Buying counterfeits costs consumers huge sums of money. The corresponding trade damages the good reputation of Swiss companies and reduces their turnover by billions each year. As a result, in 2018, Switzerland forfeited over 10,000 jobs. For the first time, a new study by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has provided concrete figures on the issue. Global trade...

The number of patent applications received by the European Patent Office (EPO) in 2020 from Switzerland has fallen by 1.9% to 8,112 according to the EPO’s newly published Patent Index 2020. The EPO reports that this is the first decline in Swiss patent applications since 2009 (-2.9%), the year after the start of the financial crisis. Despite the declining trend, however, Switzerland was still...

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...

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...

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...

The new Swiss Cleantech Report has been published. It presents sustainable innovations from Switzerland developed by SMEs, research institutes and start-ups. Drones for sustainable agriculture, technologies for recycling specific components, state-of-the-art energy management systems and an electric aircraft are just some of the many projects from a total of five categories. High-quality Swiss...

Improving the capacity to store electricity is playing a key role in the transition to clean energy technologies. Between 2005 and 2018, patenting activity in batteries and other electricity storage technologies grew at an average annual rate of 14% worldwide, four times faster than the average of all technology fields, according to a joint study published today by the European Patent Office (EPO)...

Switzerland is the most innovative country in the world for the tenth consecutive year. This is the result of the Global Innovation Index 2020 (GII), based on an assessment of 131 economies worldwide. Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom are next in the rankings. Compared to the EU, Switzerland outperforms in all areas. Switzerland exceeds expectations when it comes to transforming...

Parallel to the Swiss Economic Forum (SEF) 2020, the special event ‘SEF.Wachstum’ for young enterprises and SMEs will take place once again on 2 September 2020 in the afternoon. The programme includes inspiring presentations, for example by international negotiation expert and coach Matthias Schranner, as well as a panel discussion with Caspar Coppetti, co-founder of ‘On’. Within ten years, the...

Switzerland is a key location for innovation in the field of additive manufacturing, also known as 3D printing. In fact, no other country applies to the European Patent Office (EPO) for as many 3D printing technology patents per capita and in relation to economic performance, a fact highlighted in a study published by the EPO on 13 July. Here is an overview of the results of the study: No other...

During the coronavirus crisis, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) supported SMEs and start-ups by providing free assisted patent searches. In an interview, the deputy head of the patent division takes stock, speaks about online meetings being occasionally interrupted by children making noise and praises SMEs’ innovative strength. Read the interview on our blog.

The initiative of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI)  to support innovative start-ups and SMEs with free assisted patent searches in April and May 2020 was a huge success. More than twice as many customers wanted to take advantage of this helpful service than the average in recent years. However, the economic crisis triggered by the pandemic is not yet over, and SMEs...

At their General Assembly, the member states of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) appointed Daren Tang of Singapore as the new Director General. He will succeed Francis Gurry, who has led the organisation for twelve years. Mr Tang’s six-year term of office will begin on 1 October. With reference to the COVID-19 pandemic, the new Director General emphasised that, more than...

In 2019, 1.2 billion Swiss francs were invested in private and public biotech companies according to the Swiss Biotech Report 2020. Gene therapy, artificial intelligence and the production of advanced biologicals have developed into complementary strengths in the past year. The Swiss biotech ecosystem has become even more diverse, write the authors of the report, while the life sciences branch is...

The measures to limit the pandemic are hitting many companies hard: revenue losses, liquidity bottlenecks and short-time working. So ideas are in demand right now, not only to develop crisis-proof business models in the short term, but also to optimally shape the new start post-crisis in the longer term. During this challenging period, the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IGE) is...

In 2019, the number of patent applications originating from Switzerland filed with the European Patent Office (EPO) increased by 3.6% to reach a record high of 8,249 (2018 – 7,961). These figures can be found in the EPO’s Patent Index 2019, published today. The increase in applications from Switzerland last year was more than three times higher than the EU average of 0.9%. In 2019, Switzerland...

Trade marks in Switzerland continue to be popular. More than 17,000 applications for trade marks were received by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) in 2019, which is slightly more than the previous year. There are now more than 500,000 trade marks in force nationally. Applications for design rights, on the other hand, have remained stable, while the number of patent...

On 4 December, start-ups presented their innovations as part of the Boldbrain Startup Challenge in Lugano. First place was awarded to Orchestra, a software start-up. The winners received 40,000 Swiss francs and a scholarship worth 45,000 Swiss francs. 400 people attended the ceremony. The Boldbrain programme supports start-ups in the various stages of developing a business idea. It focuses on...

The Swiss courts regularly deal with cases concerning intellectual property law. The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) has now published statistics on the court rulings.   The figures on IP rights in 2018 show, for example, that the most court decisions by far are made in the area of trade mark law (57%). This is followed by copyright law (27%) and patent law (9%).   ...

“Pharma and medtech innovation in times of societal, technological and regulatory shifts” is the theme of this year’s Medtech & Pharma Platform Annual Conference. The event, which is its sixth anniversary, is taking place from 24 to 25 October in the Congress Center in Basel. The aim of the annual conference is to bring together stakeholders from the life sciences sector to foster cooperation...

Industries in Switzerland that make intensive use of intellectual property rights (IPR) contribute significantly to employment and the gross domestic product (GDP). This is the conclusion of a European study that has just been published. The European Patent Office (EPO) and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) have examined the role IP rights play in economic performance,...

