PATENTS &
INNOVATION
UAntwerpen
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
CH1: INTRO TO INNOVATION, IP & PATENT RIGHTS AND THE PATENT SYSTEM ............................4
1. WHAT IS INNOVATION ................................................................................................................... 4
2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) .......................................................................................................... 6
3. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) RIGHTS ................................................................................................ 8
4. PATENTS .................................................................................................................................. 11
CH2: INNOVATION, INTRODUCTION TO CLAIMS AND PATENT SYSTEMS ................................... 19
1. PRINCIPLES OF INNOVATION ..................................................................................................... 19
2. TYPES OF INNOVATION ................................................................................................................ 19
3. DYNAMICS OF INNOVATION .......................................................................................................... 20
4. THE PATENT SYSTEM ................................................................................................................... 21
5. THE PATENT PROCEDURE.............................................................................................................. 22
6. THE DIFFERENT TREATIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PATENT PROCEDURES ............................................... 25
7. KEY INTERNATIONAL / REGIONAL MECHANISMS................................................................................... 26
8. THE COST OF PATENTING .............................................................................................................. 36
9. USING YOUR PATENT STRATEGICALLY ............................................................................................. 39
CH3: CLAIMS ......................................................................................................................... 40
1. CLAIMS ................................................................................................................................. 40
2. TYPES OF CLAIMS AND WHAT THEY OFFER ............................................................................. 43
3. PRODUCT CLAIMS ..................................................................................................................... 44
4. PROCESS / METHOD CLAIMS ................................................................................................. 45
5. USE CLAIMS .......................................................................................................................... 45
6. MEDICAL USE CLAIMS (EUROPE) ........................................................................................... 45
7. PATENT CLAIMS CHEAT SHEET – PRODUCT, METHOD, USE, MEDICAL USE ............................................... 47
8. SOME EXAMPLE QUESTIONS ON CLAIMS ............................................................................................ 49
9. STRATEGIC TAKEAWAYS ............................................................................................................... 53
CH4: WHAT CAN YOU CLAIM? (PATENTABLE SUBJECT MATTER & EXCLUSIONS) ....................... 54
1. EPC FRAMEWORK (EUROPE) .......................................................................................................... 54
2. THE BIOTECH DIRECTIVE (EU DIRECTIVE 98/44/EC) ............................................................................. 57
3. SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES .................................................................................................. 58
4. METHODS OF TREATMENT UNDER THE EPC ........................................................................................ 60
5. METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS UNDER THE EPC ......................................................................................... 62
6. METHODS OF TREATMENT & DIAGNOSIS UNDER U.S. LAW...................................................... 64
CH5: CRITERIA OF PATENTABILITY .......................................................................................... 67
1
,1. NOVELTY (ARTICLE 54 EPC)........................................................................................................... 67
2. INVENTIVE STEP (ARTICLE 56 EPC) .................................................................................................. 73
3. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY (ARTICLE 57 EPC) ............................................................................ 78
4. ENABLEMENT (ARTICLE 83 EPC) ..................................................................................................... 79
5. CLARITY AND SUPPORT (ARTICLE 84 EPC) .................................................................................. 81
6. UNITY OF INVENTION (ARTICLE 82 EPC)...................................................................................... 84
7. THE UNITARY PATENT SYSTEM AND THE UNIFIED PATENT COURT (UPC) ...................................... 87
CH6: OPPOSITION ................................................................................................................. 91
1. GROUNDS FOR OPPOSITION ......................................................................................................... 91
2. OPPOSITION PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................ 91
3. POSSIBLE OUTCOMES................................................................................................................. 92
4. APPEAL PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................... 92
5. VALIDATION AFTER OPPOSITION .................................................................................................... 92
CH7: FREEDOM-TO-OPERATE (FTO) ........................................................................................ 93
1. DEFINITION .............................................................................................................................. 93
2. FTO ANALYSIS – MAIN STEPS ....................................................................................................... 93
3. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................................... 93
4. HOW TO CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OF A PATENT................................................................................ 94
5. RELEVANCE FOR ALL BUSINESSES .................................................................................................. 95
