News and Publications

Euro Law Conference - USA 2021 (virtual event)

MIP host the third biennial MIP Euro Law Conference on January 18 and 19. We are pleased to announce that Hoffmann Eitle will be the cooperation partner of the conference. At the virtual event, key...

Ratification bill on the Unified Patent Court Agreement

The German Bundestag adopted with the necessary qualified majority the draft ratification bill including the consent to the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA). Welcoming the news, EPO Pres...

US and European Patent Practice - A Comparison

We are pleased to announce the publication of a series of articles comparing US and European patent practice in the life sciences sector. The articles, which have been written in collaboration with...

COVID-19 Update

HOFFMANN EITLE continues to be fully operational. Our systems are safe and reliable and facilitate remote access. We are of course continuing to monitor the COVID-19 situation closely. As a helpful...

Unwired Planet v Huawei - UK Supreme Court decision on FRAND Licensing for SEPs

UK Supreme Court decision on FRAND Licensing for SEPs The UK Supreme Court has handed down a landmark judgment in Unwired Planet v Huawei ([2020] UKSC 37) with significant repercussions in the fie...

How CJEU Santen is expected to shape landscape of patent extensions by SPCs

The Court of Justice of the European Union’s (CJEU’s) recently rendered Judgment in Santen v INPI (C-673/18) is expected to shape the landscape of patent extensions by Supplementary Protection Cert...

Financial Times - HOFFMANN EITLE ranked top firm in Europe

The Financial Times, in conjunction with Statista, has conducted a wide-ranging survey based on recommendations by clients and peers. We are proud to announce that this independent survey has place...

G3/19 - Plants/animals by biological process not patentable

The Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) has decided in G 3/19 that the term “essentially biological processes for the production of plants or animals” in Article 53(b) EPC is to be understood and applie...

COVID-19 Patent Issues: FAQ

At Hoffmann Eitle, we are currently receiving questions from clients about IP-related aspects arising from the COVID-19 pandemic. As reported in the press, many companies are working hard to make i...

Germany’s act of approval of the UPCA found to violate the constitution

The German Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has decided that the act of approval to the UPC agreement is void because it was not approved by two thirds of the members of parliament (Bundestag). S...