Patents

On current growth rates China will overtake the US to become the world’s largest patent filing jurisdiction by 2012, according to market analysts Evalueserve.

The State Intellectual Property Office of China has launched a free online machine translation service for patent information searchers.

The European Society of Human Genetics wants to ban the patenting of genes and DNA sequences but allow patents on genetic tests.

The UK has launched a new free searchable database for published patents data, allowing users to search and download published patent information, on-line, free of charge.

Small is beautiful: patent applications are continuing to rise, but the European Patent Office is pleased that the number it grants is falling.

A common format for filing patent applications to the European, Japanese and US patent offices will be introduced at the beginning of next year.

Valerie Pécresse, Research and Higher Education minister, reveals her agenda to Science|Business.

After more than 30 years of failure there could be political agreement paving the way for a Community Patent by the end of the year.

The US Appeals Court has upheld the finding that Abbott Laboratories infringed Innogenetics’ hepatitis C virus genotyping patent

With the French Senate ratifying the London Agreement on patent translation, technology companies can look to a much cheaper future.