Additive manufacturing (AM) is a disruptive technology coming of age. The EPO’s latest study reveals explosion in global patenting activity in 3D printing and other forms of AM, now being deployed in construction, healthcare and transport. Patent filings for AM inventions are increasing at eight times the rate across all technologies, as AM comes out of its niche as a prototyping tool and enters the mainstream at the centre of manufacturing. Moderator: Jeremy Philpott (Communications manager, EPO) Guests: Ilja Rudyk (Senior Economist, EPO) and Judy Ceulemans (Senior Expert, EPO) Download the study More about additive manufacturing on our website

Meeting virtually for an after-work chat in the European Patent Bar, judge Dr Matthias Zigann and attorney Grégoire Desrousseaux discuss “Adaptation of the description”. This requirement of the patent grant process at the EPO has provoked a variety of opinions amongst the profession and even before the Boards of Appeal. They discuss the central importance of clarity for patents, especially in litigation, and evaluate the different positions that practitioners hold.  Dr Zigann is Presiding Judge at the Higher Regional Court in Munich, as well as Presiding Judge of the Local Division (Munich) of the Unified Patent Court. Mr Desrousseaux is a French litigator, European patent attorney and partner at August Debouzy in Paris. The views of the speakers are their own and not necessarily those of the EPO, nor of their courts nor chambers.

Patent professionals: how do you steer clear of unclear terminology, ambiguous descriptions or overly complex claims in your applications? Do you have a strategy to deal with objections? How do you draft a quality application? If these questions have left you feeling stressed, relax! Our expert trio is here to help. Join an EPO examiner and two patent attorneys as they guide you through common patenting mistakes in four key areas: quality, pre-filing, application preparation and post-filing.  Moderated by Rob Chapman, EPO examiner, with Sandra Pohlman, European Patent Attorney at df-mp, Munich, Germany and Thomas Remmerswaal, Dutch and European Patent Attorney at EP&C Patent Attorneys, Rijswijk, The Netherlands.

Trailer for the EPO’s new podcast channel “Talk innovation: patent professional edition” with content tailored to the needs of the patent profession: patent attorneys, lawyers, paralegals, patent searchers and related professions. First episode coming very soon! Subscribe now and don’t miss it.