Intellectual Property Law

NODUS, 7 May 2008

The fourth meeting of NODUS, the group for East Midlands IP&T practioners, was a well attended and lively event.

IP barrister Jeremy Reed of Hogarth Chambers gave an enlightening talk on software patents and recent legal developments. To say the least, this is a complicated area and Jeremy managed to give a talk interesting to both those very knowledgeable in the area (i.e. the patent agents) and to us with a less deep understanding. Key points were that:

• Conflict between the UK and the European Patent Office (EPO) approaches to software patents
• EPO law in this area is still developing

Jeremy refused to gaze into his crystal ball and predict the outcome of the ongoing Symbian case, or whether in ten years time IP professionals would still be scratching their heads trying to work out what the the law was on software patents.

The wooden spoon goes to the UK Intellectual Property Office for cancelling on sending a representative to talk on software patents on the basis of the Symbian case.

Full post as published by IMPACT on May 09, 2008 (boomark / email).