Latest News & Features
Europe
The IP landscape in Europe for the CRISPR gene-editing technology is very murky, making it difficult for potential licensees, says Catherine Coombes of HGF. 18 February 2016
Americas
During nearly 30 years as a US Supreme Court justice, Antonin Scalia had the unenviable tasks of ruling on homosexuality, the right to carry hand guns, and abortion. Nevertheless, it was a mystery patent case that proved the most difficult. WIPR looks back at some of the most important IP cases of the past few years and how Scalia voted on them. 18 February 2016
Big Pharma
Patient choice is at the heart of plans in the UK to expedite access to pharma-branded medicines in the NHS, but how will innovator companies be affected? LSIPR reports. 11 February 2016
Americas
Following several high-profile decisions by the US Supreme Court making it harder to patent biotech inventions, parties should follow several best practices to give their products the best chance of being patented. Kathryn Hull of Gordon Rees provides some tips. 11 February 2016
Big Pharma
The Pharmaq v Intervet SPC decision leaves open the question of just how similar to the authorised active ingredient an infringing generic product needs to be. Sam Bailey of Mewburn Ellis reports. 4 February 2016
Americas
As reflected in numerous recent court opinions, the broad Supreme Court rulings of Mayo, Myriad and Alice have drastically changed the landscape of patent-eligibility in diagnostics. Jenny Shmuel and Megan Chacon of Fish & Richardson review the situation and discuss some future scenarios. 27 January 2016
Americas
Despite the current unfavourable climate, there is still reason to be optimistic about patenting diagnostic method claims in the US, particularly if the claim is focused on a particular disease, biomarker, and/or treatment and includes an active step that applies the diagnostic information, says Kevin O’Connor of Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg. 21 January 2016
Big Pharma
A unitary supplementary protection certificate looks like a logical and desirable extension of the unitary patent system, and right owners and practitioners need to keep an eye on developments in EU regulation, as Andrew Webb and Graham Lewis of J A Kemp describe. 14 January 2016
Africa
Intellectual property rights should be used to help valorise agricultural biodiversity and traditional knowledge for the benefit of the global population as well as small farming communities around the world, says Graham Dutfield of the University of Leeds. 11 January 2016
Americas
The manner in which some Canadian judges have applied the ‘promise’ doctrine has been criticised as arbitrary and subjective, note Declan Hamill and Megan Kendall of Innovative Medicines Canada, the association of Canada’s innovative pharmaceutical industry. 7 January 2016