This document provides information about the European Patent Office (EPO). It lists the EPO's headquarters in Munich, Germany and branch offices in The Hague, Berlin, Vienna, Brussels. It provides contact information including addresses and phone numbers for each location. The document also contains details about the EPO's role examining patent applications and granting European patents according to the European Patent Convention.
European experts discussed how standards can promote innovation in Europe. Tim Pohlmann of IPlytics presented a tool for mapping patented technologies and standards to help companies manage intellectual property rights. Ged Owens of the European Patent Office highlighted how patents and standards work together to support innovation and diffusion of new technologies, while preventing prior disclosed information from being patented. Both emphasized the importance of cooperation between standards bodies and patent offices.
31032010 we bbt workshop project managementimec.archive
This document outlines do's and don'ts for project management presented by Steven Deneir. It discusses continuously justifying the business case, learning from experience, defining roles and responsibilities, managing by exception, focusing on products, tailoring methods, involving stakeholders, avoiding becoming a fire-fighter through risk management, and maintaining work-life balance. The presentation provides examples and templates for various project management tasks.
This document discusses interactivity in mobile TV. It describes work packages related to interactivity platforms, synchronization of media streams and applications, and object-based interactivity. It outlines a proposed synchronization framework using RTCP and SDP to synchronize applications and media on the client and server. It demonstrates object-based interactivity using MPEG LASeR/SAF with two implementations, GPAC and Streamezzo, showing clickable regions and actions in video streams. The document concludes that many approaches to interactivity exist and synchronization can be achieved without major headend changes, but MPEG LASeR implementation remains problematic.
The document contains a collection of inspirational quotes about success, life, and achievement from various notable figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Venus Williams, and Winston Churchill. The quotes provide words of encouragement about working hard, believing in oneself, embracing challenges, and making the most of life's opportunities.
This document provides an overview of UI design fundamentals. It discusses key principles like grids and layouts, typography, color, icons, language, behavior, and coherence. It emphasizes keeping designs simple, focused and easy to use. Examples are given of design dos and don'ts. References for further reading on design are also provided, along with contact information for the author.
Jan Smits - Municipal fiber network in the Netherlands: three different legal...imec.archive
Presentation at the Workshop on Municipal Fiber Networks, October 24th 2011 in Ghent, Belgium. The workshop was organised by Ghent University - IBCN / IBBT. More information about this event can be found at http://http://events.ibbt.be/en/workshop-municipal-fiber-networks.
European experts discussed how standards can promote innovation in Europe. Tim Pohlmann of IPlytics presented a tool for mapping patented technologies and standards to help companies manage intellectual property rights. Ged Owens of the European Patent Office highlighted how patents and standards work together to support innovation and diffusion of new technologies, while preventing prior disclosed information from being patented. Both emphasized the importance of cooperation between standards bodies and patent offices.
31032010 we bbt workshop project managementimec.archive
This document outlines do's and don'ts for project management presented by Steven Deneir. It discusses continuously justifying the business case, learning from experience, defining roles and responsibilities, managing by exception, focusing on products, tailoring methods, involving stakeholders, avoiding becoming a fire-fighter through risk management, and maintaining work-life balance. The presentation provides examples and templates for various project management tasks.
This document discusses interactivity in mobile TV. It describes work packages related to interactivity platforms, synchronization of media streams and applications, and object-based interactivity. It outlines a proposed synchronization framework using RTCP and SDP to synchronize applications and media on the client and server. It demonstrates object-based interactivity using MPEG LASeR/SAF with two implementations, GPAC and Streamezzo, showing clickable regions and actions in video streams. The document concludes that many approaches to interactivity exist and synchronization can be achieved without major headend changes, but MPEG LASeR implementation remains problematic.
The document contains a collection of inspirational quotes about success, life, and achievement from various notable figures such as Ralph Waldo Emerson, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain, Venus Williams, and Winston Churchill. The quotes provide words of encouragement about working hard, believing in oneself, embracing challenges, and making the most of life's opportunities.
This document provides an overview of UI design fundamentals. It discusses key principles like grids and layouts, typography, color, icons, language, behavior, and coherence. It emphasizes keeping designs simple, focused and easy to use. Examples are given of design dos and don'ts. References for further reading on design are also provided, along with contact information for the author.
Jan Smits - Municipal fiber network in the Netherlands: three different legal...imec.archive
Presentation at the Workshop on Municipal Fiber Networks, October 24th 2011 in Ghent, Belgium. The workshop was organised by Ghent University - IBCN / IBBT. More information about this event can be found at http://http://events.ibbt.be/en/workshop-municipal-fiber-networks.
This document discusses research topics in multimedia content creation and transfer. The topics covered include mobile multimedia applications, advanced multimedia applications, metadata technology, and standardization. Examples of projects include a 3D networked virtual environment to help chronically ill children attend virtual classrooms, free viewpoint visual communication technology using virtual cameras, and using graphics processing units to accelerate video decoding and processing.
Qo E E2 E2 Project Overview Antoine Dejongheimec.archive
The document summarizes an event on quality of experience for seamless connectivity. It discusses the increasing number of users, devices, and applications on networks. Ensuring quality of experience for end users across heterogeneous networks and devices is a challenge. The project aims to take a cross-disciplinary approach to define quality of experience, understand how technology impacts user experience, and ensure quality of experience through demonstrations of multimedia delivery, next-generation networks and terminals, and pervasive security techniques. The agenda includes demonstrations and presentations on related topics.
This document discusses adoption potential analysis and its importance in technology product development and introduction strategies. It provides three key reasons for conducting adoption potential analysis: 1) To understand the true market potential for an innovation, especially among slower technology adopters; 2) To determine the ideal product configuration to maximize potential; and 3) To identify the best introduction strategy to appeal to early adopters and unlock the larger market potential. The document advocates for adoption potential analysis to be a complementary tool that informs business modeling, user research, and new product development processes to create more user-driven and successful innovations.
This document summarizes the Digital Society department at IBBT. It has over 90 researchers across various disciplines studying topics related to future internet, future media, and digital arts. The department aims to:
1) Provide social, economic, and policy insights to tackle grand challenges.
2) Stimulate open innovation in Flanders.
3) Develop user-centric ICT based on user needs.
4) Contribute to IBBT's interdisciplinary work.
5) Conduct high-quality fundamental and applied research through strategic partnerships.
