future meetings

28 May 2010

ExCo Meeting Spring 2010

Union's Executive Committee spring meting 2010 will take place at the Hilton Nordica Hotel in Reykjavik, Iceland, May 27-30, 2010. Registration and travel info: https://asp.artegis.com/lp/PRUNION10/prunion10 Preliminary program and contacts attached.

Reykjavik, Iceland

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7 October 2010

Current Design Issues

A Roundtable discussing current Design issues. Details to follow.

Turin, Italy

8 October 2010

ExCo Meeting Autumn 2010

Union's Executive Committee meeting.

Turin, Italy

23 June 2011

Union Congress

Union will be celebrating its 50th anniversary with a Congress in Brussels fro 21st to 26th June 2011. Programme to follow.

Brussels

recent events

The EPO and non-inventions

London, Royal Overseas League

The British group was pleased that, recovered from the broken foot that led to a postponement of his talk, Dr Stefan Steinbrener, addressed the British group dinner meeting on Tuesday 9 March 2010. Dr Steinbrener, former EPO Board of Appeal Chairman and Enlarged Board member and guru of excluded subject matter at the EPO, spoke and took questions on 'The EPO and non-inventions'.

How to cope with patent scope - Literal interpretation of claims throughout Europe

Munich

About 70 practitioners attended Union's Spring 2010 Roundtable on the subject "How to cope with patent scope - Literal interpretation of claims throughout Europe" at the German Patent Office. They heard judges from France, Germany, UK and the Netherlands, and also academics and practitioners discuss the different approaches to claim interpretation, including issues such as file wrapper estoppel, the effect of unclaimed embodiments, the reverse theory of equivalence, the effect of unclear terms and the Ancora cat. The presentations are available both individually and as a single complete document in the Library and Reference Section under Latest Bulletins.

British Group Dinner Meeting

London, The Royal Overseas League

The British Group of UNION's Christmas Dinner meeting at the traditional British club, The Royal Overseas League was addressed by England's most recently elevated High Court Patents Judge, Richard Arnold. The Honourable Mr Justice Arnold discussed topical IP issues, including PCC reform and the latest on a central European Community Patent Court.

ExCo Meeting Autumn 2009

Bordeaux

Union's Executive Committee met in Bordeaux, France at the Hotel Chateaux Chartrons. The ExCo meeting was preceded by Commission meetings. The reports presented are available in the Library and Reference section in each Commission's area, and the whole proceedings are available as a single document in UNION Newsletter No.2 October 2009.

Roundtable Autumn 2009

Bordeaux, France

The UNION of European Intellectual Property Practitioners held a Round Table on the subject of "Ambush Marketing". This UNION Round Table was been organised with the cooperation of the French Group of UNION and the Trademark and Design Commissions. "Ambush marketing" is often referred to as a new form of unlawful competition. It usually takes place during large sporting events and clearly emphasises the strengths and weaknesses of trademark protection. Inside (and outside) the premises of the sporting event, the use of trademarks is exclusively reserved to those trademarks that are linked to authorised sponsors (through contracts). It remains however very difficult or sometimes impossible to avoid the use or even the simple presence of non-participating trademarks during such events. We heard from two experts in the field: Phillip Johnson, a barrister of 7 New Square, London and author of a book on Ambush Marketing, and Tom Heremans of CMS DeBacker, Brussels. Their presentations were followed by a lively and interesting discussion on the topic and on the pros and cons of sui generis legislation as found in some jurisdictions. A summary of the proceedings and the papers presented are in the Library and Reference section.