Author Archives: Jeff Sweetman

European Patent Annuities

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Wednesday, Oct 6, 2010 @ 09:18 PM

inovia doesn’t directly manage payment of patent annuities (unless they’re due at national phase entry), but the topic comes up frequently with clients who use our foreign filing platform to validate their European patents. Background Before a European patent application … Continue reading →

Leave a comment

Is it worth recording changes to PCT application information during the international phase?

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Friday, Sep 10, 2010 @ 04:47 PM

It’s a few weeks before the 30 month deadline for national stage entry of one of your client’s PCT applications.  The client calls you and tells you one (or more) of the following: The sole inventor has just assigned her … Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Improving the Functioning of the PCT System: WIPO’s recent study

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Wednesday, Jun 23, 2010 @ 03:43 PM

During the week of 14 to 18 June 2010, PCT Member states considered proposals to improve the PCT potential contribution to higher quality and more efficiently granted patents at the national/regional level. The recommendations that came out of the meeting … Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , | 1 Comment

Don’t let IP be misunderstood on World IP Day

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Monday, Apr 26, 2010 @ 04:07 PM

Most people who work in IP will have had the experience: you’re standing at a party (wedding, dinner, bar mitzvah, what-have-you), talking to someone you’ve just met.  The inevitable question arises: “So, what do you do?”. I now take this … Continue reading →

1 Comment

More 1 April 2010 EPO Rule Changes: Amendments at European Regional Stage Entry

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Friday, Mar 26, 2010 @ 03:48 PM

In view of the high excess claims fees that apply to European applications, it’s common for PCT applicants to reduce the number of claims on file at regional phase entry to Europe. In the past, the EPO has taken a … Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

European Patent Office: Changes to Multiple Independent Claims Practice

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Tuesday, Mar 9, 2010 @ 04:40 PM

We recently gave a brief summary of the impending 1 April 2010 changes to European rules. New Rule 62A: Independent Claims Today, we’re going to go into a little more detail about the changes to management of independent claims in … Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , | Leave a comment

“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 →

Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 →

Tags: , , | 2 Comments

PCT vs. Paris

Posted by Jeff Sweetman on Thursday, Jan 21, 2010 @ 06:47 PM

PCT versus the Paris Convention While I’m a firm advocate of the PCT (well, I would be wouldn’t I?), direct Paris Convention filing will also have a place in the filing strategies of many applicants. Some advantages of the PCT … Continue reading →

Tags: , , , | Leave a comment