World’s biggest portfolios revealed; Sony IP strategy exclusive; Change of guard at CAFC; East Asia EPO biotech boom; Brazilian patents in peril; and much more
Everything we covered on IAM over the last seven days – and all you need to know from the global IP market to set yourself up for the start of another busy week
IAM Global Patent Litigation Survey
We want to know your views on the world’s major patent litigation hotspots and emerging jurisdictions in our patent litigation benchmarking survey. It takes 10 minutes to complete. Click here to take part. The findings will be revealed in the next IAM Special Report, to be published in Q2 2021.
The Long Read
In an exclusive interview, BioNTech's IP leaders, James Ryan and Julie Anne Gillespie, talk about their once-in-a-career experience of working on the covid-19 vaccine project that will help change the world. Read more here
MONDAY 22nd March
With a crackdown on ‘abnormal’ patenting underway, it looks like China’s National IP Administration has moved to providing monthly numbers on grants rather than filings. Read more here
The EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal has confirmed that all CII patent applications should be treated the same way during the examination process. Read more here
Amid attempts to reduce a substantial patent backlog, Brazil’s highest court is set to hear a case that could radically cut the number of active grants in circulation. Read more here
TUESDAY 23rd March
Ant Group chief IP and litigation counsel Benjamin Bai reveals how the company is using distributed ledger technology to police infringement on its own platforms and across the internet. Read more here
Xavier Becerra, a staunch critic of Big Pharma IP strategies, has been narrowly confirmed in the Senate as the new US Health Secretary. Read more here
Some believe that Open RAN may reduce 5G infrastructure dependence on Huawei, but patent data suggests that it is not as simple as that. Read more here
WEDNESDAY 24th March
The Bank of Korea has released data on cross-border payments for the use of IP during 2020 showing that the deficit which makes South Korea a net licensee internationally grew wider. Read more here
The multi-jurisdictional patent battle between Ocado and AutoStore has taken another turn with the online UK retailer’s filing of a pair of lawsuits in Germany against its rival. Read more here
THURSDAY 25th March
Sony Executive vice president Toshimoto Mitomo tells IAM how the company’s IP department has supported the conglomerate’s shift from electronics-first to entertainment powerhouse. Read more here
An explosion in east Asian biotech applications at the EPO suggests new opportunities for European IP law and attorney firms. Read more here
The International Trade Commission looks set to hear an even greater volume of IP cases as patent trials in district courts in the US continue to face long delays. Read more here
Samsung, Robert Bosch and Huawei are the largest patent owners in the US, Europe and China respectively, according to a new special report released today by IAM. Read more here
FRIDAY 26th March
Filings made to regulators in Shanghai show that Chinese gene sequencer BGI has paid out millions of dollars in legal fees as it battles Illumina over patents. Read more here
Analysis of data hints that the US Supreme Court’s Mayo decision may not have had a big impact on medical diagnostics patenting rates, although change in filing behaviours could just be delayed. Read more here
A leading expert in the world of video codecs has warned that patent pools need to innovate in how they license their VVC rights. Read more here
SATURDAY 27th March
The CAFC is facing its first vacancy in six years with Judge Wallach's decision to take senior status. That may be the first of several moves at a time when some hefty decisions are looming. Read more here