An introduction to patents. Dr. Feike Liefrink 31 oktober 2006

Transcription

1 An introduction to patents Dr. Feike Liefrink 31 oktober 2006

2 Outline of the presentation Overview of intellectual property rights Requirements Procedures How to decide about patenting Patentability of software

3 Intellectual property rights Industrial rights: registration required Other rights: no registration required Patents Copyright Trademarks Designs

4 What is a patent? An exclusive right, granted by the state, to exclude others from exploiting your invention during a specific period in the jurisdiction of the state.

5 Why do we have a patent system? - Profit for society: disclosure of technical development - The price we pay: monopoly for applicant

6 Dispensing assembly for a lined carton and process and apparatus thereof Organic light-emitting device and method of fabricating the same TEMPORAL INTERPOLATION OF A PIXEL ON BASIS OF OCCLUSION DETECTION

7 Example of a patent document EP B1 IMPROVED BREADMAKER AND A CODING SYSTEM THEREFOR

8 Requirements 1. Formal requirements 2. Substantive requirements Novelty Inventive step Industrial application

9 Novelty An invention shall be considered to be new if it does not form part of the state of the art The state of the art comprises everything made available to the public by means of a written or oral description, by use, or in any other way, before the date of filing

10 Inventive step An invention is considered as involving an inventive step if it is not obvious to a person skilled in the art

11 Examination before grant Formal requirements - national application: YES - European application (EPO): YES Substantive requirements - national (Dutch) application: NO - European application (EPO): YES

12 Patent procedure: steps until grant Patent application always publication after 18 months Prior art search search report [ Examination examination report ] Grant of patent maximum 20 year

13 Patent procedure: establishment of a patent right Time (months) filing priority year examination publication patent

14 Procedures and costs National euro Dutch patent European Patent Office (EPO) euro bundle of patents International PCT (WIPO) euro bundle of patent applications

15 Who obtains the patent right? First to file principle Inventor: right to be mentioned entitled to compensation

16 Procedures after grant Opposition (EPO) revocation or maintenance Invalidation (court) nullity or maintenance Enforcement (court) claim of damages

17 Responsibilities Patent applicant (and inventor) - invention - strategy, marketing, etc. Patent attorney - writing of application - filing and prosecution of application - invalidation and infringement procedures

18 Patent protection: industry point of view Protect product or process patent = monopoly Negotiation tool stop competitors or collaborate sell or buy technical know-how Marketing image, sales argument Venture capital patent = money

19 Should we apply for a patent? Costs versus benefits Availability alternative technology Life cycle product Increase market potential (cross-licence) Trade secret

20 Alternative policies Make invention available to the public - this prevents a third party from patenting Maintain trade secret - especially for non-patentable inventions - can last for ever - risk of reverse engineering - risk for contractors and licensees

21 Bescherming van software Auteursrecht (copyright) - eis: oorspronkelijk karakter en persoonlijk stempel - object: concrete uitdrukkingsvorm (source code) Octrooirecht - eis: technisch karakter (naast nieuwheid etc.) - object: de uitvinding

22 Software en octrooirecht Software als zodanig is niet octrooieerbaar Er moet sprake zijn van een technisch karakter Grenzen zijn voornamelijk bepaald door de jurisprudentie van het EOB USA: software kan altijd worden geoctrooieerd

23 Europese richtlijn is er niet gekomen Doel: harmonisatie en verbetering rechtszekerheid Grote tegenstand vanuit open source beweging Voorbeeld: EP A1 (Method and system for placing and handling an order via a data network, for example the Internet) Richtlijn is verworpen door Europees Parlement Iedereen lijkt hiermee te kunnen leven