The IP Factor

The Israel Patent Office hosted a seminar featuring examiners from the European Patent Office. The focus was on examining chemistry and genetic applications, and presentations covered examining Markush type claims, oppositions and unity of invention.

The presentations were fairly pedestrian and not very exciting. We learned that there is a two year deadline for filing divisional applications, but instead of explaining that annuities were required retroactively, which for the inexperienced can be a nasty shock, or giving useful tips, the presenter labored the straightforward 24 month point with examples! The cakes provided as refreshments were good, but the coffee and tea were Elite Instant, Botz (Turkish-’mud’ coffee, and Wissotzky blue label cheap and nasty tea bags.

One of the examiners spoke briefly in Hebrew albeit with a very strong French accent. the crowd applauded his efforts. Tomorrow, the same presentation is being presented at Haifa university and in Tel Aviv.

In terms of the content, not very interesting and perhaps not worth attending. However, the seminar did provide an opportunity to see the new patent office premises which are very impressive. The lecture theatre seats 120 on leatherette seats. There are good acoustics and nice projector equipment. We hope that the seminars for Examiners only will prove informative and that will improve examining standards.

One clear advantage of the Patent Office hosting seminars for the profession is that people from the different offices feel that the activity is for them, whereas many practitioners feel uncomfortable attending events organized by rival firms. A necessary consequence of official patent office patronage of IP seminars is that controversial and therefore, potentially more interesting topics are avoided.  Indeed, we think that for the patent office to become involved in anything beyond procedure, such as say discussing the scope of patentable material or other gray areas may be problematic as there is a conflict of interest between the profession and the patent office. Like all IP seminars aimed at the profession, the event provided a good opportunity to catch up with acquaintances.