UE - Commissione - presentata la proposta di regolamento del nuovo brevetto europeo

Il 13 aprile la Commissione europea ha presentato una proposta per l’adozione di un regolamento europeo volto a disciplinare il regime di concessione del brevetto europeo. Con la nuova regolamentazione europea si prevede uno snellimento delle procedure per la concessione di un brevetto che abbia validità su tutto il territorio degli Stati membri dell’Unione. In particolare non sarà necessaria la traduzione in tutte le lingue dei Paesi aderenti all’iniziativa; in base alla proposta della Commissione la richiesta potrà essere presentata in una qualsiasi delle 23 lingue ufficiali dell’Unione europea anche se essa sarà esaminata, e il brevetto sarà concesso e pubblicato, solo nelle tre lingue di lavoro dell’Ufficio europeo dei brevetti - Ueb (inglese, francese e tedesco). Le stime della Commissione prevedono una riduzione del costo per ottenere un brevetto valido in tutta l’Unione dagli attuali 32.000 euro a 2.500 euro (e la previsione per il futuro è di un’ulteriore riduzione). Il regolamento sarà completato da un altro atto con il quale sarà individuato il sistema giurisdizionale per risolvere le controversie sui brevetti europei, nel rispetto del parere reso dalla Corte di Giustizia, che aveva bocciato la precedente proposta della Commissione.

WIPO - International Patent Filings Recover in 2010

International patent filings under WIPO's Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) increased by 4.8% in 2010, with strong growth from China (+56.2%), the Republic of Korea (+20.5%), and Japan (+7.9%), offsetting a mixed performance in European countries and a continued decline in the United States (-1.7%). Provisional data indicates that 162,9001 international patent applications were filed in 2010 as compared to the 155,398 applications filed in 2009.
“Overall PCT filings recovered from the economic crisis-induced drop in 2009, almost reaching their 2008 level,” said WIPO Director General Francis Gurry. “The fast growth rates from East Asia reflect acceleration in the geographic diversification of innovative activities. This trend has many implications, not least an increased linguistic diversity of the technology that patent offices use as a basis for determining whether an invention is patentable.”
Despite the 1.7% fall in 2010, the United States remains the largest user of the PCT system with 44,855 international applications, followed by Japan (32,156 filed applications) and Germany (+2.2%, 17,171). China (12,337) overtook the Republic of Korea (9,686) in 2010 as the fourth-ranked PCT filing country. France maintained its 6th place position (-0.6%, 7,193), followed by United Kingdom (-3.7%, 4,857), Netherlands (-8.2%, 4,097), Switzerland (-1.6%, 3,611), Sweden (-11.6%, 3,152), Canada (+7.1%, 2,707), Italy (-0.8%, 2,632), Finland (-2.2%, 2,076), Australia (-0.2%, 1,736) and Spain (+10.3%, 1,725).

Europa-USA: un sito per la tutela della proprietà intellettuale

In occasione del Consiglio economico transatlantico del 17 dicembre, Stati Uniti ed Europa hanno annunciato il lancio di un nuovo sito web, il TransAtlantic IPR Portal, che offrirà alle imprese che esportano i propri prodotti informazioni utili per tutelare il proprio marchio e combattere la contraffazione e la pirateria. Il progetto è portato avanti dal Department of Commerce degli USA e dalla Direzione generale "Imprese e industria" della Commissione europea per conto del gruppo di lavoro USA-UE sui diritti di proprietà intellettuale.
L'obiettivo del sito web è di aiutare soprattutto le piccole e medie imprese ad avvalersi degli strumenti giuridici a tutela della proprietà intellettuale sviluppati su entrambe le sponde dell'Atlantico per proteggere le loro attività immateriali – marchi, marchi registrati e brevetti – prima di accedere ai mercati stranieri. Il sito offrirà indicazioni e "kit per paese" sulla protezione dei diritti in più di venti mercati del mondo e guide su misura per diversi settori merceologici.

