News and Publications

Romania joins as 18th member state of the Unified Patent Court

Romania has officially joined the Unified Patent Court (UPC) system following the ratification of the Unified Patent Court Agreement (UPCA) on April 14, 2024. On May 31, 2024, Romania deposited its...

UPC Announces Key Judicial Appointments for Local and Central Divisions

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) has finalized the composition of its panels in the local divisions of Mannheim and Munich, while also revealing the judges for the central division in Milan. Munic...

T 1252/20 - Board of Appeal Revises Interpretation of 'Substance or Composition' for Medical Use Claims

London partner Adam Lacy, and Italian and European Patent Attorney Arianna Bartolini review a recent decision of the EPO Board of Appeal making it easier for patentees to obtain protection for medi...

UPC Local Division Munich Expands Resources to Handle Rising Case Load

The Local Division Munich of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has quickly become the most popular division, handling nearly as many cases as the next four divisions combined (Mannheim, Paris, Düsseld...

Ireland Delays Referendum on Unified Patent Court

The Irish government has postponed the referendum originally set for June 7 on joining the Unified Patent Court (UPC), citing the need for greater public understanding and discussion. The decision,...

HOFFMANN EITLE wins at Managing IP Awards 2024

HOFFMANN EITLE wins three awards at the Managing IP Awards 2024 ceremony in London: Europe Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year ​​​​​​​Germany Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year ​​​​​​​Europe...

New fee reductions at the EPO for microenterprises and other organisations

A new support scheme allowing for 30% reduction on most of the EPO official fees is available under new Rule 7a(3) EPC (in force from April 1, 2024).[1] The new fee reductions apply to cases where...

HOFFMANN EITLE is attending the INTA Annual Meeting 2024

We are pleased to announce that HOFFMANN EITLE is attending this year's International Trademark Association (INTA) Annual Meeting on May 18-22, 2024, in Atlanta, Georgia. HOFFMANN EITLE will be rep...

HOFFMANN EITLE Quarterly Newsletter 03/24

Dear Colleagues and Friends, In this issue of the Hoffmann Eitle Quarterly, we continue our series of articles focusing on the new package of draft EU regulations, with a first article on the prop...

The meaning of “admissibly raised” in Article 12(4) RPBA

There is little case law on the application of the “admissibly raised and maintained” part of Article 12(4) of the Rules of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (2020). HOFFMANN EITLE’S London partner...