The department takes three research approaches: market innovation studies, user empowerment studies, and ICT policy research related to content, access, and competition. The overall goal is
The document discusses Sweden's approach to releasing spectrum in the digital dividend for mobile broadband use. Sweden transitioned digital terrestrial television which freed up the 800 MHz band (790-862 MHz). The Swedish government then decided to vacate this spectrum and award it through an open, service-neutral licensing process between 2009-2010. Harmonizing the use of the 800 MHz band across Europe was seen as important for enabling economies of scale in both equipment and services.
The document summarizes an iMinds 2011 presentation about Niko Group and the Smart-E IBBT project. It introduces Niko Group's products and solutions for electrical installations and energy management in homes. It then provides an overview of the Smart-E project goals, work packages, use cases, and user interface. The presentation emphasizes the importance of the consortium's complementary skills and using technology to enable useful end user applications, with a field trial planned to test stability, user interest, and gather feedback.
Break out Collaboration Tools - Peter Mechant imec.archive
This document discusses the ongoing research into collaboration tools at IBBT. It provides an overview of the current use of MyBBT, including survey results and analytics data. MyBBT is compared to other tools for specific collaboration tasks like communication, sharing information, and co-writing. Some quotes from users provide feedback, such as requests for more social features in profiles, keeping the platform simple, and providing more information about available features. Questions are also posed about focus on social networking, keeping the platform simple, and software literacy. The document is authored by Peter Mechant from MICT at Ghent University.
Ann ackaert - handle with ecare: 5 years of ict research in the homecare envi...imec.archive
Ann Ackaert discusses 5 years of ICT research in the home care environment. The research focuses on personalized, preventative, predictive, and participatory care using technologies like telemedicine, wireless sensors, and cloud computing. The interdisciplinary research is conducted through consortia involving private companies, care organizations, non-profits, and universities. The goal is to develop solutions for distant care, independent living, safety protection, and ubiquitous care that balance autonomy and proximity while being easy for users. Challenges include the dynamic needs of vulnerable end users and developing sustainable business models.
Break out: Participation in European projects - Willy Van Puymbroeckimec.archive
This document provides an overview of applying for funding from the European Union's FP7 ICT program. It discusses (1) the structure and funding amounts of the FP7 ICT program, (2) the competitive application process and evaluation criteria, (3) tips for developing successful proposals including forming strong consortiums and addressing the evaluation criteria, and (4) resources for getting help with proposals.
The document describes a Plug & Play program that allows high tech ICT startups from Belgium to spend up to 3 months living in an IBBT apartment in Silicon Valley and working out of the Plug & Play Tech Center. This partnership gives the startups exposure to potential customers and investors in Silicon Valley and a chance for a flying start in the global tech industry. The next call for applicants to the Plug & Play program will be in April 2012.
Break out: Project Communication and Dissemination - Fabian Di Fioreimec.archive
The document discusses best practices for disseminating project information through live demonstrations and videos. It provides lessons learned from past experiences with live demos, including clearly defining what is a prototype, anticipating issues, keeping demonstrations simple, and not leaving them unattended. For video dissemination, success stories highlight the importance of humor, focusing on "what" not "how", socially relevant topics, and media/social network support. However, creating effective videos requires significant resources like brainstorming, scripting, rehearsing, editing, and dealing with technical challenges.
The document describes a user study conducted to predict market adoption of internet on trains. A survey was completed by 964 people to profile potential adopter segments and their needs. The study used a Product Specific Adoption Potential (PSAP) methodology to segment adopters into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. The analysis found the service had a clear short and long term market potential, especially for innovators and early adopters. Price was identified as a crucial factor for adoption, while reliability and speed were most important quality of service features.
Workshopvin7 Virtual Private Ad Hoc Networksimec.archive
Virtual private ad hoc networks (VPANs) are proposed as a new communication paradigm to address the shortcomings of today's large public networks. VPANs would allow for the formation of secure, self-organizing overlay networks between connected devices according to the user's needs and context. They integrate ad hoc networking techniques to dynamically configure private networks of distributed, mobile nodes. This new approach could support communication within limited scopes like work projects, personal networks of friends and family, or emergency response teams, allowing for easy management of wireless connectivity in different environments.
The Deus platform aims to handle data from wireless sensor networks in a distributed manner. It uses ontologies and semantic web technologies to classify sensor data and deal with issues like missing or faulty readings. A key challenge is the quality of unpredictable sensor data. The Deus architecture includes distributed reasoning, a service registry, and a policy framework to label data quality and determine appropriate actions. It was implemented and tested on a realistic sensor network, showing it can draw more accurate conclusions than without the quality control measures.
Glyn Moody - European Unitary Patent Court and software patentsglynmoody
The document discusses the issues around software patents in Denmark and Europe. It notes that while patent law was originally intended to encourage innovation by granting limited monopolies, today's abundance of inventors and inventions has led to problems. Studies show the costs of patents now outweigh the benefits, largely due to patent trolls acquiring vague software patents and demanding licensing fees from practicing entities. The European Patent Office has pushed for expanding software patents through directives and unitary patents, against the objections of countries like Denmark, who risk losing autonomy over their patent system.
patent in pharmaceutical and healthcare computingSumant Saini
This document discusses intellectual property rights related to computers used in research and development. It focuses on patents, copyrights, and database rights. Specifically, it covers that patents can protect both hardware and software inventions used in pharmaceutical applications. Algorithms can be patented if they produce a concrete, useful result. Patents are also regularly granted for machine-machine interfaces, but human interfaces are more difficult to patent in Europe.
This document discusses strategies for obtaining patent protection for software-related inventions in Europe. It covers topics such as the legal aspects of patent eligibility for computer-implemented inventions in Europe. Specifically, it explains that for an invention to be patent-eligible in Europe, it must have a technical character by producing a technical effect or solving a technical problem. It also discusses different types of patent claims, such as product claims and process claims, and considerations for drafting a set of patent claims for software inventions that will be eligible for patent protection in Europe.
The Patent Box: Introduction to PatentsJane Lambert
This was the opening presentation on a workshop on the patents box organized by Liverpool Inventors Club. The "patents box" is a tax concession to encourage R & D in the UK. This presentation discusses what is meant by a patent, why businesses apply for them, how to apply for them and how much they cost.
7. Intellectual Property - Alberto Massidda (Translated)RIILP
This document discusses intellectual property concepts including patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets. It provides definitions and examples of patents, describing what can and cannot be patented under European law. Universities often claim ownership of intellectual property created by researchers and students using university facilities. Successful technology commercialization through licensing and spin-offs can provide an ongoing source of funding that attracts more research.