Entrato in vigore il nuovo Codice della proprietà industriale

Entrato in vigore il 2 settembre scorso il Decreto Legislativo 13 agosto 2010, n. 131, pubblicato sulla Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 192 del 18 agosto 2010, con le modifiche al Codice della proprietà industriale.
Tra le novità del provvedimento, alcune norme per la registrazione di marchi e brevetti e procedure più semplici per la tutela: sarà competenza dello stesso giudice la descrizione e il sequestro delle merci che violano i diritti di proprietà industriale. E’ istituito, inoltre, il Consiglio nazionale anticontraffazione, presieduto dal Ministero per lo sviluppo economico.
Le modifiche che il decreto legislativo ha apportato all’articolo 239 del Codice, riconoscono la protezione accordata dalla legge sul diritto d’autore a disegni e modelli (Legge 633/1941, art. 2, n.10) anche alle opere di design industriale cadute in pubblico dominio prima dell’aprile 2001.

Brevetti - nuova classificazione ECLA sulla clean energy

Dallo scorso 9 giugno è disponibile su esp@cenet la nuova classe Y02 della classificazione ECLA: “Technologies or applications for mitigation or adaptation against climate change”.
La nuova classe è stata introdotta per gestire il crescente numero di documenti brevettuali relativi all’area tecnologica “clean energy” e “sustainable energy”. L’EPO informa che i nuovi codici ECLA sono in corso di assegnazione sui documenti che rientrano nella sottoclasse Y02C (Capture, storage, sequestration or disposal of greenhouse gases) e Y02E (Reduction of greenhouse gases emission, related to energy generation, transmission or distribution).

WIPO - 2009 statistics show a decline in international trade mark filing

Statistics show that filings under the Madrid System in 2009 decreased 16% in comparison to 2008. It is estimated that 35,195 international trade mark applications were filed in 2009, as compared to the nearly 42,075 applications in 2008. Similarly, registrations went down 12% as compared to 2008 with a total of 35,925 in 2009. Nevertheless, increases in the number of fillings were observed among some major users of the system, notably the European Union (EU) (3.1%), Japan (2.7%), the Republic of Korea (+33.9%), Singapore (+20.5%), Croatia (+17.5%) and Hungary (+14.5%).

Italy publishes new Decree 13 January, 2010 n. 33 - concerning implementation of Italian Industrial Propoerty Code

By Decree of January 13, 2010, n. 33, the Implementing Regulation of the Italian Industrial Property Code, as adopted by Law Decree of 10 February 2005, No. 30, has been published on the Official Gazette No. 56 on March 9, 2010.
The italian Industrial Property Law Code introduced, five years ago, some significant changes and simplifications in trade marks procedures before the Italian IP Office and also enacted administrative opposition proceedings. The publication of the Implementing Regulation will eventually make it possible to protect trade mark rights by means of administrative opposition proceedings in Italy. However, the timetable for the implementation of all required tools, including the publication of applications in the Official Bulletin of Trade Marks for opposition purposes, remains unknown.

Inasprimento sanzioni relative alla contraffazione

Per la lotta alla contraffazione il governo ha previsto una riformulazione delle sanzioni amministrative e un inasprimento delle sanzioni penali. Lo ha annunciato il sottosegretario allo Sviluppo economico, Stefano Saglia, nel corso di una interrogazione parlamentare. "Viene introdotto il reato di usurpazione di titolo di proprietà industriale nonché di contraffazione o alterazione di indicazioni geografiche o denominazioni di orgine. Sono stati attribuiti, inoltre, maggiori poteri alle forze di polizia e la confisca dei beni", aggiunge. "Lo strumento più efficace per contrastare tale pratica sleale - continua il sottosegretario - è il controllo alle frontiere, mentre l`adozione dell`indicazione obbligatoria (il cosiddetto Made In) fornisce maggiori garanzie al consumatore".

UE - Commission proposes new practical means to beat counterfeiting and piracy

The European Commission recently adopted a Communication outlining practical initiatives in enhancing intellectual property rights (IPR) enforcement. The initiatives are meant to complement the existing legislation in IPR and to contribute towards the Commission's aim of ensuring an efficient, proportionate and predictable system of enforcement.
Actions outlined in the Communication include cooperation through a new EU Observatory on counterfeiting and piracy, administrative coordination amongst EU member states through national coordinators and building collaborative voluntary arrangements between stakeholders.

