News: Uncategorized
Startups drop IP according to startup survey
By AWA Editor | Posted on July 5, 2017
During the spring, Awapatent has interviewed 40 startups in the life science and IT sectors at Sweden’s 10 biggest incubators about the protection of their ideas and innovations. It turned out that 55‒60% of the entrepreneurs in the survey do not have any protection at all. And the same amount also say that they do...
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Global Innovation Index: Netherlands now in top 3
By AWA Editor | Posted on June 16, 2017
For the seventh consecutive year, Switzerland is ranked the World’s Most Innovative Country in WIPO’s Global Innovation Index 2017. It is followed by Sweden in second place and the Netherlands in third. Ireland and Finland down in comparison to the 2016 rankings whereas Netherlands and Denmark have moved up the list. The same ten countries...
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Hong Kong the world’s top competitive country
By AWA Editor | Posted on June 7, 2017
Hong Kong has been selected the world’s most competitive country for the second consecutive year. It is closely followed by Switzerland and Singapore in the annual ranking compiled by IMD World Competitiveness Center. The US came in fourth place, which is down from last year’s third place and the lowest position it has held in...
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Nestlé loses Kitkat trademark battle
By AWA Editor | Posted on May 19, 2017
British Court of Appeal rules that Kitkat’s format cannot be trademarked as it has “no inherent distinctiveness”. After intense court proceedings to get the four finger shape of their chocolate bar Kitkat protected by trademark law, the court found that the format was no “badge of origin”. In late 2015, the European Court of Justice...
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Swedish Innovation Parliament 2017
By AWA Editor | Posted on May 3, 2017
On 25-26 April, the cities of Linköping and Norrköping hosted the 2017 Swedish Innovation Parliament (#SIR17, Sveriges Innovationsriksdag), a meeting and discussion arena for anyone who is a part of the Swedish innovation support system. The topic was “Digital transformation” and the two days were crammed with interesting sessions, keynote speakers and panel discussions. Depending...
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Celebrating World IP Day
By AWA Editor | Posted on April 26, 2017
World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated today, on 26 April, with the aim to increase awareness of the importance of IP rights for stimulating innovation and creativity. The 2017 theme focuses on “how innovation is making our lives healthier, safer and more comfortable, turning problems into progress”, says WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation). The World...
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WIPO: Record year for international patent applications in 2016
By AWA Editor | Posted on March 30, 2017
Recently published statistics from WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) show that last year saw an all time high of international patent applications, but also an increasing demand for trademark and industrial design protection. The biggest filer of international patent applications in 2016 was ZTE Corporation (China), followed by previous year’s top filer Huawei Technologies (China)...
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All time high number of European patents granted in 2016
By AWA Editor | Posted on March 15, 2017
Last year saw a record in granted patents published by EPO (European Patent Office). A total of 96 000 patents were granted, which is a 40% increase from 2015. The number of patent filings at EPO was also unusually high. Over 296 000 filings were made in 2016, a rise of 6% in comparison to...
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G1/15: Reasoned decision on priority issued by EPO’s Enlarged Board
By AWA Editor | Posted on February 2, 2017
Today, the reasoned decision in case G1/15 at the European Patent Office’s highest appeal instance, the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA), was finally issued after the conclusion and order had previously been communicated on 29 November 2016 (as reported at the time). The order stated that partial priority cannot be denied for generic claims if...
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Swedish Judge appointed President of the Boards of Appeal
By AWA Editor | Posted on January 20, 2017
Carl Josefsson, currently serving as Senior Judge of Appeal at the Svea Court of Appeal, has been appointed the first President of the EPO’s Boards of Appeal (BoA) by the Administrative Council of the EPO. This was announced in December and Josefsson will begin his new commission on 1 March, 2017. The post of President...
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