This document discusses research topics in multimedia content creation and transfer. The topics covered include mobile multimedia applications, advanced multimedia applications, metadata technology, and standardization. Examples of projects include a 3D networked virtual environment to help chronically ill children attend virtual classrooms, free viewpoint visual communication technology using virtual cameras, and using graphics processing units to accelerate video decoding and processing.
Qo E E2 E2 Project Overview Antoine Dejongheimec.archive
The document summarizes an event on quality of experience for seamless connectivity. It discusses the increasing number of users, devices, and applications on networks. Ensuring quality of experience for end users across heterogeneous networks and devices is a challenge. The project aims to take a cross-disciplinary approach to define quality of experience, understand how technology impacts user experience, and ensure quality of experience through demonstrations of multimedia delivery, next-generation networks and terminals, and pervasive security techniques. The agenda includes demonstrations and presentations on related topics.
This document discusses adoption potential analysis and its importance in technology product development and introduction strategies. It provides three key reasons for conducting adoption potential analysis: 1) To understand the true market potential for an innovation, especially among slower technology adopters; 2) To determine the ideal product configuration to maximize potential; and 3) To identify the best introduction strategy to appeal to early adopters and unlock the larger market potential. The document advocates for adoption potential analysis to be a complementary tool that informs business modeling, user research, and new product development processes to create more user-driven and successful innovations.
This document summarizes the Digital Society department at IBBT. It has over 90 researchers across various disciplines studying topics related to future internet, future media, and digital arts. The department aims to:
1) Provide social, economic, and policy insights to tackle grand challenges.
2) Stimulate open innovation in Flanders.
3) Develop user-centric ICT based on user needs.
4) Contribute to IBBT's interdisciplinary work.
5) Conduct high-quality fundamental and applied research through strategic partnerships.
The department takes three research approaches: market innovation studies, user empowerment studies, and ICT policy research related to content, access, and competition. The overall goal is
The document discusses Sweden's approach to releasing spectrum in the digital dividend for mobile broadband use. Sweden transitioned digital terrestrial television which freed up the 800 MHz band (790-862 MHz). The Swedish government then decided to vacate this spectrum and award it through an open, service-neutral licensing process between 2009-2010. Harmonizing the use of the 800 MHz band across Europe was seen as important for enabling economies of scale in both equipment and services.
The document summarizes an iMinds 2011 presentation about Niko Group and the Smart-E IBBT project. It introduces Niko Group's products and solutions for electrical installations and energy management in homes. It then provides an overview of the Smart-E project goals, work packages, use cases, and user interface. The presentation emphasizes the importance of the consortium's complementary skills and using technology to enable useful end user applications, with a field trial planned to test stability, user interest, and gather feedback.
Break out Collaboration Tools - Peter Mechant imec.archive
This document discusses the ongoing research into collaboration tools at IBBT. It provides an overview of the current use of MyBBT, including survey results and analytics data. MyBBT is compared to other tools for specific collaboration tasks like communication, sharing information, and co-writing. Some quotes from users provide feedback, such as requests for more social features in profiles, keeping the platform simple, and providing more information about available features. Questions are also posed about focus on social networking, keeping the platform simple, and software literacy. The document is authored by Peter Mechant from MICT at Ghent University.
Ann ackaert - handle with ecare: 5 years of ict research in the homecare envi...imec.archive
Ann Ackaert discusses 5 years of ICT research in the home care environment. The research focuses on personalized, preventative, predictive, and participatory care using technologies like telemedicine, wireless sensors, and cloud computing. The interdisciplinary research is conducted through consortia involving private companies, care organizations, non-profits, and universities. The goal is to develop solutions for distant care, independent living, safety protection, and ubiquitous care that balance autonomy and proximity while being easy for users. Challenges include the dynamic needs of vulnerable end users and developing sustainable business models.
Break out: Participation in European projects - Willy Van Puymbroeckimec.archive
This document provides an overview of applying for funding from the European Union's FP7 ICT program. It discusses (1) the structure and funding amounts of the FP7 ICT program, (2) the competitive application process and evaluation criteria, (3) tips for developing successful proposals including forming strong consortiums and addressing the evaluation criteria, and (4) resources for getting help with proposals.
The document describes a Plug & Play program that allows high tech ICT startups from Belgium to spend up to 3 months living in an IBBT apartment in Silicon Valley and working out of the Plug & Play Tech Center. This partnership gives the startups exposure to potential customers and investors in Silicon Valley and a chance for a flying start in the global tech industry. The next call for applicants to the Plug & Play program will be in April 2012.
Break out: Project Communication and Dissemination - Fabian Di Fioreimec.archive
The document discusses best practices for disseminating project information through live demonstrations and videos. It provides lessons learned from past experiences with live demos, including clearly defining what is a prototype, anticipating issues, keeping demonstrations simple, and not leaving them unattended. For video dissemination, success stories highlight the importance of humor, focusing on "what" not "how", socially relevant topics, and media/social network support. However, creating effective videos requires significant resources like brainstorming, scripting, rehearsing, editing, and dealing with technical challenges.
The document describes a user study conducted to predict market adoption of internet on trains. A survey was completed by 964 people to profile potential adopter segments and their needs. The study used a Product Specific Adoption Potential (PSAP) methodology to segment adopters into innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and laggards. The analysis found the service had a clear short and long term market potential, especially for innovators and early adopters. Price was identified as a crucial factor for adoption, while reliability and speed were most important quality of service features.
Workshopvin7 Virtual Private Ad Hoc Networksimec.archive
Virtual private ad hoc networks (VPANs) are proposed as a new communication paradigm to address the shortcomings of today's large public networks. VPANs would allow for the formation of secure, self-organizing overlay networks between connected devices according to the user's needs and context. They integrate ad hoc networking techniques to dynamically configure private networks of distributed, mobile nodes. This new approach could support communication within limited scopes like work projects, personal networks of friends and family, or emergency response teams, allowing for easy management of wireless connectivity in different environments.
The Deus platform aims to handle data from wireless sensor networks in a distributed manner. It uses ontologies and semantic web technologies to classify sensor data and deal with issues like missing or faulty readings. A key challenge is the quality of unpredictable sensor data. The Deus architecture includes distributed reasoning, a service registry, and a policy framework to label data quality and determine appropriate actions. It was implemented and tested on a realistic sensor network, showing it can draw more accurate conclusions than without the quality control measures.