UE - European Commission publishes 2008 statistics of customs actions in enforcing IPR

The European Commission has published statistics related to customs actions on goods infringing intellectual property rights (IPR) at the EU external borders. The report shows an increase in the number of cases where goods infringing IPR have been detained, from 43,000 cases in 2007 to nearly 49,000 in 2008.
The types of articles with a significant increase in detention are toys, electrical equipments, medicines and DVDs. The statistics demonstrate a strong trend of cooperation with industries, where over 80% of customs interventions in 2008 were initiated at industry's request based on suspicion of IPR-infringing products.

Tassa per il brevetto: no alla prova del pagamento per presunzioni

Il mancato pagamento della tassa per il brevetto, nei termini prescritti dalla legge, comporta la decadenza dal brevetto del titolare. L'eventuale prova del pagamento deve, in ogni caso, essere data attraverso la produzione della documentazione relativa all'avvenuto pagamento e non può, pertanto, valere il sistema di prova basato su testimonianze e presunzioni, rientrando la fattispecie in questione all'interno del sistema tributario vigente dove non è data la possibilità di provare i pagamenti delle imposte e delle tasse in modo diverso rispetto alla prova scritta.
E' questo il principio di diritto statuito dalla Corte di Cassazione, prima sezione civile, con la sentenza del 4 maggio, la n. 10219 accogliendo il ricorso proposto dal Ministero delle Attività Produttiva contro la sentenza che aveva ritenuto provato il pagamento della tassa annuale per il brevetto sulla base di una mera presunzione

EPO - Montenegro and the European Patent Office signed extension agreement

The European Patent Organisation (EPO) and Montenegro have signed an agreement on the extension of European patents to Montenegro.
The Agreement will enter into force later this year, depending on a mutual exchange of notes between the Government of Montenegro and the EPO.
Once the agreement enters into force, the number of countries for which one can seek patent protection for an invention through a single European patent application will rise to 39 countries.
Up to date, the 35 member countries include all 27 EU member states plus Croatia, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Switzerland and Turkey. Furthermore, the Organisation has extension agreements with Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia.

WIPO - International patent filing statistics in 2008

The World Intellectual Property Organization recently published the statistic of international patent filing in 2008.
Filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) grew by 2.4% in 2008. Despite the fact that this is the highest number of applications received in a single year, the increase was modest in comparison with the three previous years (9.3%). This might be seen as an effect of the global economic slowdown.
The largest number of applications came from companies from the United States (32.7%), followed by Japan (17.5%) and Germany (11.3%). It is worth mentioning that the highest grow rates in 2008 belong to South Korea, China and Sweden.

European Union. Rome II Regulation enters into force and introduces new conflict of law rules in the IP field

Regulation 864/2007 on the law applicable to non-contractual obligation (Rome II Regulation) entered into force on 11th January 2009.
The Regulation is particularly relevant for Intellectual Property law. The reason is that it establishes uniform conflict of law rules to be applied by the courts of the Member States to determine the law applicable to claims related to acts of unfair competition (Art. 6) and infringements of national intellectual property rights (Art. 8.1) and Community industrial property rights (Art. 8.2). Thanks to these new rules, companies will enjoy certainty and legal security in the protection of their intellectual property rights.
This Regulation is complemented by the Rome I Regulation. Once this second instrument enters into force (December 2009) the European Union will have uniform bodies of conflict-of-law rules in extracontractual obligations and contractual obligations.

EU - European customs have stopped millions of illegal medicines

The European Commission recently announced that the customs authorities of the 27 Member States have concentrated efforts over a two-month period under the coordinated "MEDI-FAKE" action, to stop millions of illegal medicines from entering the European Union. On the basis of a risk profile disseminated by the Commission, more than 34 million fake antibiotics, anti-cancer, anti-malaria and anti-cholesterol medicines, as well as painkillers, were successfully seized.
In addition to the intrinsic value for the effectiveness of customs controls, the coordination and co-operation between authorities and the legitimate expectations from legal business, the action is fundamental for protecting European citizens from security and safety threats.
The MEDI-FAKE action also highlighted areas of improvement for future actions in the fight against imports of illegal, dangerous or counterfeit goods, such as increasing cooperation with the interested industries

UE - The Board of Appeal has adopted a decision related to embryonic stem cell patents

The Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office recently adopted a ruling related to the so-called WARF/Thomson stem cell application.
This patent application describes a method to obtain embryonic stem cell cultures from primates, including humans, and was filed by the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation in 1995.
The Board of Appela has decided that under the European Patent Convention it is not possible to grant a patent for an invention that requires the use and destruction of human embryos.

