America
International Trademark Association Elects Tish Berard Of Hearts On Fire As 2018 President
The International Trademark Association (INTA) announces the election of Tish Berard as the 2018 President of the Association and Chair of its Board of Directors. Ms. Berard, formerly Vice President and General Counsel for Hearts On Fire Company, LLC, headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, takes on this role after having served on INTA’s Board since 2011. Her term coincides with the start of INTA’s 2018-2021 Strategic Plan, which aims to promote the value of trademarks and brands, reinforce consumer trust, and embrace innovation and change. As one of her goals during her presidency, Ms. Berard will seek to advance trademark protection for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
IBM Obtains More Than 100,000 US Patents in 25 Years
Cloud computing company IBM has once again been assigned the most patents in the US, according to the rankings by IFI Claims. Last year was the 25th year in a row that the company has topped the list of recipients of US patents, gaining a 12% increase from its 2016 number. IBM’s total of 9,043 patents in 2017 is triple the number of patents it received a decade ago, and it means that IBM has acquired over 100,000 patents in the last 25 years. IBM received more than 1,900 cloud patents, 1,400 AI patents and 1,200 cyber security patents, alongside its block chain and quantum computing inventions.
USITC to Probe Apple Following Qualcomm Complaint
The US International Trade Commission (ITC) has revealed plans to investigate Apple's iPhone technology after receiving a complaint from semiconductor company Qualcomm. On January 4, the ITC announced the probe into the smart phones, which incorporate "technologies to enhance carrier aggregation functionality, power-efficient radio frequency signal reception, power-efficient processor and memory architectures, and image processing". In November 2017, Qualcomm filed its complaint alleging Apple had violated section 337 of the Tariff Act by importing into and selling the smart phones in the US. Qualcomm has asked the ITC to issue a limited exclusion order and a cease-and-desist order. This is the second time in the past year that the ITC has begun an investigation into Apple's smart phones based on a complaint filed by Qualcomm.
Nike Sued Over Fitness Tracker Patent
Sports brand Nike is being sued for patent infringement over an app that tracks users' fitness. US-based Personal Beasties Group (PDG)alleged that Nike infringes on US patent number 6,769,915, in a case filed at the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on January 20. A motivational animated character appears on the users' mobile device to help them reach their targets. Nike was accused of infringing the patent through the sale of Nike+ Fuel Band, a personal fitness tracker worn on the wrist that works in conjunction with computer systems and smart phone apps.
Europe
SIPO and DKPTO Intends to Strengthen Cooperation on Patent Examination
Recently, Shen Changyu, Commissioner of the State Intellectual Property Office of China (SIPO) met the delegation led by Sune Stampe Sorensen, Director General of the Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO) in Beijing. Shen Changyu said that SIPO and DKPTO have maintained longstanding friendly and cooperative relations. In recent years, the two offices have conducted frequent high-level exchanges, deepened the cooperation, and achieved fruitful results in patent examination, personnel exchanges and PPH pilot programs. The two sides had in-depth communication on the latest work progress, legal systems of intellectual property, the implementation of strategies, and PPH pilot program of the two offices.
EPO and Canada Extend PPH Pilot
The European Patent Office( E P O ) and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office(CIPO) have extended a patent prosecution highway (PPH) pilot agreement. The extension of the pilot, which allows applicants who have been successful in obtaining a patent at one office to request accelerated examination at the other, was announced on January 5. Based on the success of the pilot,the offices agreed to extend the agreement for a three-year period.The extension came into effect on January 6 and means that CIPO applications no longer need to have been filed or have entered the national phase at CIPO on or after January 5, 2015.
EPO and CIPA: No Impact of Brexit on UK Membership of EPO
On Jan 24, high-level representatives and experts of the EPO met in Munich with a delegation of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA). The meeting allowed the EPO and CIPA to confirm that Brexit will have no consequence on UK membership of the European Patent Organization, nor on the effect of European patents in the UK. Accordingly, European patent attorneys based in the UK will continue to be able to represent applicants before the EPO. Both the EPO and CIPA acknowledged the good progress made by the UK on the ratification of the UPC Agreement, which it is expected to ratify in the coming months.
EPO Finishes Internal Retrenchment to Improve Patent Licensing Quality
Recently, European Patents Organization(EPO) has finished internal retrenchment to improve the efficiency of patent licensing procedure. The public hopes EPO can accept patent licensing application of users in time. Besides, this measure is beneficial to provide patent and service with high quality. It integrates support staff (working on patent procedures) and patent examiners closely to decrease the intersection from one business unit to another in the process of patent application. The newly specialized department can accept opposition procedure to guarantee the timeliness and consistency when each units make different decisions.
Asia
IPOS Strengthens Cooperation With Chinese Agencies
On January 22-23, Chief Executive of IPOS, Mr Daren Tang, met with the Commissioner of SIPO, Mr Shen Changyu, etc during his recent visit to Beijing. With Singapore assuming the Chairmanship of ASEAN this year, and 2018 designated as the ASEAN - China Year of Innovation, the meetings underscored the importance of IP offices in facilitating the flow of innovation between China and the region. Both IPOS and the Chinese agencies shared the latest developments in the IP and innovation ecosystem of their respective countries. Discussions also revolved around how these encouraging developments could be harnessed to facilitate protection and commercialization of companies' intangible assets, especially IP, along the Belt and Road.
EPO and JETRO Reinforce Ties in the 7th Annual Meeting
Organized jointly with JETRO Düsseldorf (German branch of the Japan External Trade Organization), the seventh annual meeting between representatives of Japanese industry in Europe, JETRO and the EPO took place in Munich on 17 January. The Japanese delegation comprised over 20representatives of major Japanese applicants at the EPO including Canon, Hitachi, Mitsubishi, Ricoh etc. The EPO received very positive feedback on the quality of its products and services. Japanese industry representatives expressed appreciation for the EPO's productivity increases and commended the EPO for its Early Certainty scheme and PACE programme. They welcomed the EPO's proposal aimed at introducing more flexibility into the timing of the patent examination process.
KIPO and NOIP Cooperate in the Area of Intellectual Property Rights
T h e c o n d i t i o n s f o r I P R protection in Vietnam will improve by providing a more convenient procedure for Korean companies to acquire patent rights and strengthening protection for K-brands. Commissioner Yunmo Sungfrom KIPO attended a series of meetings with Director General Dinh Huu Phi from NOIP, etc on January 16, 2018 in Hanoi,Vietnam where they agreed to expand IPR cooperation between Korea and Vietnam. KIPO and the NOIP have agreed to implement the Patent Prosecution Highway(PPH) program between the two offices. Under the PPH program,the NOIP can expedite the examination process for patent applications that are deemed"patentable" by making use of the KIPO's examination results.
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