Glyn Moody - European Unitary Patent Court and software patentsglynmoody
The document discusses the issues around software patents in Denmark and Europe. It notes that while patent law was originally intended to encourage innovation by granting limited monopolies, today's abundance of inventors and inventions has led to problems. Studies show the costs of patents now outweigh the benefits, largely due to patent trolls acquiring vague software patents and demanding licensing fees from practicing entities. The European Patent Office has pushed for expanding software patents through directives and unitary patents, against the objections of countries like Denmark, who risk losing autonomy over their patent system.
patent in pharmaceutical and healthcare computingSumant Saini
This document discusses intellectual property rights related to computers used in research and development. It focuses on patents, copyrights, and database rights. Specifically, it covers that patents can protect both hardware and software inventions used in pharmaceutical applications. Algorithms can be patented if they produce a concrete, useful result. Patents are also regularly granted for machine-machine interfaces, but human interfaces are more difficult to patent in Europe.
This document discusses strategies for obtaining patent protection for software-related inventions in Europe. It covers topics such as the legal aspects of patent eligibility for computer-implemented inventions in Europe. Specifically, it explains that for an invention to be patent-eligible in Europe, it must have a technical character by producing a technical effect or solving a technical problem. It also discusses different types of patent claims, such as product claims and process claims, and considerations for drafting a set of patent claims for software inventions that will be eligible for patent protection in Europe.
The Patent Box: Introduction to PatentsJane Lambert
This was the opening presentation on a workshop on the patents box organized by Liverpool Inventors Club. The "patents box" is a tax concession to encourage R & D in the UK. This presentation discusses what is meant by a patent, why businesses apply for them, how to apply for them and how much they cost.
7. Intellectual Property - Alberto Massidda (Translated)RIILP
This document discusses intellectual property concepts including patents, trademarks, copyright and trade secrets. It provides definitions and examples of patents, describing what can and cannot be patented under European law. Universities often claim ownership of intellectual property created by researchers and students using university facilities. Successful technology commercialization through licensing and spin-offs can provide an ongoing source of funding that attracts more research.
This document discusses software patents, including their history, examples of software patent cases, facts about software patents, and arguments for and against software patents. It outlines that software patents grant inventors exclusive rights over novel software inventions, and notes the differences between patents and copyright. The history of software patenting in the US and Europe is reviewed. Examples of notable software patent cases involving spreadsheets, MP3 technology, and the simplex algorithm are provided. Statistics about software patents in the US, Europe, and Asia are presented. Arguments both for and against software patenting focus on their potential impacts on innovation and competition. In conclusion, the document states that debates around software patents pit capitalist and open source principles against each other.
The document discusses intellectual property protection in Greece and abroad. It covers the typical steps in commercializing a research invention, including evaluating commercial potential, intellectual property protection through patents or other means, licensing, and revenue generation. It provides an overview of the patenting process and requirements in Greece, as well as filing for patents in other countries or regions like Europe. The types of intellectual property protection are also summarized, along with statistics on university and corporate patenting activity.
This document provides an overview of the patent system and how to obtain a patent. Some key points include:
- A patent provides the owner the right to exclude others from commercially using an invention for 20 years in exchange for publicly disclosing the invention.
- To be patentable, an invention must be novel, involve an inventive step, and be capable of industrial application.
- The patent application process involves conducting a prior art search, filing an application including a description of the invention and claims, and undergoing examination by the patent office.
- It is important to consider the costs of obtaining, maintaining, and enforcing a patent when deciding whether to pursue patent protection for an invention. Filing early is generally recommended.
The document discusses software patentability perspectives from the US, EU, and India. In the US, software is patentable if it meets the requirements of being new, useful, and non-obvious. The EU does not allow software patents per se but does grant patents for software inventions that have a technical effect or solve a technical problem. India also does not allow software patents alone but allows patents for a software's technical application or when combined with hardware.
Copy Right issue in computer software and hardware and IPmuhammadshahid2047
This document discusses several key issues regarding intellectual property protection for computer software and software-related innovations:
1. There are intellectual property issues associated with the program function, external design, user interfaces, and program code of software. Both patents and copyrights can provide protection, but for different aspects of the software.
2. Whether an innovation related to software is patentable depends on meeting several criteria, including having patentable subject matter, being novel, and involving an inventive step. Not all software or business methods are considered patentable subject matter.
3. Protection of software innovations abroad requires obtaining patents in individual countries, as a patent from one country does not apply elsewhere. Requirements for patentable subject matter
The document provides information about patents and the patent system. It discusses what a patent is, how to obtain one, and key aspects of the patenting process. Some key points include:
- A patent provides the owner the right to exclude others from commercially using an invention for 20 years in exchange for publicly disclosing the invention.
- To be patentable, an invention must be new, non-obvious, and industrially applicable.
- The patenting process involves conducting a prior art search, filing a patent application including claims and descriptions, and undergoing examination.
- Ownership of patent rights for employee or contractor inventions can vary depending on contracts and national laws.
II-PIC 2017: Gain insight into technical, legal and business information thro...Dr. Haxel Consult
Feinäugle Roland (European Patent Office, Austria)
A recent study commissioned by the EPO on the involvement of (patent) information in the innovation process in industry underlines the role of patent information in the various innovation stages. This result gives further impetus to the EPO's patent information strategy, aimed at supporting the economy by providing the access to a wealth of patent-related information, be it from its own patent granting process or its collection of worldwide bibliographic, legal status, procedural and full-text data.
In the presentation we highlight some key findings of the study and give an overview of the EPO’s patent information products and services. We will discuss how they can be used for technology-specific searches, for getting insight into the legal and procedural status of an application during and after its grant procedure, and for the statistical analysis of bulk data for business intelligence purposes. The talk covers the EPO’s free-of-charge Espacenet as well as our flagship product PATSTAT, both with a worldwide coverage. It also highlights the ever-improving European Patent Register and its accompanying services as well as our RESTful Open Patent Services.
Nowadays, knowledge transfer cross-borders is increasingly easier to achieve due to the development of information technology with a focus on information sharing. This paper has its focus on Science e-Parks and crowd sourcing platforms. However, issues to consider when using these techs are to ensure that patents holds and that an open source agreement in Europe is applied the same elsewhere. The treaty (knowledge transfer) aims to ensure that European companies get the best knowledge transfer into our European R & D projects. It will help European companies enhance its competitiveness.
This document provides information about patents and the patenting process. It defines a patent as an agreement between an inventor and society that provides the inventor exclusive commercial rights to their invention for up to 20 years. It explains that inventors obtain patents to prevent others from copying or selling their inventions for a set period of time. The document outlines the patenting process and requirements, including developing an invention, keeping it a secret, and ensuring it is novel, non-obvious, and industrially applicable. It also discusses other forms of intellectual property like utility models, designs, trademarks and copyright.
