EP·IP Information EPO Information Chief Advisor : Takamasa ARAI OHIM Information Chief Advisor : Yosuke TANAKA TEL FAX E-mail : + 81 - 6 - 6351 - 4384 : + 81 - 6 - 6351 - 5664 : kenzopat@mars.dti.ne.jp

EPO/OHIM IP Information

• Google loses two copyright lawsuits in Germany.


• Japan has huge lead in number of patent applications on organic EL illumination devices, OSC reveals.


• Japanese government reaches basic accord on EPAs with Vietnam and Switzerland.


• Industrial organizations in Japan, U.S., and Europe to express concern regarding China’s new IT information disclosure system.


• ITC to conduct prove into allegations that Nintendo infringed patents.


• OEM licensing agreement for Windows infringes fair competition, Japan Fair Trade Commission decides.


• Nichia files yet another patent lawsuit against Seoul Semiconductor Co., this time relating to Nichia’s most important annealing patent.


• District Court of Germany orders two German companies to stop selling ink cartridges similar to Brother’s products.

LINK

(1) EPO updates webpage for decisions, and discloses information on the latest decision. For more information, please access EPO BOA Webpage: http://www.epo.org/patents/appeals/new.html.


(2)The Official Journal 5/2008 is published. For more information, please access EPO BOA Webpage: http://www.epo.org/patents/law/legal-texts/journal/2008/05.html.


(3)The article on computer-related invention is published. For more information, please access: http://www.aippi.org/enews/2008/edition01/computer_implemented_inventions_japan.html.


(4)Triway Pilot Program
AIPLA announced on July 14, 2008 that the USPTO, EPO, and JPO agreed on the triway pilot program in which the worksharing between the three PTOs. The USPTO will launch July 28th for one year period so as to reduce the overlapping of the searching operations among the three PTOs, to improve the examination services, and to complement the exsisting Patent Prosecution Highway Program. Plant patent applications, design patent applications, re-issue patent applications, and provisional applications will be excluded from this program.

Triway Pilot Program will be applied to maximum 100 patent applications which are first filed in US and are then filed in JP and EP. The USPTO intends 10-15 cases for each technical field so that the program is not applied to specific technical fields. Please access in detail http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/pac/dapp/opla/preognotice/triway_pilot_07152008.pdf.