6. SUMMARY – FTO KEY STEPS......................................................................................................... 95
CH8: PARTNERING WITH INDUSTRY ....................................................................................... 96
1. UNIVERSITIES ....................................................................................................................... 96
2. VALORISATION .......................................................................................................................... 96
3. PARTNERING WITH INDUSTRY ............................................................................................... 97
4. PARTNERING WITH UNIVERSITIES .......................................................................................... 98
5. FRAMEWORK AND GENERAL INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 99
6. AGREEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 103
7. CONFIDENTIALITY..................................................................................................................... 105
8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ........................................................................................................... 106
9. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ................................................................................................. 107
10. TERM, SIGNATURES, ANNEXES ................................................................................................ 108
11. LEGAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................ 108
CH9: SPIN-OFFS .................................................................................................................. 119
1. GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF A SPIN-OFF ........................................................................................... 119
2. IMPORTANCE OF IP FOR A STARTUP ................................................................................................ 124
3. IP TRANSFER METHODOLOGIES IN STARTUPS .................................................................................... 128
2
, 4. KEY STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................................................................. 130
CH10: ENFORCEMENT OF PATENT RIGHTS ............................................................................ 136
1. INTRODUCTION ON RELEVANT PATENT LITIGATION ASPECTS ............................................... 136
2. PATENT INFRINGEMENT ...................................................................................................... 137
3. OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT PROCEEDINGS ................................................................................... 141
4. UNIFIED PATENT COURT (UPC) ............................................................................................ 145
5. TRADE SECRETS .................................................................................................................. 146
CH11: SEARCH EXERCISES IN PATENT DATABASES ............................................................... 151
1. EXAM QUESTION: WHAT TYPE OF INFO CAN YOU FIND IN PATENT DATABASES ............................................. 151
3
INNOVATION
UAntwerpen
,TABLE OF CONTENTS
CH1: INTRO TO INNOVATION, IP & PATENT RIGHTS AND THE PATENT SYSTEM ............................4
1. WHAT IS INNOVATION ................................................................................................................... 4
2. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) .......................................................................................................... 6
3. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY (IP) RIGHTS ................................................................................................ 8
4. PATENTS .................................................................................................................................. 11
CH2: INNOVATION, INTRODUCTION TO CLAIMS AND PATENT SYSTEMS ................................... 19
1. PRINCIPLES OF INNOVATION ..................................................................................................... 19
2. TYPES OF INNOVATION ................................................................................................................ 19
3. DYNAMICS OF INNOVATION .......................................................................................................... 20
4. THE PATENT SYSTEM ................................................................................................................... 21
5. THE PATENT PROCEDURE.............................................................................................................. 22
6. THE DIFFERENT TREATIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF PATENT PROCEDURES ............................................... 25
7. KEY INTERNATIONAL / REGIONAL MECHANISMS................................................................................... 26
8. THE COST OF PATENTING .............................................................................................................. 36
9. USING YOUR PATENT STRATEGICALLY ............................................................................................. 39
CH3: CLAIMS ......................................................................................................................... 40
1. CLAIMS ................................................................................................................................. 40
2. TYPES OF CLAIMS AND WHAT THEY OFFER ............................................................................. 43
3. PRODUCT CLAIMS ..................................................................................................................... 44
4. PROCESS / METHOD CLAIMS ................................................................................................. 45
5. USE CLAIMS .......................................................................................................................... 45
6. MEDICAL USE CLAIMS (EUROPE) ........................................................................................... 45
7. PATENT CLAIMS CHEAT SHEET – PRODUCT, METHOD, USE, MEDICAL USE ............................................... 47
8. SOME EXAMPLE QUESTIONS ON CLAIMS ............................................................................................ 49
9. STRATEGIC TAKEAWAYS ............................................................................................................... 53
CH4: WHAT CAN YOU CLAIM? (PATENTABLE SUBJECT MATTER & EXCLUSIONS) ....................... 54
