One of the landmark decisions at the EPO last year was G1/24, which held that "the description and drawings shall always be consulted to interpret the claims when assessing the patentability of an invention under Articles 52 to 57 EPC, and not only if the person skilled in the art finds a claim to be unclear or ambiguous when read in isolation."

But what does this mean in practice?

Artificial intelligence (AI) – and in particular machine-learning (ML) and neural-network–based inventions – has rapidly become one of the most active fields of patent filing before the European Patent Office (EPO).

When an employee inventor reports an invention to his employer in Germany, the rights to the invention go to the employer, who then has the duty to file a patent application for the invention.

All you need to know on BSH vs. Electrolux and the recent caselaw at the UPC regarding its "long-arm" jurisdiction.

High quality invention disclosures have become pivotal for successful patent applications concerning AI at the EPO. This is due to EPO case law (e.g., T 1669/21, EPO Guidelines) shaping specific requirements regarding sufficiency of disclosure as well as inventive step. …

G1/24 is expected to be a landmark decision that will shape the future of claim interpretation at the EPO. The key question is whether description and drawings may be taken into account when interpreting the claims for patentability (Art. 52-57 EPC).

On January 17, 2025, HKW rang in the new year in a thermal power plant from the 1960s. After a guided tour of the thermal power plant, which now also houses a furniture store (KARE), we enjoyed ...

We are excited to have Dr. Mathias Neumüller as a further addition to our talented team of patent attorneys.  Mathias recently joined our team, bringing with him an impressive academic background. He holds an M.Phil. in Physics, …

T 0439/22 is the BoA case that led to G1/24. Claim 1 comprises a term ("gathered sheet") that has a clear and agreed meaning to the skilled person. However, the description defines the term more broadly. Which understanding is to be used for determining novelty of claim 1? …

According to Rule 43(2) EPC, a European patent application shall not contain more than one independent claim in the same category unless one of three listed conditions are met. Rule 43(2) EPC refers explicitly to a European patent application …

When is the last point in time at which you can successfully file a divisional application on an EP application? The common answer is “as long as the application is pending”, which means until the end of the appeal …

According to recent Federal Court of Justice (BGH) jurisprudence, amendments must be "directly and unambiguously" disclosed. This is also the case in the recent Federal Court of Justice decision …

In BGH X ZR 19/21 "Vacuum Cleaner," the patent in dispute concerned a vacuum cleaner with a partition wall between a particle collection chamber and a blower chamber, featuring an air guide funnel and an interference protection element. …

If you're looking for the best trademark protection in Europe, it's worth considering the benefits of a German trademark in addition to (or even instead of) a EU trademark. While EUTMs provide extensive coverage across the EU …