Knowledge Hub

Discussing EPO developments and patentability of computer-implemented inventions in the era of AI In April 2019, the Charted Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) will lead a series of intellectual property roadshows in the USA, with participation from the Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA), the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) and Sir Colin Birss,… Read more »

AA Thornton’s advice for EPO management EPO President Mr António Campinos invited AA Thornton to provide recommendations for the EPO’s strategic plan for 2019-2023, and our letter is shown below. AA Thornton has actively encouraged the EPO in several of its recent initiatives. The ‘Early Certainty from Search’ scheme and the recent major reorganisation of… Read more »

Google get lucky – Google win a patent dispute over their “I’m feeling lucky” button Google have been involved in a dispute with Israeli company Spring Ventures (previously Buy2 Networks) regarding their “I’m feeling lucky” button which, once clicked, takes the user straight to Google’s top-ranked search link. Spring Ventures asserted that the button infringed… Read more »

AA Thornton Partners Ian and Vanessa are mentioned in the 2019 edition of the World Trademark Review We are thrilled to announce that Partner Ian Gill and Consulting Attorney Vanessa Lawrence, have been, once again, recommended in the 2019 edition of the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000: The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals, in the “prosecution and strategy” category…. Read more »

Reporting on the Queen Mary University’s Life Sciences, Cosmetics and Intellectual Property seminars for CNIPA Consulting Patent Attorney Julie Barrett-Major recently gave two 3-hour seminars at the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) earlier this month on Life Sciences, Cosmetics and Intellectual Property. The two seminars formed part of the QMUL’s programme of education and training… Read more »

The Importance of Intellectual Property Associate Attorney, Christopher Burnett, recently wrote an article ‘The Importance of Intellectual Property’ for East Anglia in Business Magazine, and the full magazine can be read  here.. Chris’s article identifies different IP rights, what they protect and how they are obtained in order to then commercialise them. Below is Chris’s… Read more »

Reporting on the second annual ABHI Parlimentary Reception Attorneys Marianne Privett, Alex Bone and Chris Burnett from our Medical Devices team attended the second annual Association of British Healthcare Industries (ABHI) parliamentary reception at Westminster on Monday night. They were joined by over 200 guests, including Secretary of State for Health and Social Care Matt… Read more »

Brexit? What next? The UK government suffered a defeat of historic proportions on Tuesday 15 January in relation to its proposed Brexit deal, but survived a vote of no-confidence the next day.  Despite these extraordinary events we are no closer to understanding where the Brexit process will go next or how long it will take… Read more »

European Commission proposes changes to Supplementary Protection Certificates Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) are an intellectual property right that serve as an extension to a patent right (for up to five years) specific to pharmaceutical and plant products that must undergo extensive testing and clinical trials before being authorised by marketing authorities in Europe. Earlier in 2018,… Read more »

 AA Thornton reflect on the past year in the battery and energy storage industries On the 4th and 5th of December, Patent Attorneys Marianne Privett and David Blair attended the ‘Battery and Energy Storage Show 2018’ hosted by Warwick University (with Matt Havron joining them on the 5th December). At the event, Marianne and David… Read more »