EIP Digital blog

If your'e interested in the UK's innovation incentive scheme as it develops, w/ news and opinion, follow Patent Box specialists @patentise

3D printing, patents, trademarks and copyrights - http://t.co/KxrSM2Pt via @BoingBoing

Another UK judgement on email synchronisation patent http://t.co/mDFUpB4L (surprise surprise, patent held obvious)

@IglooLondon Death + 70 years: see when an old crooner writes a duet & music with a young whippersnapper.

Apple and HTC end smartphone patent battle (for 10 years) http://t.co/xkuUBcIx

Apple Pays Swiss Federal Railways $21 Million For Clock Icon http://t.co/Ft1FJvMk via @mashable

Impressive if it works: Microsoft demos instant English-Chinese translation http://t.co/YDG2Z9Sd

Apple loses appeal in UK courts. Samsung tablets don't infringe Apple's registered Community Design. Full judgement http://t.co/q1MNzU55

Oh yes, reminds me of similar line by Google... http://t.co/QhubRRJw

Anyone else (other then Amazon) calling for action to limit patents when making move into new area invented by others? http://t.co/ntiIYE2o

New Small Claims track for IP disputes. May be of interest for copyright, TMs and unregistered designs http://t.co/mlV4Z9T5

Apple loses another mutitouch patent case - this time in Germany http://t.co/LHCKr4Iw

Interested to see the iOS 6 upgrade on my various iDevices, begins today London time, 6pm

This could come in useful after a night out - Follow Your Feet Home With These GPS Shoes http://t.co/rQFLGGMr

Nokia Launches New Flagship Lumia 920 Phone With Windows 8 http://t.co/nvLIFhcZ via @mashable

USPTO Patent Grants: Another Record Year (3rd in a Row) - Patent Law Blog (Patently-O) http://t.co/v0IE7r59 via @patentlyo

Exciting, Nokia launches new Windows 8 phone today... wonder if it will put out of smartphone dive http://t.co/vs5mVLHw

Learning from HTC v Apple - what does it tell us about the patentability of computer programs? http://t.co/xsaT0qjX

HTC Europe Co Ltd v Apple Inc [2012] EWHC 1789 (04 July 2012) http://t.co/iu8MQxG9 [A veritable banquet of digital patent law & telecomms]

T 1553/06 (Public availability of documents on the Web) http://t.co/3P3xBXR1 [A useful test case for online disclosure at @EPOorg]

Range of opinions amongst practitioners to case studies - expect a range of opinions amongst examiners #CIIatIPO

Signposts are useful but they aren't always useful in all cases - good place to start #CIIatIPO

With technical contribution - do you have to take all the claim? If so any aspect that is 'technical' cannot be ignored. #CIIatIPO

If looks like a computer program - is contribution program as such or is there more (a technical contribution - use signposts)? #CIIatIPO

Running through 3 case studies - it is difficult to determine patentability at the UKIPO, especially for borderline subject matter #CIIatIPO

Point from audience: VICOM provides basis for 'whole claim' approach to contribution [still unclear though on overlap w/ novelty] #CIIatIPO

Gemstar case cited in MPP for presentation of information exclusion at UKIPO #CIIatIPO

Key point: level of remoteness from hardware - direct link is fine, general abstract improvement is more difficult #CIIatIPO

A test - who came up w/ invention business man, computer programmer, engineer etc? #CIIatIPO

How practitioners help - avoid 'means for' claims, claim CII, set out technical contribution, use Aerotel/signposts, don't quote S/H cases

Referring to: EPO, Symbian without relevance, new arrangement without evidence, signposts are only guidance: will not get you far #CIIatIPO

If claims fail at 3rd step - the 4th is not applied #CIIatIPO

Private applicants often get action before search with the option of returning search fee if can't be searched #CIIatIPO

430 computer/business method searches in last 6 months - only 40 with no-search possible comms #CIIatIPO

At step 3 the Examiner cross-checks contribution against s.1(2) exclusions #CIIatIPO

Examiner apply Aerotel 4 Step Test - 3/4th step combined, computer program apply AT&T signposts/Symbian, business method out at 3 #CIIatIPO

