News & Events about IP just for you

Protecting your Business from Patent Trolls

The Patent Troll amasses large numbers of patents with the deliberate intention of pursuing infringement lawsuits against companies in an attempt to obtain licensing fees, which can often be considerable. Businesses of all sizes are targeted, in all business sectors, so it is not just a problem for the multinationals with large innovation programmes.

In reality patent trolling is a more serious problem in the US compared to Europe due to legislative differences. However, no matter what happens legislatively, it is important that companies wanting to launch in the US protect themselves as much as possible from patent trolls, whether they have patents or not. This also applies if you are trading online and you have your goods available in the US.

So how do you ensure that your patent strategy is best placed to protect you against patent trolls? The first place to start is to define your overall business objectives. The patent strategy follows from this strategic planning exercise and will require a complete analysis of the patent landscape in your area of expertise, including competitors. Be sure to carry out sufficient due diligence checks and make sure you have a thorough, wide-ranging technical knowledge base so that you fully understand the scope of your patented technology and that of any competitors. Always ensure you get appropriate advice from your patent attorney.

NFTs - the new way to exploit your IP

02/08/21

Non-fungible tokens are the latest fashion in the cyber world. Building on blockchain technology, NFTs may be a new way to exploit intellectual property rights.

Artificial Intelligence Patents at the EPO and UKIPO

14/06/21

The number of patent applications for inventions relating to Artificial Intelligence “AI” is growing fast! But, can artificial intelligence be patented at the European Patent Office? The answer is both yes... and no.

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The European Patent Office (EPO) has again announced a set of fee increases[1] on procedural fees, to be effective from 1 April 2024.

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Support for Cheltenham Open Door During 2023

18/01/24

Throughout 2023, Wynne-Jones IP supported local charity,Cheltenham Open Door. Over the course of the year our active Chairty & Social Team organised fundraising events and donation rallies to enable the small, independent charity to provide much needed support in the community.

Wynne-Jones IP Partners with CyNam to Foster Cyber Technology Innovation in Gloucestershire

10/10/23

We are delighted to announce a strategic partnership with CyNam to support and sponsor their mission to nurture cyber technology innovation in Gloucestershire.

We asked ChatGPT about intellectual property. Here's what we found...

23/08/23

ChatGPT is, undoubtedly, a remarkable tool that is revolutionising the way people work. But, like a lot of technology it has its pitfalls - we’ve all seen the headlines about bias, misinformation and students using it to generate work. We asked it what the top five questions people were asking about intellectual property in the UK, to provide the answers and then asked our expert IP attorneys what they thought.

Semiconductors are the future and the UK has huge opportunity

23/06/23

The UK Government has recently announced a 10-year strategy and £1billion investment plan in the semiconductor industry. Reaction has been mixed: some have said that it’s a “starting gun on a bright future” while others say that it’s simply not enough. We talked to semiconductor experts Dr Ian Lambert and Dr Elliott Davies of Wynne-Jones IP to find out what semiconductors are and to get their thoughts on the announcement.

The Horror, and The Magic of Copyright

15/05/23

Arguably, one of the most horrifying times for an IP owner is when protection dies (or expires)...

The scope of protection of a patent is fundamental to whether a patent is infringed.

11/04/23

In 2017 the U.K. Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling in Actavis v Eli Lilly [2017], that fundamentally changed how U.K. patent infringement is assessed, by the (re-) introduction of a ‘doctrine of equivalents’, in which a feature that falls outside of a ‘normal’ interpretation of the claims but that nonetheless varies from the invention in a way that is ‘immaterial’, infringes a U.K. patent. This can provide a U.K. patent with a broader scope of protection than was the case prior to the Actavis decision.

Here we look at how the Actavis decision has been applied and developed in subsequent decisions by the U.K. courts.