On 24 May 2017, the Bern School of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences (HAFL) is dedicating a symposium to the topic of 3D food printing. Sibilla Delorenzi, a patent expert at the IPI, will be holding a talk at the event on how a patent landscape analysis can help identify market developments and stakeholders.

The European Patent Office (EPO) introduced a new practice for opposition procedures on 1 July 2016 with the aim of shortening such proceedings. It has optimised its internal workflows so that the total time needed for a decision in straightforward cases is reduced to 15 months, calculated as from expiry of the opposition period. This new practice continues to respect the general principles...

On 7 July 2016, a one-day conference is taking place at the headquarters of the European Patent Office on the current status of the European patent with unitary effect (also known as the unitary patent or UP) and the Unified Patent Court (UPC). At the conference, you can find out about the preparatory work already completed, the ongoing ratification in the member states and the implications for...

When Gyro Gearloose has a problem, he puzzles and tinkers until a functional technical masterpiece is standing in his workshop. Afterwards, the neighbours are amazed at its practical benefits.The starting point of any innovation is the vision. However, is it worth blindly realising an idea for a product without looking beyond the workbench or the lab? Developing a product right up until it is...

IP managers, decision-makers and investors will be gathering at the London IP Summit to share information and ideas on innovation, management, IP monetisation and IP strategies. Here, you can find out the latest trends regarding the importance of patents and trade marks for innovative product development and the strategic alignment of your company in the market. Investments are only made in...

Even though the Swiss patent system has stood the test of time over the years, it is worthwhile reviewing from time to time to ensure that it still meets the requirements of a rapidly changing framework. Two economic consulting companies therefore addressed this issue under the mandate of the IPI, and have made recommendations accordingly."The potential for optimising the Swiss national patent...

Companies are frequently confronted with a variety of problems. By the time an SME thinks about protecting its intellectual property, however, it’s often too late. Felix Addor, deputy director general of the IPI, takes a stand on this issue in an interview published on the federal administration's SME portal.The IPI’s platform ,Envisioned. Created. Protected., provides relevant information to...

From 1 July 2015, it will no longer be possible to file PCT applications in PCT-EASY mode.All PCT applications submitted on paper together with a copy in electronic form on or after 1 July 2015 will be treated as a PCT application in paper format. The fee reduction (CHF 100.00) will no longer apply for such applications. The IPI therefore draws attention to the possibility of filing online via...

Analysing patent statistics can be a valuable tool for recognising technological trends and the technological leadership of individual market participants, and for monitoring them in the medium term too. Such statistics go beyond purely quantifying the number of filed patent applications in that they create knowledge with strategic value.Two reports published at the end of 2014 show how...

Smiling at us from the billboard is the typical family next door. But by buying fake products, the fiction-al Flückinger family is investing in a business that gives rise to a great number of victims.Anyone who, like the Flückigers, buys counterfeit goods often isn't aware that they are subsidising criminal organisations. The non-profit association STOP PIRACY is therefore engaged in raising...