The sic! journal for intellectual property, information and competition law has been published since 1997 and is indispensable to the professional community. For more than 23 years, an independent editorial board has ensured that this high-quality publication keeps Swiss IP lawyers up to date with the latest case law and academic discourse. It is supported by the IPI, the International Association...

The legal criteria for the long-term protection of ‘Swissness’ are fulfilling their purpose. This has been confirmed in studies commissioned by the Federal Council. They are adding value to the Swiss economy and are also leading to a decrease in cases of ‘Swissness’ misuse, particularly within Switzerland. However, in a report approved on 18 December 2020, the Federal Council sees potential for...

Even in this challenging year, the spirit of innovation in Switzerland has remained intact. The thousandth invention this year was examined for its patenting potential in November at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). The IPI had already carried out one thousand assisted patent searches by November this year. This service supports inventors in finding out where they...

The dialogue between Switzerland, most notably the IPI, and the relevant Indonesian authorities has borne fruit with the adoption of the Omnibus Law, in autumn 2020. At the beginning of October 2020, the Indonesian Parliament passed the Omnibus Law. This legislative amendment concerns the revision of a total of 76 laws covering areas such as labour, taxation and intellectual property.On...

Innovative SMEs and start-ups continue to be seriously challenged by the coronavirus crisis. The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) would like to continue to support them in this arduous marathon, which is why it is continuing its offer of assisted patent searches and assisted patent landscape analyses for CHF 100 instead of CHF 300 up until 30 June 2021. The demand for...

The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) has updated its guidelines for the substantive examination of national patent applications. The new guidelines (PDF, in German, in French) will apply to all pending procedures from 1 January 2021. The updated guidelines define, in particular, the criteria for the examination of supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) and paediatric...

Find out what we were involved in at the IPI in the 2019/2020 business year in our new Annual Report. It gives you an overview of the year at the IPI, including a detailed interview with experts about the benefits and merits of electronic IP rights management. The photos throughout the Annual Report explain the fundamental aspects of protecting a design, illustrated with design classics from the...

Watch out when shopping online because toys, clothes, jewellery accessories and new high-tech products are all very much in demand in the pre-Christmas period. It is the season when many consumers expect to bag a really good bargain. You can find further information in the STOP PIRACY media release.

The Federal Council wants to modernise the Swiss patent system and adapt it to international standards. It opened the consultation procedure on the partial revision of the Patents Act on 14 October 2020. The consultation proposes that a patent should only be granted if the invention to be patented is novel and innovative. This would lead to more legal certainty and increase the value of granted...

Due to the current situation, the Swiss Innovation Forum (SIF) will not be held as a one-day conference this year, but will take place in virtual form from 17 - 19 November. True to its motto "It's Time To Innovate – NOW", giving up and cancelling is not an option for the leading Swiss innovation conference. The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) is once again one of the...