The European Commission is planning legislation to make it easier to set up collaborative laboratories in the European Union.

Croatia and Norway have signed up to the European Patent Convention taking the total number of European Patent Organisation member states to 34.

The WHO is looking to patent pools to prevent blocking IP and give earlier access to generics manufacturers as part of a plan to improve healthcare in developing countries.

It's been tough to actually put a price on patents. Will reform of the US patent rules make it easier to capitalise on intellectual property?

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

The UK government has opened a public consultation on proposals to introduce fast-track processing services for patent and trade mark applications.

China needs a better return on its fast-rising investments in R&D and higher education if it is to become an “innovation-oriented” economy by 2020, OECD.

“What we need is not more patents, but more good patents” – the battle cry of the new President of the European Patent Office, Alison Brimelow.

The claim that over-patenting hinders the development of new treatments is not supported by the evidence, says the US Biotechnology Industry Organization.