Monthly Archives: February 2010

“What countries does Europe cover?”

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Thursday, Feb 25, 2010 @ 04:33 PM

We get this question fairly often. Sometimes clients (even experienced patent attorneys) make the mistake of assuming the EPO is simply the patent office that caters to the countries of “Europe”. It’s actually a bit more complicated than that. Without … Continue reading →

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5 Reasons to file in New Zealand

Posted by Cara Verwholt on Thursday, Feb 18, 2010 @ 06:41 PM

(This is the first of a series of posts about particular countries.) Five good reasons for filing a New Zealand Patent application: 1. New Zealand is a relatively inexpensive country in which to get patent protection. 2. The New Zealand … Continue reading →

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April 1, 2010: Substantial changes to EPO procedures

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Monday, Feb 8, 2010 @ 09:27 PM

As you may know, the EPO generally implements fee and procedural changes on 1 April each year. I like to think of it as their way of making sure everyone has a little fun every April Fools’ Day. This year … Continue reading →

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Using the PCT – That’s more expensive, isn’t it?

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Wednesday, Feb 3, 2010 @ 10:01 PM

In theory, PCT application fees should make the PCT route to foreign patent filing more expensive (overall) than direct Paris Convention filings. However, reality isn’t always that simple. First, the additional 18 months the PCT buys allow better assessment of … Continue reading →

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