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European courts failing over proportionality: IP2Innovate
"Trade group IP2Innovate has warned that courts across Europe are failing to consider proportionality in patent cases, while urging the European Commission to promote similar reforms to those recently enacted in Germany" wites World IP Review.
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handelsblatt.com
Fronten im Streit über neues Patentrecht brechen auf
Bei der Modernisierung des deutschen Patentrechts liefern sich Unternehmen und Branchen eine hitzige Debatte. Wird Deutschland zum „sicheren Hafen“ für Patentverletzer?
IP2Innovate welcomes the call by CDU/CSU to introduce a proportionality test in the German Patent Act to better protect innovators against patent trolls
In a recent the German Conservatives (CDU/CSU) Elisabeth Winkelmeier-Becker and Ingmar Jung express concerns over abusive litigation practices by patent trolls, which distort the market and undermine Germany’s attractiveness as a business location. They note that in light of the high complexity of modern products, companies can no longer completely rule out the possibility of patent infringements. In this context, an unlimited right to injunctive relief create unwarranted leverage for patent trolls who buy up patents only to assert them against companies and extract disproportionately high settlements. Solutions proposed by CDU/CSU are the introduction of a proportionality test in the German Patent Act as well as a synchronisation of infringement and nullity proceedings.
Patrick Oliver
Statement in response to publication of the European Commission’s IP Action Plan
IP2Innovate welcomes the European Commission’s efforts to improve the IP landscape in Europe, in particular the emphasis on ensuring that the proportionality requirement in the granting of injunctions is met. However, the IP Action Plan outlined today needs to go further to address continuing abuses of the patent system.