms of patent infringement litigation, based on the patent law practice inGermany. Such differences involved the procedures for the application of preliminary injunctions at trade fairs and the ordinary court cases inGermany.

In addition to the latest developments in the EPO patent examination process, the lecture also provided the clients’ patent managers and our patent attorneys with new perspectives and breakthrough ideas. The lecture was well received among the attendees.