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WIPR
Implementers praise German patent reforms
Implementers have welcomed reforms to Germany’s laws which weaken patent owners’ right to an injunction if successful in litigation, but their impact on case law remains to be seen. “This principle is a basic tenet of German legal philosophy, meaning any sanction must be proportionate to the offence committed. But patent law was essentially exempt from that,” Ludwig von Reiche,IP2Innovate's board member, told WIPR. “We expect courts to have to consider it if it is pleaded. It will most likely be pleaded in many cases and case law needs to be established,” added von Reiche.
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Patrick Oliver
Statement welcoming EP report on AI and IPR
IP2Innovate welcomes an own initiative report by the European Parliament adopted today which urges policymakers to safeguard the European patents system from abuse.
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.
Euractiv
Breton renews calls for a single European patent system
Industry welcomed Breton’s comments on Monday, but also noted the importance of adapting a single framework for a European patent, before steaming ahead with the establishment of the UPC.