CONTENTS
NPEs
Who speaks for the SMEs?
SMEs are frequently invoked as the victim in narratives around patent trolls and predatory NPEs. But in major policy debates, there are bigger corporate interests at play. Rory O’Neill reports.
EPO: VIRTUAL HEARINGS
Legality goes online
President Joe Biden’s changes to M&A rules and the emergence of a stringent antitrust bill could herald tough new antitrust measures—with significant ramifications for IP, reports Muireann Bolger.
ANTITRUST
A changing of the guard
President Joe Biden’s changes to M&A rules and the emergence of a stringent antitrust bill could herald tough new antitrust measures—with significant ramifications for IP, reports Muireann Bolger.
CHINA: TRADEMARKS
Fighting the trademark wolves
It is not easy to defend against mass attacks that target brands in China, but there is a way, explains Aimin Huo of CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office.
TRADE SECRETS / COMPETITION
Securing the secrets of sports data
As the billion-dollar sports betting market continues to grow, so does its need for pitchside data, but the dispute over who owns it is getting fierce, as WIPR’s Alex Baldwin discovers.
UK POLITICS
The ’Crown use’ cliffhanger
Vodafone’s lost appeal resulted in a clarification of when the state can use private rights. WIPR’s Alex Baldwin spoke with a lead lawyer in the case to find out more.
IP SERVICES
Staying lean and agile
Well-established project management methods used in other industries can be applied to IP departments, as Dominique Christ of Dennemeyer Consulting explains.
PATENTS
UPC scenarios: optimists look forward to 2022
While it is true that the Unified Patent Court’s latest hurdle could delay the project for years, ratification is more likely, argues Wouter Pors of Bird & Bird.
TRADEMARKS
A fundamental mistake
The English High Court has found in favour of Amazon in a dispute over the sale and visibility of goods in the UK/EU territory. The ruling could lead to an upheaval in trademark litigation, argues Aaron Wood of Blaser Mills.
INDIA: LICENSING
Rules of the club
A dispute between InterDigital and Xiaomi highlighted the delicate balance between confidentiality and fair opportunity in SEP disputes, say Ranjan Narula and Suvarna Pandey of RNA Technology and IP Attorneys.
US: PATENTS
PTAB changes prompt a new strategy for patent owners
The updates to America Invents Act rules have levelled the evidentiary playing field for patent owners—so what will they do now, asks Frank Bernstein of Squire Patton Boggs.
TRADE SECRETS
Protecting the without prejudice rule
The English Court of Appeal has avoided a potentially dangerous erosion of the without prejudice rule. Richard Roberts, Aidan Southall, and Georgia Carr of Potter Clarkson report.
CHINA: TRADEMARKS
CNIPA releases guiding IP cases for administrative enforcement
The first release of China’s IP case guides included three regarding trademarks. Haoyu Feng of Chofn IP examines what trademark owners can learn.
CHINA: TRADEMARKS
The comfort of consent
A dairy company’s trademark triumph at China’s top court has significantly increased the evidentiary value of letters of consent. George Chan, Ricky Xing, and Zoe Sun of Simmons & Simmons report.
