Exploring the New Patent Playbook: Establishing a prima facie case before the issuance of a Notice for Pre-Grant Oppositions

Introduction In India Patent Application No. 202417006578, the Assistant Controller of Patents & Designs, issued an order in the context of a Pre-grant Opposition (‘PGO’) against Pharmazz Inc.’s said patent application. This decision is particularly notable as it represents the first application of a new rule requiring the establishment of a prima facie case before […]

India- High Court emphasizes the crucial role of procedural fairness in patent application evaluation

The surge in patent filings and government initiatives highlight India’s commitment to fostering innovation. Despite challenges faced by the Indian Patent Office and the applicants, the principles of natural Justice remain pivotal. A recent ruling by the Delhi High Court in the matter of Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC v. The Assistant Controller of Patents and Designs […]

Update to Cambodia’s Patent Renewals System and a Compendium of Developments to date

Cambodia’s Department of Industrial Property (DIP) of the Ministry of Industry, Science, Technology and Innovation (MISTI, formerly known as Ministry of Industry and Handicraft – MIH) recently announced changes to the country’s patent renewals system, set to take effect on Wednesday, 14 August 2024. The changes to the patent renewals system entail patent proprietors to […]

Medical use claims in ASEAN countries

Singapore  Under Section 16 of the Singapore Patents Act, “an invention of a method of treatment of the human or animal body by surgery or therapy or of diagnosis practised on the human or animal body is not taken to be capable of industrial application.” However, first and second medical use claims are allowable in […]

Singapore Patent Office Accepts International Applications filed in Chinese

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (“IPOS”), in its capacity as a receiving Office, International Search Authority (“ISA”), and International Preliminary Examination Authority (“IPEA”) under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, accepts international applications filed in the Chinese language. The Patents Rules in Singapore were amended on 1 January 2017 to allow Chinese as a language for […]

Singapore Broadens IP links with Japan, China, Russia and Laos

IPOS International (“IPOSI”), the expertise and enterprise engagement arm of the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS), recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) with Japan’s Industrial Property Cooperation Center (IPCC). The MOU envisages providing enhanced patent search and analytical capabilities in both the Japanese and Chinese languages to benefit enterprises in Japan and Singapore […]

Revisiting long-established concepts on independent and dependent patent claims in Singapore

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore has recently announced in its newsletter dated August 14, 2019, that the current practice of examining independent and dependent claims as provided in the Examination Guidelines for Patent Applications (April 2019 version) continues to be in force. This newsletter has been circulated in the light of feedback received by […]