Patent

TOPTEAM’s Attorney Provides Patent Search and Drafting skill Training Sessions for Graduate Students in NCKU

TOPTEAM has recently worked with the Biomedical Engineering department of the National Cheng Kung University in two workshops focused on patent search strategy and patent claim drafting.

The techniques shared and ideas discussed during the workshops are particularly useful for researchers to better understand the value of their research in terms of patenting new ideas. Each workshop, delivered as part of a graduate school course “Innovative Medical Device Patent and Regulatory Strategy management”, includes a 3 hour lecture and a following 3 hour group exercise session.

09/06/2019 Patent / Trends & Statistics

TIPO’s 2018 Annual Report:14 Months for Total Pendency, 8.7 months for First Action

According to the annual report newly released by TIPO (Taiwan Intellectual Property Office), there were 41,991 requests for substantive examination of invention patent applications and 39,528 disposals of them in 2018. The yearly average disposal pendency was down to 14 months for invention patents and 8.7 months for a first office action. Both have hit a ten-year low and outperformed the current records in the US and the EU.

As for design patent applications, the average pendency for a first office action and for disposal were 6.1 months and 7.4 months respectively, showing a stable trend.

06/14/2019 Patent

Korea Introduces Treble Damages in Infringement Cases and Reverses the Burden of Proof

Korea has officially adopted punitive damages for willful infringements of a patent right or a trade secret. Effective July 9, 2019, any intentional infringement of a patent right or its exclusive license in Korea shall be imposed punitive damages. The amount is up to three times the damages recognized by the court. The adoption of punitive measures is to ensure that the infringed right holders can be fully compensated and to curb unethical business practices in which competing market players prefer to infringing and paying damages, rather than negotiating and paying the appropriate licensing fees as provided by law.

04/16/2019 Patent / 專利 Patent

Newly Passed Amendment to Taiwan’s Patent Law: Relaxation of D.A. Requirement, Longer Term of Design Protection, Revised Invalidation Procedure

The amendment bill to Taiwan’s Patent Act approved by the Executive Yuan in late 2018 was passed on April 16, 2019, by the Legislative Yuan. It extends the term of protection for design patents from 12 to 15 years. The bill, originally proposed by the Intellectual Property Office (TIPO) early last year, aims to create a more robust patent protection system, enhance the case review efficiency of patent remedies and promote industrial innovation.

02/20/2019 Patent / Trends & Statistics / 未分類

TSMC, Qualcomm, SEL Lead the Patent Rankings 2018 in Taiwan

According to newly released government statistics in Taiwan, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company) has been ranked No. 1 in residents’ patent applications with 944 cases, for three straight years since 2016, and No.1 in residents’ patent grants with 430 patents for the first time in 2018. As for non-residents’ patent activities, Qualcomm Inc took the first place with 1,011 applications and SEL (Semiconductor Energy Labor) with 474 grants.

11/13/2018 Patent / 未分類

China’s Supreme Court Will Hear Appeals on IP Lawsuits Involving Strong Technical Background

According to a decision made by the Standing Committee of National People’s Congress on October 26, 2018, appeal cases involving strong technical backgrounds will be heard by China’s Supreme People’s Court ( SPC ), effective January 1st, 2019. Such legislation that aims to unify standards for hearing intellectual properties (IP) cases and further enhance the judicial protections for IP rights covers disputes on invention patent, utility model patent, new varieties of plants, layout design of integrated circuits, technical secret, computer software, anti-trust, etc.