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 50,000 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...

“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...

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...

Switzerland has once again retained its spot at the top of the Global Innovation Index (GII). Sweden and the USA also made it onto the podium. Each year, the GII evaluates the innovation performance of countries. The rankings are based on 80 indicators such as investment in research and development, trade mark and patent protection and high-tech exports. The World Intellectual Property...

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...