The document discusses various processes and practices for protecting intellectual property (IP) generated from research. It describes choosing between publishing, patenting, or secrecy to protect IP. Protection must be considered throughout the research and commercialization process. The document then focuses on specific IP protection practices for information and communication technologies, including guidelines for partnership agreements, use of laboratory notebooks, invention disclosures, and considerations for software patenting in Europe.
The document discusses supporting enterprises and research institutes in the innovation process from idea to market. It highlights that innovation is an ongoing cycle requiring cooperation between scientists, producers, and end users. The Enterprise Europe Network can provide information, advice, and help finding partners to support bringing ideas to market. While most EU funding now focuses on full innovation cycles, both applied and basic research remain important for new ideas, knowledge, and long-term social benefits.
II-PIC 2017: Gain insight into technical, legal and business information thro...Dr. Haxel Consult
Feinäugle Roland (European Patent Office, Austria)
A recent study commissioned by the EPO on the involvement of (patent) information in the innovation process in industry underlines the role of patent information in the various innovation stages. This result gives further impetus to the EPO's patent information strategy, aimed at supporting the economy by providing the access to a wealth of patent-related information, be it from its own patent granting process or its collection of worldwide bibliographic, legal status, procedural and full-text data.
In the presentation we highlight some key findings of the study and give an overview of the EPO’s patent information products and services. We will discuss how they can be used for technology-specific searches, for getting insight into the legal and procedural status of an application during and after its grant procedure, and for the statistical analysis of bulk data for business intelligence purposes. The talk covers the EPO’s free-of-charge Espacenet as well as our flagship product PATSTAT, both with a worldwide coverage. It also highlights the ever-improving European Patent Register and its accompanying services as well as our RESTful Open Patent Services.
The Netherlands provides strong intellectual property protection for companies in the semiconductor industry. It offers both national patent protection and participation in the European Patent Convention. Copyright law also protects semiconductor designs due to the low threshold for original creative work. Litigation occurs primarily in The Hague, Netherlands and courts there appreciate the importance of protecting inventions. Professional legal support is available from international law firms to help companies obtain and enforce their intellectual property rights throughout Europe.
Software patents in Europe.
Software patents in the United Kingdom.
Software patents in Germany.
Software patents in Canada.
Software patents in Japan.
Software patents in China.
The document discusses a living lab for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to involve users in the product development process from an early stage. Some key benefits mentioned include detecting unintended problems or opportunities through active user involvement, conducting multi-method research to enrich products academically, and allowing technologies to be domesticated by users rather than just consumed. The living lab offers services to SMEs to help fast track the process from ideation to demonstration through co-creation with various user types and extra funding and support opportunities.
This document discusses the iterative process of co-creating an ontology with stakeholders. Researchers conducted contextual inquiries through documentation analysis, observations, and interviews across multiple healthcare sites. Scenarios were developed and used in workshops with various stakeholders including medical professionals, engineers, and social scientists. The workshops introduced ontologies and involved role playing, decision making, and concept evaluation. A proof of concept was developed using a personal electronic device to demonstrate the ontology. The document reflects on further refining the process and developing the research.
PRoF is a living lab that builds very life-like environments using state-of-the-art products to enable early testing and concept validation. It provides an ecosystem for innovation and business across companies, academia, users, and care actors. PRoF has a long history of collaboration and has had a big impact on innovation in healthcare.
Results of the Apollon pilot in homecare and independent livingimec.archive
The document summarizes the results of the Apollon pilot project evaluating the use of living lab networks for testing homecare and independent living services across borders. The pilot involved transferring three such services between four living labs in different countries. A key finding was that a common cross-border ecosystem model for living labs in healthcare was not feasible due to differences between countries in areas like value networks, organization of healthcare, regulations, and infrastructure. However, living labs could still effectively serve as brokers and matchmakers to enable cross-border collaboration by addressing issues around stakeholders, access to users, liability, ethics, rules, and safety. Based on this pilot, the document advocates for a domain-specific network of smart care living labs to facilitate knowledge
Delivery of feedback on Health, Home Security and Home Energy in Aware Homes ...imec.archive
This document discusses the CASALA Living Lab, which conducts research on delivering feedback to users about their health, home security, and energy usage using sensors in ambient assisted living homes. The CASALA Living Lab has multiple stages, including virtual environments, a facility called Great Northern Haven with over 2,000 sensors collecting data from 16 apartments, and community deployments. The lab aims to understand user behavior from real-world data and provide feedback to empower users. Challenges include lack of market awareness for ambient assisted living and siloed funding, while successes involve end-user involvement and driving education and adoption of these technologies.
The document describes the Emmanuel Haven Living Lab located in Motherwell, South Africa. The Living Lab was established to provide prevention, treatment, care and support to communities impacted by HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and diabetes. It aims to mitigate the health, psychological and socio-economic effects of these diseases through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and community programs. Some of its initiatives include using mobile technologies to enable home-based care, nutritional education, and skills development for disabled community members. The Living Lab faces challenges such as lack of infrastructure, connectivity and access issues, as well as social challenges like poverty and low literacy levels in the community.
The document discusses the benefits of exercise for mental health. Regular physical activity can help reduce anxiety and depression and improve mood and cognitive function. Exercise causes chemical changes in the brain that may help protect against mental illness and improve symptoms.
Health-Lab Amsterdam is a living lab platform focused on testing and improving ICT and healthcare solutions together with users. It has three dimensions: 1) a platform where people can meet and discuss new care solutions, 2) living labs where solutions can be tested with users, and 3) new educational programs focused on implementing solutions. The living lab has apartments equipped with sensors to study user needs, concepts, and acceptance of new solutions. Students from various fields participate in minors to learn about digital health and intelligent environments.
The European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL) is a non-profit international association representing over 300 certified Living Labs across Europe. Living Labs are real-life test environments where users and producers co-create innovations. ENoLL was launched in 2006 and supports various EU initiatives related to aging well, smart cities, and future internet technologies by facilitating partnerships between its member Living Labs. ENoLL is committed to the EU Active and Assisted Living Program and plans workshops and projects to promote interoperability and gather evidence on independent living solutions.
This document summarizes the process and outcomes of the 6th Wave of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL). It describes how 72 proposals were submitted and evaluated by 6 teams against 20 criteria on a scale of 0-5. 46 Living Labs were ultimately selected, including 31 from EU countries and 15 non-EU members. The document provides details on the evaluation phases and typical weaknesses seen in applications. It concludes by welcoming the new members and thanking those involved in the evaluation process.
