News
NASA offers patents to startups in the USA
By AWA Editor | Posted on November 2, 2015
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has presented an offer to startup companies to license NASA patents with no up-front payment. This allows startup companies to choose from a portfolio of more than 1,200 technologies ranging from materials and coatings to sensors, aeronautics technologies, instrumentation and more. NASA waives the initial licensing fees and...
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Awapatent ranked as number nine in PCT survey
By AWA Editor | Posted on October 26, 2015
The industry magazine Managing IP’s annual ranking of the number of PCT applications filed has just been published. In the “EPO” category Awapatent is ranked number nine with 260 PCT applications filed. In the “Sweden” category the firm are ranked number one with 206 PCT applications filed. MIP does not report any country-specific statistics from...
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No copyright protection for yoga
By AWA Editor | Posted on October 15, 2015
A United States court of appeals recently declared that yoga poses are not entitled to copyright protection. The Indian yoga teacher Bikram Choudhury had previously accused the founders of the yoga studio Evolution Yoga of copying his yoga method consisting of 26 positions that must be performed in a specified order in a room heated...
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New agreements struck in Sweden concerning competition clauses and employee inventions
By AWA Editor | Posted on October 13, 2015
In some cases companies make the employee sign a non-competition clause to ensure loyalty and confidentiality during a certain period after termination of the employment. The newly struck agreement applies to all enterprises where there are trade secrets, not as before, focused primarily on companies in the industry. Regarding the employees’ invention, the ownership of...
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Apple has been appointed the world’s most valuable brand
By AWA Editor | Posted on October 13, 2015
Apple has been named the most valuable brand after their release of the smartwatch and iPhone 6s. According to a study of the top 100 brands made by Interbrand, Apple tops the list with an estimated value of $170 billion with Google and Coca Cola close behind. Digital companies dominate the list with 13 technology...
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Decision on calculation of SPC-term in favour of Pharmaceutical companies where every day counts
By AWA Editor | Posted on October 9, 2015
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has confirmed the Advocate General’s Opinion Case C-471/14Seattle Genetics Inc. Read the whole article here
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Unified Patent Court (UPC) one step closer to realization
By AWA Editor | Posted on October 6, 2015
The plans for the opening of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) are moving ahead. Last week, seven EU member states signed a protocol which clears the way for the UPC to start its work in late 2016 or early 2017. The protocol comprises legal and practical arrangements and will, among other things, permit hiring of...
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Next step in unifying the European patents
By AWA Editor | Posted on September 27, 2015
The Unitary Patent that is evolving for the European market has taken another step forward and Italy has initiated the process to join the UP as well. By doing this, Europe is now covering a market which is comparable to that of the United States counting the GDP. The Unitary Patent is a European patent...
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New report on the “3-for-1” approach in the world of trademarks
By AWA Editor | Posted on September 25, 2015
The Intellectual Property Office of the United Kingdom (The UK IPO) has published the report “Cluttering and Non-Use of Trade Marks in Europe”, which brings up the issue of too many trademarks being registered and not used. The UK’s IPO was keen to better understand the extent of cluttering within the UK and European register,...
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Pharmaceutical companies in the EU are dependent on a right SPC term – Every day counts
By AWA Editor | Posted on September 23, 2015
On 15 October 2014 two questions were referred to the CJEU on a preliminary ruling regarding a SPC regulation; Is the date for the first Marketing Authorisation (MA) which is used to determine the SPC term for medicinal products determined according to Community law or under national law? And if determined under Community law, is...
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