Monthly Archives: October 2026

Creative, but Not an Author: What AI Can Do in Art – and What the Law Says

Posted on October 21, 2026 by Dr. Dirk Franke

Can a machine be an artist? The debate is usually fought between two camps. One holds that human creativity, too, is nothing more than the clever recombination of what has been learned, and sees AI well on its way to … Continue reading →

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“Magic Button” vs. Mandatory Driver Assistance Systems: Is the Solution to a Problem Created by Regulation Patentable at the EPO?

Posted on October 18, 2026 by Dr. Dirk Franke

Dacia calls it an innovation of its own; Dacia’s CEO calls it her customers’ most popular button: the “My Safety” button to the left of the steering wheel. Pressed twice, it switches off a selected bundle of driver assistance systems. Since the … Continue reading →

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Maintenance or Renewal? When Fees Fall Due for Hong Kong Standard Patents

Posted on October 11, 2026 by Dr. Dirk Franke

Anyone who dockets Hong Kong standard patents like European patents will get the dates wrong. Hong Kong charges two different kinds of annual fee: a maintenance fee for certain pending applications and a renewal fee for granted patents. Neither is simply due on each … Continue reading →

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Patent Protection in Ireland: The Short-Term Patent, the Evidence-of-Novelty Trap, and a Back Door for PCT Applications

Posted on October 11, 2026 by Dr. Dirk Franke

Ireland has no utility model. Instead, it offers two national patents side by side: a full-term patent with a maximum term of 20 years and a short-term patent with a maximum term of 10 years. The short-term patent is granted … Continue reading →

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