IP-News
  • Change of legal form

    • Since January 2007, patent law firm v. Bezold & Partner is a registered partnership organized under the German partnership law ("Partnerschaftsgesetz").

  • Malta accedes to the EPO:

     Effective from March 1, 2004, Malta will become a member of the European Patent Organisation. Malta can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after March 1, 2004.

  • Launch of online filing of patent applications:

     Patent law firm v. Bezold & Partner has launched the online filing of patent applications via the internet. The following applications can be filed electronically:
    • European patent applications
    • Regional European phases of PCT applications
    • PCT applications
    The European Patent Office (EPO) grants a significant reduction of the official fees for patent applications which are filed online. Therefore, we strongly encourage our clients to send us the application documents as electronic files so that we can file the application paperless.

  • Lithuania accedes to the EPO:

     Effective from December 1, 2004 Lithuania will become a member of the European Patent Organisation. Lithuania can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after December 1, 2004.

  • Iceland accedes to the EPO:

     Effective from November 1, 2004 Iceland will become a member of the European Patent Organisation. Iceland can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after November 1, 2004.

  • EU accedes to the Madrid Agreement:

     From October 1, 2004 the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) will accept international trademark applications designating the European Union.

    Further, international trademark applications can be based on a community trademark application or registration.
  • Annual Report of GPTO published:

     The German Patent and Trademark Office has published the annual report 2003.
  • New German Design Model Law:

     In Germany, a new design model act entered into force on June 1, 2004.
  • Extension of European Patents to Croatia:

     The European Patent Organisation (EPO) and the Republic of Croatia signed an agreement according to which European patents can be extended to Croatia. Thsi agreement applies to all European patents filed on or after April 1, 2004.

  • Poland accedes to the EPO:

     Effective from March 1, 2004 Poland will become a member of the European Patent Organisation. Poland can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after March 1, 2004.

  • Accessions to the Hague Agreement:

     The following countries acceded to the Hague Agreement concerning the international registration of designs:

    • Spain on 23. September 23, 2003
    • Liechtenstein on August 11, 2003
    • Gabun on Juli 18, 2003
    • Georgia on Juli 1, 2003
    • Belize am Juni 12, 2003
  • Accession by U.S. to Madrid Protocol:

     The United States of Ameria acceded to the Protocol relating to the Madrid Agreement concerning the international registration of marks. The accession will take into force on November 2, 2003.
  • Annual Report of GPTO published:

     The German Patent and Trademark Office has published the annual report 2002.
  • Annual Report of OHIM published:

     The Office for the Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) has published the annual report 2002.
  • News on the Community Patent during the Competitiveness Council of Ministers, Brussels, 3rd March 2003:

     The Council reached agreement on a "common political approach" concerning the proposed Community Patent. This "common political approach" includes the main outlines of the system of jurisdiction whereby a centralised Community Court would rule on disputes, the language regimes, costs, the role of national patent offices and the distribution of fees.

    "Today's agreement marks a welcome demonstration that Europe means business, and lends credibility to Europe's efforts to become the most competitive economy in the world by 2010", commented Internal Market Commissioner Frits Bolkestein after the Council. "The Community Patent will give inventors the option of obtaining, with just one application, a single patent legally valid throughout the European Union at a fraction of the existing cost of doing so. At the moment, patent protection in just eight European countries costs some €50,000 around five times as much as in the US or Japan. The Community Patent, on the basis of the current compromise, would halve these costs to some €25,000 for 25 Member States rather than just eight still more than the US or Japan but very much better than the current situation."

    "I am pleased that the Council has today agreed, in accordance with the Commission's original proposal, that there should be a single, centralised Community Court to rule on disputes arising from Community Patents. This ensures that companies using the Community Patent would not have to run the risk of potential legal action before national courts in each and every Member State, with the legal uncertainty, inconvenience and cost that would have entailed."

    The Council is now due to agree and adopt the text of the proposed Regulation on the Community Patent. In the meantime, the Commission is due to present proposals for Council Decisions to confer jurisdiction on the European Court of Justice to rule on issues arising from Community Patents and to establish a specialised Court to do so. For its part, the Council is due to propose to the European Patent Organisation (created by the 1973 Munich Convention) to convene a diplomatic conference to revise the Munich Convention so as to allow the European Patent Office in Munich to issue Community Patents. This revision of the Munich Convention would then have to be ratified by the EPO member countries.

    Source: European Community
  • South Korea signs the Madrid Protocol:

     Effective from April 10, 2003 the Protocol relating to the Madrid Agreement concerning the international registration of marks takes into force for South-Korea. Therefore, trademark protection in South Korea can be obtained by an international trademark registration.

  • Romania accedes to the EPO:

     Effective from March 1, 2003 Romanie will become a member of the European Patent Organisation. Romania can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after March 1, 2003.

  • OHIM accepts first Community Design Applications

     On 18 November 2002, the Administrative Board of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market set the date for filing applications for registered Community designs at the Office as 1 April 2003.

    However, please note that it will be possible to file applications at the Office as from 1 January 2003, although they will be deemed to have been filed on 1 April 2003.

  • Hungary accedes to the EPO:

     Effective from January 1, 2003 Hungary will become a member of the European Patent Organisation. Hungary can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after January 1, 2003.

  • Implementing Regulation of the Community Design Regulation adopted:

     The European Commission has adopted the Regulation implementing the Community Design Regulation. The Implementing Regulation will take into force shortly. The first filing date for a community design application issued by OHIM will probably be April 1, 2003.
  • New Member State of the European Patent Convention:

     Effective from December 1, 2002 Slovenia will become a member of the European Patent Organisation. Slovenia can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after December 1, 2002.

  • Draft Implementing Regulation of EPC published by European Patent Office:

     During a diplomatic conference in Munich in December 2001 the European Patent Convention (EPC) was revised. However, the revised version of the EPC has not come into effect yet since the implementing regulations have to be amended first. The European Patent Office (EPO) has now published a draft of an amended implenting regulation.
  • New Member States of the European Patent Convention:

     Effective from July 1, 2002 the following countries will become members of the European Patent Convention:
    • Slovak Republic
    • Bulgaria
    • Czech Republic
    • Estonia
    These countries can be designated for all European patent applications filed on or after July 1, 2002.

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