The Board stressed, however, that its decision does not concern the general question of human stem cell patentability.

EU - The European Commission publishes a report on the Pharmaceutical Sector Inquiry

The European Commission recently published the preliminary findings of the Pharmaceutical Sector Inquiry launched by the Commission at the beginning of the year. The findings examine the input provided by the pharmaceutical sector under EC competition rules and discuss issues with the use and efficiency of the patent system for the pharmaceutical market, among other topics.
Indeed, the report finds no flaws in the way the patent system works in Europe, although it acknowledges the setback caused by the absence of a Community patent and a centralised European patent judiciary. Moreover, the report examines the patent strategies of the originator companies who first patent and commercialise a pharmaceutical product and possible market barriers created for the generic companies that place generic versions of pharmaceutical products on the market.

Regione Lombardia - bando per il finanziamento di marchi e brevetti nel settore della moda

Nell'ambito del Programma delle iniziative dirette regionali a favore del settore produttivo della moda, con decreto n. 8558 del 1 agosto 2008 del Dirigente della Unità Organizzativa Sviluppo dell'imprenditorialità, è stato approvato il bando che disciplina le linee d'azione previste per l'Area d'intervento 2. Innovazione.
Tali linee sono finalizzate a:
- sostenere progetti di innovazione di alto livello sviluppati da ATI tra imprese
- sostenere progetti di innovazione sviluppati da imprese (singole o aggregate) del sistema moda
- sostenere l'innovazione di sistema promossa da ATI tra imprese e/o associazioni imprenditoriali del
sistema moda
- sostenere la realizzazione di campionari finalizzati a nuovi canali distributivi e/o nuovi mercati
- sostenere il trasferimento di innovazione tecnologica e il potenziamento di risorse di nuova conoscenza
previsti da accordi di programma
L'iniziativa si colloca nell'ambito dell'obiettivo finalizzato a sostenere e incentivare la competitività del sistema della moda italiana, come condizione fondamentale per garantire la crescita e il recupero di competitività di tutto il sistema economico Lombardo.
Termine per la presentazione: 30 ottobre 2008

EU - The Commission outlines the main points of anew IP rights strategy for Europe

The European Commission recently adopted a communication in which it outlines the main points of a future strategy for industrial property rights in Europe. The content of this communication is particularly important since it will affect Community policies in the field for the years to come. The main objective of this new strategy is to strengthen the quality and efficiency of the industrial property rights system in Europe, but also to raise inventors' and businesses' awareness and use of the system.
At the centre of the Commission's strategy is the enforcement of industrial property rights and the fight against counterfeiting and piracy, the detrimental effect of which has been recognised on numerous occasions. Moreover, the strategy defines as a main priority the creation of a Community patent and an EU-wide jurisdiction for patents.
The Commission will also study the overall efficiency of patent and trade mark systems in Europe, including the Community trade mark, seeking ways to enhance their effectiveness for inventors and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). Regarding in particular SMEs, the strategy includes specific measures to improve their awareness and effective utilisation of industrial property rights as part of their business.

Eco Patent Commons

Bosch, DuPont and Xerox Corporation have joined the Eco-Patent Commons, a first-of-its-kind business effort to help the environment by pledging environmentally-beneficial patents to the public domain. The three companies and founding member Sony pledge environmentally friendly patents to the public.
The newly pledged patents include:
A cutting edge, Xerox technology that significantly reduces the time and cost of removing hazardous waste from water and soil;
A technology developed by DuPont that converts certain non-recyclable plastics into beneficial fertilizer;
Automotive technologies from Bosch that help lower fuel consumption, reduce emissions, or convert waste heat from vehicles into useful energy;
Technologies developed by founding member Sony that focus on the recycling of optical discs.
The Eco-Patent Commons, launched by IBM, Nokia, Pitney Bowes and Sony in partnership with the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) in January 2008, provides a unique opportunity for global business to make a difference - sharing innovation in support of sustainable development. The objectives of the Eco-Patent Commons are to facilitate the use of existing technologies to protect the environment, and encourage collaboration between businesses that foster new innovations.