On 19 September in Bern, the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) will host a roundtable on “Patenting procedures relating to computer-implemented inventions.” The free seminar will focus on the patentability of software in Europe. Computer programs are, as such, protected under copyright. However, thousands of patents are granted for...

The nomination period for the European Inventor Award 2020 is now open. Up until 30 September, participants can help determine who should receive the coveted award by nominating an inventor. Participation is not limited to inventors. Anyone working in business, research, intellectual property associations, universities and members of the general public can submit a nomination. You can find...

From 1 August, five changes will take effect in the field of patents in Switzerland. They concern, for example, the procedure for multiple changes to the register and for applications which are submitted too early. You can find details of the changes to practice in our newsletter (only available in German or French).

Exceptional inventors have been awarded with the European Inventor Award 2019 at a ceremony in Vienna. The winners, from Austria, France, Japan, the Netherlands and Spain, were honoured for their outstanding achievements in plastic recycling, cancer diagnostics, rechargeable battery technology, marine antifouling and DNA testing. “The imagination, intellect and expertise on display at this...

On 23 May, companies from all over Switzerland gathered at the SEF.Wachstum (meaning ‘growth’) event. The Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) was present as a partner organisation with an exhibition stand. During the ‘SpeedDating4Growth’ part of the programme, experts from the IPI answered questions about protecting innovation. “Some attendees asked about current issues...

How can I protect my innovation? This question will be the focus of a public event on 8 May at the Tecnopolo Ticino in Manno. SMEs, start-ups and representatives from higher education institutes will participate in the event organised by AGIRE (The Innovation Agency of Southern Switzerland) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI). IPI experts will provide attendees with...

From 1 July 2019, new annual fees will apply to Swiss patents and supplementary protection certificates (SPCs). The Federal Council approved the amendment to the IPI Fee Ordinance on 17 April 2019. As a result, a Swiss patent will be less expensive over its entire maximum term of validity. The annual fees will continue to increase in line with the term of the patent. However, they will now...

The new guidelines for the substantive examination of national patent applications will come into effect on 1 January 2019.From this date, those carrying out paediatric studies for medicinal products can request at the IPI an extension to a supplementary protection certificate (SPC) or, if no conventional SPC exists, a paediatric SPC. The IPI has therefore integrated the relevant legislative...

In response to the Federal Supreme Court decision 4A_576/2017 of 11 June 2018, the IPI is changing the practice for granting supplementary protection certificates (SPCs).It is no longer essential that the product to be protected falls within the scope of protection of the basic patent (as in Federal Supreme Court decision 124 III 375 “Fosinopril”); instead, it is essential that the product is...

In our new newsletter we will inform you several times a year about the latest news and provide valuable information from the fields of patents and designs.A topic of focus will be the gradual introduction of the electronic IP rights administration system. With the introduction of electronic administration, the IPI has modernised its internal processes, which in future will open up new...

On 1 July 2018, the operative phase of a joint pilot project of the five largest patent offices of the world (IP5) to test a collaboration on search and examination work of PCT applications (Collaborative Search and Examination, CS&E) began. This CS&E concept involves processing the same PCT application by an examiner from the patent office responsible under the PCT together with examination...

You are invited to attend our info event on 11 April 2018 at Hotel St. Gotthard in Zurich, where we will share information on the variety of ways in which strategic patent analyses can be used in the daily management of patents.This event, which will be held in German, is aimed at patent attorneys from industry and private practice as well as any other interested persons. You can find further...

Pat-INFORMED is the name of the most recent initiative which WIPO launched on 3 October 2017 in Geneva at the WIPO annual general meeting in cooperation with the research-based pharmaceutical industry.According to the Media Release from the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers & Associations (IFPMA) the Pat-INFORMED database will be made publicly available mid-2018. The aim of...

From December 2017, the IPI will classify Swiss patent documents (i.e. patent applications and patent specifications) according to the Cooperative Patent Classification System (CPC) in addition to the Classification according to the International Patent Classification (IPC). The first documents will be published on 15 December.The CPC is the joint classification system of the European Patent...

Nominations for the European Inventor Award 2018 are now open. The Award recognises outstanding inventors from around the world, from all technical fields and backgrounds. People from industry, research institutes, IP associations and universities, as well as the general public, are all welcome to make a suggestion. You can even nominate yourself if you want!

A presentation on «Patenting procedures relating to the pharmaceutical field» will be held at the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) on 7 September 2017. Patent examiners from the European Patent Office and the IPI will be on hand along with a judge from the Federal Patent Court, a patent attorney from a solicitor’s office, and a patent attorney from a large corporation to...

If you want to submit an application for the grant of a patent under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and designate the IPI as the Receiving Office, you no longer have to send your application on paper or by fax. You can now also submit your application online via the ePCT portal of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This system makes submitting international applications...

Patenting practice in the field of watch technology has its own challenges. A half-day public event jointly organized by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) will allow gaining some insight into these challenges.The event will take place at the IPI on 15 September 2016. Patent examiners from both offices, Tobias Bremi from the Swiss...

Patenting practice in the field of watch technology has its own challenges. A half-day public event jointly organized by the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) will allow gaining some insight into these challenges.The event will take place at the IPI on 15 September 2016. Patent examiners from both offices, Tobias Bremi from the Swiss...

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. Further information.

Minor updates have recently been made to the patent examination guidelines. An erratum at the end of the document lists the changes made.The adapted version of the guidelines is now available online (available in German and French only (pdf 1300 KB)