1. EPC FRAMEWORK (EUROPE) .......................................................................................................... 54
2. THE BIOTECH DIRECTIVE (EU DIRECTIVE 98/44/EC) ............................................................................. 57
3. SITUATION IN THE UNITED STATES .................................................................................................. 58
4. METHODS OF TREATMENT UNDER THE EPC ........................................................................................ 60
5. METHODS OF DIAGNOSIS UNDER THE EPC ......................................................................................... 62
6. METHODS OF TREATMENT & DIAGNOSIS UNDER U.S. LAW...................................................... 64
CH5: CRITERIA OF PATENTABILITY .......................................................................................... 67
1
,1. NOVELTY (ARTICLE 54 EPC)........................................................................................................... 67
2. INVENTIVE STEP (ARTICLE 56 EPC) .................................................................................................. 73
3. INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY (ARTICLE 57 EPC) ............................................................................ 78
4. ENABLEMENT (ARTICLE 83 EPC) ..................................................................................................... 79
5. CLARITY AND SUPPORT (ARTICLE 84 EPC) .................................................................................. 81
6. UNITY OF INVENTION (ARTICLE 82 EPC)...................................................................................... 84
7. THE UNITARY PATENT SYSTEM AND THE UNIFIED PATENT COURT (UPC) ...................................... 87
CH6: OPPOSITION ................................................................................................................. 91
1. GROUNDS FOR OPPOSITION ......................................................................................................... 91
2. OPPOSITION PROCEDURE ............................................................................................................ 91
3. POSSIBLE OUTCOMES................................................................................................................. 92
4. APPEAL PROCEDURE ................................................................................................................... 92
5. VALIDATION AFTER OPPOSITION .................................................................................................... 92
CH7: FREEDOM-TO-OPERATE (FTO) ........................................................................................ 93
1. DEFINITION .............................................................................................................................. 93
2. FTO ANALYSIS – MAIN STEPS ....................................................................................................... 93
3. IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS ....................................................................................................... 93
4. HOW TO CHALLENGE THE VALIDITY OF A PATENT................................................................................ 94
5. RELEVANCE FOR ALL BUSINESSES .................................................................................................. 95
6. SUMMARY – FTO KEY STEPS......................................................................................................... 95
CH8: PARTNERING WITH INDUSTRY ....................................................................................... 96
1. UNIVERSITIES ....................................................................................................................... 96
2. VALORISATION .......................................................................................................................... 96
3. PARTNERING WITH INDUSTRY ............................................................................................... 97
4. PARTNERING WITH UNIVERSITIES .......................................................................................... 98
5. FRAMEWORK AND GENERAL INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 99
6. AGREEMENTS .......................................................................................................................... 103
7. CONFIDENTIALITY..................................................................................................................... 105
8. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ........................................................................................................... 106
9. RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS ................................................................................................. 107
10. TERM, SIGNATURES, ANNEXES ................................................................................................ 108
11. LEGAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................................ 108
CH9: SPIN-OFFS .................................................................................................................. 119
1. GENERAL FRAMEWORK OF A SPIN-OFF ........................................................................................... 119
2. IMPORTANCE OF IP FOR A STARTUP ................................................................................................ 124
3. IP TRANSFER METHODOLOGIES IN STARTUPS .................................................................................... 128
2
, 4. KEY STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................................................................. 130
CH10: ENFORCEMENT OF PATENT RIGHTS ............................................................................ 136
1. INTRODUCTION ON RELEVANT PATENT LITIGATION ASPECTS ............................................... 136
2. PATENT INFRINGEMENT ...................................................................................................... 137
3. OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT PROCEEDINGS ................................................................................... 141
4. UNIFIED PATENT COURT (UPC) ............................................................................................ 145
5. TRADE SECRETS .................................................................................................................. 146
CH11: SEARCH EXERCISES IN PATENT DATABASES ............................................................... 151
1. EXAM QUESTION: WHAT TYPE OF INFO CAN YOU FIND IN PATENT DATABASES ............................................. 151
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