Critical Raw Materials and Quantum Technology

Critical raw materials are materials that are essential for the production of high-tech products, but are in limited supply and have in the past few years faced potential supply chain disruptions. These materials are called "critical" because they are used in many modern technologies, including quantum computing, semiconductor electronics, as...

Industrial Technologies 2022 Grenoble

This week three of our colleagues (Robert Harrison, Kilian Müller, and Eva Magd) took part in the EU-organised conference on Industrial Technologies 2022, held in Grenoble (France). The event is designed for research and technology organizations (RTOs), representatives of industrial companies as well as policymakers to discuss current trends, challenges...

European Fund supporting IP for SMEs

The European Commission has implemented a fund to support European Union based small and medium-sized enterprises to obtain and exploit intellectual property rights, such as patents, trademarks and designs. The way the fund operates is slightly different from country to country. Generally, it provides support to SMEs of up to...

Priority Claim for European Design Rights based on Patent Application

Can an application for a community design registration claim priority of an international patent application – and if so for how long? That was the question that the Court of Justice of the European Union had to decide in matter T-579/19. Their decision dated 14 April 2021 was very interesting...

Counterfeiting and Piracy Hotspots

The European Commission’s recently published its second Counterfeit and Piracy Watch List. This list names websites and physical marketplaces located outside of the EU (but are often accessible to European consumers) that are reported to engage in, facilitate or benefit from counterfeiting and piracy. These activities undermine the intellectual property...