The Connected Smart Cities Network and Living Labs - Towards Horizon 2020 - K...imec.archive
The document discusses how EU Cohesion Policy supports innovation, particularly through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It provides an overview of how over €86 billion was spent on research and innovation during 2007-2013 to build research capacity and infrastructure in all regions. For 2014-2020, there will be a thematic focus on research and innovation, ICT, and SME competitiveness to maximize impact. Regions will develop research and innovation strategies for smart specialisation to concentrate resources on competitive advantages. Synergies between Cohesion Policy and Horizon 2020 are aimed at supporting research and innovation from the idea stage to market.
Apollon-23/05/2012-9u30- Parallell session: Living Labs added value imec.archive
1) Living labs provide meeting places for research, development, and innovation where companies, researchers, specialists, teachers, students, and product users collaborate.
2) Demola is an innovation platform that combines student ideas with needs and support from project partners and customers, turning ideas into product and service demos.
3) Benefits of Demola include real market potential for projects, valuable experience for students, opportunity for students to start their own businesses, and license agreements or partnerships between students and project partners.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 11:30 - Local SME's - Innovating Across bordersimec.archive
This document outlines a methodology for setting up and operating cross-border networks of living labs to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs) with innovation. It describes a multi-phase process including connecting partners, planning projects, supporting experimentation, and evaluating results. A variety of methods and tools were developed and validated through pilot projects in different domains like healthcare, energy efficiency, and manufacturing. These methods and tools are accessible through an online knowledge center to facilitate cross-border collaboration between living labs.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 16:00 - Smart Open Cities and the Future Internetimec.archive
The document discusses Lisbon's efforts to become a smarter city through open innovation and citizen participation. It outlines challenges like economic issues but also opportunities from new technologies. Lisbon is promoting spaces and tools for public involvement, including participatory budgeting, living labs, open data, and co-working areas. It also supports entrepreneurship through initiatives like Lx Startup, Fab Lab, and Lx Academy. The city is investing in sustainable mobility and renewable energy programs. Overall, the goal is to engage citizens in developing solutions and make Lisbon a center for creativity, business, and green technology.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 16:00 - Smart Open Cities and the Future Internetimec.archive
The document summarizes a presentation on smart cities as innovation ecosystems sustained by the future internet. Some key points:
1) Smart cities are not yet a reality, but rather an urban development strategy and vision focused on empowering citizens and creating an "urban innovation ecology."
2) The FIREBALL project aims to bring together cities, living labs, and future internet stakeholders to explore how open innovation and user participation can support experimentation and adoption of future internet technologies.
3) Case studies of smarter cities show examples of technology districts, living lab initiatives, infrastructure development, and efforts to engage citizens. However, challenges remain around skills gaps, funding, and measuring impact.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 16:00 - Smart Open Cities and the Future Internetimec.archive
The document describes an open data app challenge organized by Open Cities. It invites developers to create apps using European open data sources that solve citizen issues. The challenge runs from February to November 2012, with a submission period in August-September and finals at the Smart City Expo in November. Top prizes include €5,000 for first place. The goal is to promote open data apps and make city living easier through collaboration across Europe.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 16:00 - Smart Open Cities and the Future Internetimec.archive
The document describes open data platforms and sensor network platforms created by the Open Cities project. It discusses how the platforms provide open data and sensor data from multiple cities through common interfaces and tools. This allows developers to more easily access and build applications using the urban data. The platforms have seen increasing use, with thousands of data sets accessed from cities across Europe. Support is provided to developers through tutorials, code samples and documentation to help them create innovative apps using the open data.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 11:30 - Local SME's - Innovating Across bordersimec.archive
This document discusses the transition of a large living lab called i-City in Flanders into a spin-off MVNO business. It summarizes that i-City started as a wireless city project with over 500 hotspots and 2000 test users. Some of the alfa community members who received support went on to work for the founding companies. The spin-off took the community-focused approach of i-City and applies it to their MVNO business, which has grown to over 120,000 users through testing with focus groups and an open API. The plans are to expand the business model to other European countries using the same approach of building, testing, and rebuilding with community input.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 09:00 - User-driven Open Innovation Ecosystemsimec.archive
The document discusses the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), which connects over 320 Living Labs across Europe and globally. Living Labs are open innovation ecosystems that engage stakeholders to address societal challenges through user-driven collaboration. ENoLL supports its members through events, projects and services. It also works to expand globally through partnerships and regional networks. The Connected Smart Cities Network was launched to facilitate collaboration between cities on developing smart city solutions using Living Labs approaches.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 09:00 - User-driven Open Innovation Ecosystemsimec.archive
1) The FIREBALL project coordinates and aligns approaches between future internet research, experimentation testbeds, and user-driven open innovation to promote innovation in smart cities.
2) Smart cities require three components: cities/communities to define challenges, living labs as generators of solutions developed with citizen involvement, and internet technologies as facilitators of communication and information processing.
3) Key FIREBALL activities include developing a smart city vision and cases, building smart city innovation ecosystems and networks, and coordinating medium to long term future internet research with short to medium term applied research and large scale experimentation.
Apollon - 22/5/12 - 09:00 - User-driven Open Innovation Ecosystems
Patents for software? European law and practice - European Patent Office
1. European Patent Office
Munich
Headquarters
Erhardtstr. 27
Postal address
80298 Munich
Germany
Patents for software?
80469 Munich European law and practice
Germany
Tel. + 49 (0) 89 2399-0
Fax + 49 (0) 89 2399-4560
The Hague Postal address
Patentlaan 2 Postbus 5818
2288 EE Rijswijk 2280 HV Rijswijk
Netherlands Netherlands
Tel. + 31 (0) 70 340-2040
Fax + 31 (0) 70 340-3016
Berlin Postal address
Gitschiner Str. 103 10958 Berlin
10969 Berlin Germany
Germany
Tel. + 49 (0) 30 25901-0
Fax + 49 (0) 30 25901-840
Vienna Postal address
Rennweg 12 Postfach 90
1030 Vienna 1031 Vienna
Austria Austria
Tel. + 43 (0) 1 521 26-0
Fax + 43 (0) 1 521 26-3591
Brussels
Avenue de Cortenbergh 60
1000 Brussels
Belgium
Tel. + 32 (0) 2 274 15-90
Fax + 32 (0) 2 201 59-28
www.epo.org
2. Software vs computer-
Contents implemented inventions
3 Software vs computer-implemented Relying on a well-known and widely used definition, a
inventions computer-implemented invention is an invention whose imple-
4 Patents for computer-implemented mentation involves the use of a computer, computer network
inventions: how does society benefit? or other programmable apparatus, the invention having one
9 EPO practice: the legal framework or more features which are realised wholly or partly by means
13 Examples of patentable inventions of a computer program. The term software, on the other hand,
involving software is ambiguous. It is generally understood as the implementation
15 European patents: high quality and of an algorithm in source or object code, but without distin-
high legal certainty guishing between technical and non-technical processes.
