Patents Trademarks Designs

Patents Trademarks Designs

Robbert-Jan de Lang PhD

European Patent Attorney

(Partner) EP&C

E: RLA@EPC.NL

Patents Trademarks Designs

Unitary Patent for SME in LS?

Launch Event LSHR.NLMay 22, 2013

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Patents Trademarks Designs

Recap of UP

• Unitary patent system– One patent (25 member states)

• grant via EPO

– One court system• Local/Regional/Central divisions

• European patent system– Grant via EPO (38 member states)– Court system : national or UPC

Choices to be made: UP or EP?

Or directly National?4

Patents Trademarks Designs

Selection Criteria

• Purpose• Scope• Time line• Cost• Geography

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Patents Trademarks Designs

Purpose

Purpose oriented:•Early Birds

“This is my turf”

•Core technology “This is where I make my €€”

•Peripheral technology “I could do this also”

•Defensive “Just in case”

•Competitor oriented “Stay there” or “We need to talk”

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Patents Trademarks Designs

Scope

Scope oriented•Products

– Small molecules

– Antibodies

– Formulations

– Assays (Kits)

– Devices

– …

•Methods– Technologies

– Pathways

– …

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Patents Trademarks Designs

Compound

Time line

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Compound

Methods

Formulations

2nd medical use

Enantiomers/salts/solid forms

Patent Period SPC Period

Small molecules

Patents Trademarks Designs

Cost

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Patents Trademarks Designs

Geography

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EP-member states UP-member states UPC-member states

Patents Trademarks Designs

Multidimensional decision model

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Costs

Purpose

Time line

Scope

Geography

Mmm, well… this one could go UP. Or EP. Or …

Patents Trademarks Designs

Three basic solutions

• Simple – UP and UPC

• Flexible– EP with opt-out

• Advanced– Combinations of EP with opt-out and NP

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Patents Trademarks Designs

The optimal solution?

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Patents Trademarks Designs

Thank You

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