If you have a computer implemented method claim it as such #CIIatIPO

Always take a broad view - contribution may be inventive step if lots of prior art #CIIatIPO

Protecting Kids the World Over - good recent case of going beyond just the application > patentable #CIIatIPO

Circumventing a technical problem - exists where method difference rather than hardware difference? #CIIatIPO

"the computer" allegedly does not include software/applications #CIIatIPO

Effect is irrespective of type of data - technical contribution #CIIatIPO

Technical contribution - control outside of computer/system; control of internal computer hardware; a better OS (from Symbian) #CIIatIPO

Question of the day: what is a technical contribution? [from Symbian only applies to computer program exclusion?] #CIIatIPO

1) Method of training a sheepdog would fall foul of 4th step of Aerotel 2) QuestBV @EPO would also fall foul of 4th step #CIIatIPO [only 2]

Construe the claim - look at claim and try to work out what is there - asks practitioners to be clear #CIIatIPO

AT&T - five signposts to give an idea of what is a 'technical contribution' #CIIatIPO

Symbian - patentable if there is a technical contribution #CIIatIPO

Aerotel - new arrangement of equipment patentable in UK #CIIatIPO (original Aerotel case settled before court)

UKIPO like VICOM, Fujitsu - UK likes technical contribution, then CFPH - betting system - 1) is contribution? 2) is patentable? #CIIatIPO

Microsoft Data Transfer T 424/03 - clipboard case & Hitachi, EPO cases also referred to in UK #CIIatIPO

EPO cases: VICOM - image x matrix = patentable; Pension Benefits = method is business method implemented by computer; COMVIK - start of A.56

Going through s.1(2) quickly - "business" exclusion includes administrative methods #CIIatIPO

Nigel & Stephen train UK examiners on excluded subject matter #CIIatIPO - today practitioners are the trainees

Starting w/ Nigel Hanley from @The_IPO - a UK Examiners view of excluded subject matter

Latest in Apple v Samsung tablet case from the High Court, by Darren Smyth @EIP_Elements http://t.co/8nj2oY9H

Graduating/ed Engineers & Scientists - want a job in lovely Bath? 4 day left to apply! http://t.co/rt0MNNg3 [cc @welovebath @nowbath]

Will be interesting to see how #CDECatapult progresses - broad themes emerged & there was momentum at end of day. The hard part follows...

Service exchange. VC connections. TSB funding facilitators. #CDECatapult #brainstorming

What is #CDECatapult business model? What does it do with IPR? How do SMEs afford services? #brainstorming

Trying to unpick separation between tech and business help. Access to experts (low cost/free for SME). #CDECatapult #brainstorming

Need to answer what is in it for the SME? #CDECatapult #brainstorming

#CDECatapult provides knowledge of different industry (e.g. Healthcare for ICT companies). #brainstorming

Robust IPR framework based on existing consortium models. #CDECatapult #brainstorming

Bar to entry for #CDECatapult - incentive to join club & share. #CDECatapult

#CDECatapult provides endorsement to facilitate investment. #brainstorming [possible legal funding issues]

SME based in innovation centre - recommended to #CDECatapult - put in touch with advisors & investors. Reduction in risk. #brainstorming

Company has big idea - don't have resources for design/manufacture/testing. Need project management by #CDECatapult. #brainstorming

#CDECatapult as broker - working on multiple geographic levels in UK; providing access to advisors. #brainstorming

University providing access to #CDECatapult and big data for testing and access to market. #brainstorming

Great storytelling & creative brainstorming in workshop 2 - #CDECatapult facilitating big entity / SME links via regional shifting.

Lots of talk on how to make #CDECatapult worthwhile for SMEs - need to understand problems faced by SMEs - difficult for public bodies.

Q. How do we make #CDECatapult profitable for microSMEs? Can commercial relationships help? [within EU-law]

Brokerage for microSMEs: where service-providers (attorneys, accountants, solicitors, consultants) can help w/ exposure. #CDECatapult

Good question: how does public/private split work? How's does it differ from TSB? #CDECatapult

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