For IP professionals
This is the portal for professionals working in the field of intellectual property. Here you'll find direct access to all necessary resources.
Quick links
News
01.07.2024 | Law and policy, Copyright
New directive for the supervision of the collective rights management organisations
...more
What has happened up to now?
The Federal Council approves the dispatch on the partial revision of the Patent Act
The Federal Council adopted the partial revision of the Patents Act at its meeting on 16 November 2022. The Patents Act is to be adapted to international standards, and the Swiss patent system is to be made more attractive to SMEs and individual inventors, in particular. Parliament will now deliberate on the draft bill.
You can find full information on the next steps under Parliamentary deliberation.
The Federal Council mandates the IPI to prepare a dispatch on the partial revision of the Patents Act
The Federal Council acknowledges the results of the consultation (in German, in French, or in Italian) on the partial revision of the Patents Act at its meeting of 18 August 2021. Modernising the patent examination procedure was, in principle, welcomed in the consultation. The Federal Council now wants to take account of the criticism voiced in individual areas by modifying the contents of the draft bill. It has mandated the Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP) to draft a dispatch on the partial revision of the Patents Act with the following key points by the end of 2022:
- Forgo the introduction of a utility model
- Make the patent examination more flexible by providing an optional examination of all patentability requirements including novelty and inventive step
- Increase legal certainty through a compulsory patent search for all patent applications
- Abandon opposition proceedings and simultaneously expand the possibilities for appeal
- Appoint the Federal Patent Court (FPatC) as the appeal authority against IPI decisions instead of the Federal Administrative Court (FAC)
The IPI will now prepare such a draft including a dispatch for the attention of Parliament.
The consultation procedure on the Patent Acts revision is closed
The consultation ran until 1 February 2021. The results of the consultation procedure are available on www.admin.ch. The comments (PDF) submitted will now be evaluated by the IPI.
The Federal Council opens its consultation
The Federal Council opened its consultation procedure on the partial revision of the Patents Act at its meeting of 14 October 2020. The consultation will run until 1 February 2021.
The IPI is preparing the preliminary draft of the revision of the Patents Act
Following the adoption of the motion by the Federal Council on 29 May 2019, the Council of States then approved the motion on 4 June 2019 and the National Council on 12 December 2019. The IPI, as the competent federal authority, is now preparing a preliminary draft (PDF in German, French, Italian) and the explanatory report (PDF in German, French, Italian) on the Patents Act revision.
Documents & links
- Federal Council media release on the adoption of the dispatch
- Federal Council media release on preparing a dispatch on the partial revision of the Patents Act
- Federal Council media release on the opening of the consultation procedure
- Draft Patents Act in French (PDF)
- Draft Patents Act in Italian (PDF)
- "Towards a modern Swiss patent" motion in German
- "Towards a modern Swiss patent" motion in French
- "Towards a modern Swiss patent" motion in Italian
News
20.08.2024 | IPI, Dienstleistungen - OnlineServices, Dienstleistungen - Datenbanken und Verzeichnisse
Swissreg is to be completely modernised
...more
01.07.2024 | Law and policy, Copyright
New directive for the supervision of the collective rights management organisations
...more
27.05.2024 | Patents, Media release, Law and policy, Conference
New international treaty on intellectual property, genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge adopted
...more
Events
19.01.2023 | Law and policy, Event
Conference on Intellectual Property & Sustainability at the University of Geneva
...more