As with all inventions, computer-implemented inventions are
patentable only if they have technical character, are new and
involve an inventive technical contribution to the prior art.
The European Patent Office (EPO) does not grant patents
for computer programs ("software patents") or computer-
implemented business methods that make no such technical
contribution. In this respect the granting practice of the EPO
differs significantly from that of the United States Patent and
Trademark Office (USPTO).
The EPO is bound by European patent law as laid down in the
European Patent Convention (EPC), which has been adopted
by the 35 member states of the European Patent Organisation,
and as interpreted by the independent EPO boards of appeal,
the judiciary of the Organisation.
3
3. Patents for computer-
implemented inventions:
how does society benefit?
A very large number of the patent applications filed with the
EPO relate to areas in which computer-implemented inven-
tions are used. Not only mobile telephones, medical imaging
technology, aircraft navigation systems, car safety features
such as ABS, and Blu-ray technology, but also domestic appli-
ances such as washing machines, refrigerators and vacuum
cleaners, to name but a few, have gained in functionality and
efficiency thanks to these inventions, which are frequently
implemented by software.
The growing impact of computer programs
As technology advances, computer-implemented inventions
are increasingly being used in all fields of technology, and in
many cases the innovative part of a new product or process
will lie in a computer program. As a result, the impact of these
inventions on our daily lives is growing, and so too is their
benefit to individuals and to society as a whole.
The amount of R & D resources put into the development
and commercialisation of these products is enormous. It is
doubtful whether innovators would make such an effort
if they did not expect to benefit economically from their work.
Patent protection therefore plays a key role in innovation
strategies, and not just in the field of computer-implemented
inventions. Many important innovations have reached the
marketplace with the help of the patent system.
4
4. Patents for innovators, consumers and citizens Secondly, the publication of any patent application – which is
obligatory at an early stage in the patenting process – serves
It is not only the innovators that benefit from patents. the public’s need for access to the latest innovations. By pub-
As consumers we all benefit in significant ways from the devel- lishing this vast flow of new ideas the patent system gives
opment of technology facilitated by the patent system. As access to and information on the latest advances and adds
employees, our jobs may depend on a particular technology and enormously to society’s knowledge base.
the patents protecting it. Finally, as citizens, we all benefit
from the technological progress supported by the patent system The EPO’s patent databases are the largest in the world and
and the contribution it makes to the European economy. contain over 60 million documents. In the knowledge economy
this is one of the most important information dissemination
Patents promote innovation in two ways: firstly, the EPO tools and, in itself, is a powerful inducement to others to inno-
grants patents only to applicants whose inventions fulfil strict vate. Access to the EPO’s databases is available to everyone
criteria on patentability. If the invention to which the appli- via the Internet and is free of charge.
cation relates satisfies these criteria, the applicant is rewarded
with a temporary exclusive right preventing others (especially Patents and small businesses
competitors) from using the patented invention without his
or her consent, in return for public disclosure of the invention. Anybody can apply for a patent under the EPC, which makes
no distinction between individuals, SMEs or big companies.
Researchers innovate in the knowledge that they may acquire Greater access to resources and to information naturally means
protection for their innovative ideas. Indeed, especially in that costs become more affordable. However, that applies to
cases of high product-development costs and start-up invest- the acquisition of any asset or to entry into any procedure, and
ment, it is hard to imagine a business even contemplating is not especially linked to the patenting process. Moreover,
putting its products on the market without adequate patent there is little evidence to suggest that SMEs do not benefit from
protection. Very often, therefore, a patent is a vital element patents: indeed, for innovative SMEs and start-ups without
for successful commercialisation. It is an essential incentive to sufficient financial resources and a large market share, patents
innovate and indeed much innovation would not occur with- are often the only chance to stand their ground in compe-
out it. tition.
6 7
5. EPO practice:
the legal framework
The EPO examines patent applications and grants European
patents for inventions in all fields of technology, provided they
meet the patentability criteria of the European Patent Con-
vention. Patents are only granted for inventions that are new,
involve an inventive step and are susceptible of industrial
application.
The starting point for assessing the patentability of computer-
implemented inventions is Article 52 EPC – the fundamental
provision that a patent should be granted for any invention,
in all fields of technology, providing that the invention meets
the other requirements for patentability and is not expressly
excluded from patent protection.
Patent protection for technical creations
Whilst the EPC sets out the patentability requirements of
novelty, inventive step and industrial application in some detail
(Articles 54, 56 and 57 EPC), it does not contain a legal defini-
tion of the term "invention". It has, however, been part of the
European legal tradition since the early days of the patent
system that patent protection should be reserved for technical
creations. To be patentable, the subject-matter for which pro-
tection is sought must therefore have a "technical character"
or, to be more precise, involve a "technical teaching", i. e. an
instruction addressed to a skilled person as to how to solve
a particular technical problem (rather than, for example, a
purely financial, commercial or mathematical problem) using
particular technical means.
9
6. Although the EPC does not define the term "invention", it does Under the EPC there are two basic kinds of patent claim:
contain a list of subject-matter or activities that are not to be – claims to a physical entity (product, apparatus) and
regarded as "inventions" because they lack technical character. – claims to an activity (process, use).
The list of such subject-matter or activities contained in
Article 52 (2) EPC is not exhaustive but enumerates the major In the decision T 208/84 "VICOM" it was held that a claim
cases, including "methods for doing business" and "programs directed to subject-matter for controlling or carrying out a tech-
for computers". nical process is patentable irrespective of whether it is imple-
mented by hardware or by software. The decision whether the
It should be emphasised that, under Article 52 (3) EPC, these process is carried out by means of special circuits or by means
exceptions have to be interpreted narrowly. The subject-matter of a computer program depends on economic and techno-
or activities on the list are only not patentable if the European logical factors. Patentability must not be denied merely on the
patent application or patent relates to them as such. There- grounds that a computer program is involved. The decision
fore, inventions having a technical character that are or may be T 26/86 "Koch & Sterzel", concerning X-ray equipment designed
implemented by computer programs may well be patentable. for radiological imaging using a computer program, confirmed
that practice.
