Franke IP Information (German)- Patentschutz in den Niederlanden: Eintragungspatent, PCT-Lücke und eine bevorstehende Reform
- Lässt sich relevanter Stand der Technik hinter dem nächstliegenden Stand der Technik „verstecken“?
- Die stille Teuerung: Wie das EPA seine Gebühren in den letzten Jahren schrittweise vervielfacht hat
- Wenn die Beschreibung mitliest: G 1/24, KI-gestützte Ausarbeitung und das neue Haftungsrisiko der Kanzlei
- Kein Eigentum, keine Innovation: Warum sozialistische Patentsysteme Wohlstand verschenken – UdSSR, DDR und Kuba
- Wer überlebt die KI? Partner, Associates und freie Patentanwälte im Umbruch der Kanzleistruktur
- Wenn das Patentamt teurer wird als der Anwalt: Zwei Szenarien für die Zukunt der IP-Branche im Zeitalter der Künstlichen Intelligenz
- Lässt sich ein Forschungsstandort auf Pump retten? Schulden, Steuern und Bürokratie aus Startup-Sicht
- Verliert Deutschland den Anschluss? Was 125 Jahre Nobelpreise über den Forschungsstandort verraten
- Namensänderung bei Inhabern und Anmeldern von Schutzrechten
Monthly Archives: June 2026
Is Germany Falling Behind? What 125 Years of Nobel Prizes Reveal About Its Standing as a Research Location
In this article we analyse the Nobel Prizes awarded in Physics and Chemistry between 1901 and 2025 for Germany, the United Kingdom, France and the USA, and place the development in the broader context of research spending, patent activity and … Continue reading
Posted in Start-up Business Consulting
Tagged IP location, Nobel Prizes, Research landscape
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Changing the Name of an IP Rights Holder or Applicant
Company names change, individuals marry, corporate structures are reorganised. Whenever the holder or applicant of an IP right is affected, the relevant register should be updated promptly. This article summarises what to bear in mind when recording a name change … Continue reading
Posted in European Law, German law, International Law, Patent Law, Trademark Law
Tagged EPO, EUIPO, GPTO, name change, transfer
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When Youth Protection Meets Artistic Freedom — and Where IP Law Comes In
I. What Happened Uwe Boll’s action thriller “Citizen Vigilante“ (starring Armie Hammer) tells the story of a wealthy businessman who, after a violent crime against his mother, loses faith in the rule of law and turns to vigilante justice. Boll presents the … Continue reading
G 1/24 in Opposition Proceedings: New Lines of Attack – and How to Defend Against Them
What it is about In decision G 1/24 of 18 June 2025 (“Heated Aerosol”), the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office (EPO) settled a question that had been disputed for years: patent claims must always be interpreted … Continue reading
Posted in European Law
Tagged EPC, European patent application, European patent office, G1/24, Opposition proceedings
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Can a Departing Employee Sign Away Their Invention Compensation? What German Law Actually Says
When a key employee leaves a company, a familiar request often lands on the legal team’s desk: “Let’s have them sign something confirming they have no further claims to compensation for their inventions.” It sounds tidy. It feels safe. And … Continue reading
Posted in German law, Patent Law
Tagged Act on Employees' Inventions, ArbnErfG, compensation, Invention
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The Patent Grant Procedure in Belgium
Anyone seeking protection for an invention in Belgium has two routes: a European patent designating Belgium, or a national Belgian patent. The national procedure is remarkably lean by international standards – and differs from the German or European route in … Continue reading
Posted in International Law, Patent Law
Tagged Belgian Patent, OPRI, Prosecution in Belgium
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Unitary Patent and National Patent: Does the Prohibition of Double Protection Still Apply?
With the start of the Unitary Patent system on June 1, 2023, a practical question arises for many applicants: can I hold a national German patent for the same invention alongside a European patent with unitary effect (the “Unitary Patent”) … Continue reading
Posted in European Law, German law, Patent Law
Tagged national law, UPC; Unitary Patent; Unitary Patent Court
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Micro-Entity Fee Reductions: Opportunities, the Comparison with the US, and the Risks of Incorrect Declarations
Fee reductions for small applicants are tempting – they noticeably lower the cost of the patent procedure. Both the European Patent Office (EPO) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) offer such reductions. What many underestimate is that … Continue reading
Micro Entity Fee Reductions: What the GPTO Offers – and What It Does Not
We are regularly asked whether Germany offers a special fee reduction for small applicants – a “micro-entity discount” of the kind familiar from the United States or the European Patent Office. The short answer is that the German Patent and … Continue reading
Posted in European Law, German law, International Law, Patent Law
Tagged EPO, Micro entity status
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Filing a Patent in France: Formal Requirements, Particularities and Costs
In France, an invention can be protected either by filing a national patent or utility certificate application, or by designating France in a European or international (PCT) patent application. On the basis of a pending PCT application, patent protection in … Continue reading
Posted in International Law, Patent Law
Tagged france, French patent application, inpi
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