The case law of the boards of appeal
A special case is claims to computer program products, such
The EPO’s completely independent boards of appeal have the as computer programs stored on a data carrier (T 1173/97 "IBM"
task of reviewing the decisions of the EPO in grant and oppo- and T 935/97 "IBM"). These are patentable subject-matter if
sition proceedings. They thus interpret the EPC in cases where there is a "further technical effect", i. e. one going beyond the
disputes arise. In the field of computer-implemented inven- normal physical effects (e. g. flow of electric current) seen
tions the boards have in many decisions developed the interpre- when all programs are run. Such further technical effect might
tation of the EPC provisions relating to the term "invention", be the more secure operation of the brake of a car or train.
providing guidance on what is patentable and what is not. A further technical effect might also be a faster communication
between two mobile phones with improved quality of voice
According to established EPO practice in line with that juris- transmission. However, such claims are only allowed by the EPO
prudence, computer-implemented inventions can be patented if they are based on a new and inventive technical process
if they involve an inventive technical contribution to the prior that may be carried out by a computer program.
art, irrespective of whether they are implemented by hardware
or by software. They are not patentable if there is no technical Pure business methods as such are not patentable (Article
contribution to the prior art or, if there is such a contribution, 52 (2) (c) and (3) EPC, e. g. T 931/95 "PBS"). The patentability of an
it is obvious. auction method carried out by means of the Internet was
denied because there was no technical contribution to the prior
art (T 258/03 "Hitachi"), because the technical implementation
of the improved auction rules was done by the conventional
means of a computer and a computer network.
10 11
7. The EPO does not grant "software patents". The term itself Examples of patentable
is a misleading concept. Under the EPC a computer program
claimed as such is not a patentable invention (Art. 52(2)(c) and
inventions involving software
(3) EPC). Inventions involving computer programs that imple-
ment business, mathematical or similar methods and do not The EPC as interpreted by the boards of appeal enables and
produce technical effects (e. g. because they solve a business obliges the EPO to grant patents for many inventions in which
problem rather than a technical one) are not patentable, and software makes a technical contribution, such as a novel and
no patents will be granted for such inventions in Europe. inventive computer-controlled process operating a robot arm,
enhancing a graphic display, controlling data storage between
While the practice of the EPO in this field is largely esta- memories or routing diverse calls through a telephone
blished, the President of the EPO, considering that diverging exchange in response to demand.
decisions of the boards of appeal have created some uncer-
tainty, has referred a number of questions to the Enlarged Board Other processes, such as online retailing, though involving
of Appeal of the EPO in relation to the patentability of pro- the use of a computer, are not patentable in Europe, whereas
grams for computers under the EPC (G 3/08). While it does not such processes are often patented in the USA.
call into question the applicable provisions of the EPC, the
referral seeks guidance on how some of the finer aspects of For an example of a European patent granted by the EPO for
this exclusion are to be applied. an invention enabling detection of the proper functioning of
an ABS control unit, see EP 771 280.
No source code
For an example of an application for a European patent
There is no legal basis in the EPC for requesting a program rejected by the EPO concerning a fixed-odds betting system,
source code from the applicant. Nor is it the policy of the EPO see EP 1 139 245.
to require or examine source codes or to publish them as
annexes to patent application documents (which consist of Computer technology itself is of course developing rapidly,
the request for grant, the claims, the description, the drawings and many patent applications relate to improvements to the
and the abstract). The source code is neither necessary nor internal operation of computers.
appropriate for sufficient disclosure of a computer-implemented
invention. For examination and publication purposes the
inventive concept must be disclosed in the application in
a manner sufficiently clear and complete for it to be carried
out by a person skilled in the art. This does not require
disclosure of a source code.
12 13
8. European patents: high quality
and high legal certainty
Before a European patent can be granted, each application
is subject to a thorough search and rigorous examination by
three members of the EPO’s highly trained staff. This ensures
that the application fulfils all the strict requirements of the
EPC and that only true inventions that merit protection are
patented.
Moreover, the EPC provides several legal mechanisms to enable
third parties to monitor the procedure and to allow decisions
taken by the EPO to be challenged, for instance where new rele-
vant prior art comes to light.
Far-reaching rights for third parties
Within the EPO procedure the following is available:
– inspection by third parties of published applications and
documents relating to their examination
– observations by third parties on pending applications
– oppositions by third parties to granted patents
– appeals by any party adversely affected by an EPO decision
in grant and opposition proceedings.
There is no fee for the inspection of published applications
(available at www.epoline.org/portal/public/registerplus),
or for the filing of observations. Parties to opposition proceed-
ings at the EPO are not required to have any economic or legal
interest in the patent: anyone can file an opposition to a granted
patent.
After the EPO procedure (in national courts):
– actions for revocation of European patents.
15
9. Applications not meeting the strict requirements of the EPC Are patents granted for "trivial" inventions?
are refused by the EPO. If an application does meet these
requirements, and is granted, subsequent disputes concerning The expression "trivial patent" is ambiguous and subjective.
the validity and infringement of a European patent are sub- If used to mean patents which third parties think should have
ject to national law and the final decision rests with national not been granted because they lack novelty or inventive step,
courts. then legal mechanisms enabling them to challenge such pat-
ents are in place.
The EPO examination procedure and the various possibilities
for third parties to intervene ensure that European patents Furthermore, with hindsight many patented inventions
are of high quality and high legal certainty, enjoying a good may appear to be trivial or obvious, but at the priority date
presumption of validity. of the application they were not. Finally, in cases where the
scope of protection is or has become small, perhaps because
The search – special situations the examiner, in the light of the prior art, has imposed addi-
tional restrictions to the claims which may make the patent
If the patent application only contains subject-matter appear "trivial" to third parties, then it may also be of doubtful
excluded from patentability, then no meaningful search can value to its owner and unlikely to block any further technical
be carried out. In such a case a declaration will be issued innovation.
stating that no search report will be issued.
If the patent application also contains some subject-matter
not excluded from patentability, i. e. a technical teaching,
it may nevertheless be the case that this teaching is so well-
known (i. e. conventional, belonging to common general
knowledge) that providing a document to prove this is not
necessary. In such a case, either the search report will not
cite a document, or a generic document will be cited which
shows that it was known to use conventional technology
to carry out non-technical activities.
This practice means that the EPO can, at a very early stage
in the procedure, indicate to the applicant and the public that
the claims of the application are clearly not patentable.
16 17