As of June 2008, the Intellectual Property Law firm BARDEHLE PAGENBERG is proud to announce the opening of an office in Barcelona. The purpose of the new Barcelona office is to attend with a local presence to the patent-related needs of its Spanish and international clients in Spain. The Barcelona bureau is being established by resident partner Dario Mohammadian Santander, a former examiner at the European Patent Office and electronics (IT) engineer with significant industry experience. Mr Santander previously worked at the firm’s other Spanish office in Alicante, home to the OHIM (European office for Community Trademarks and Community Designs). Barcelona is the fifth bureau of BARDEHLE PAGENBERG in Europe, other locations are Düsseldorf, Paris, Alicante and Munich (head office) from where the firm of patent attorneys and attorneys-at-law serves international industry clients in prosecution, management and enforcement of all intellectual property rights.
The opening of the Barcelona office was celebrated on June 6, 2008 with an IP Symposium in the Hotel Majestic. Speeches were given by Dr Alberto Casado, former Vice President of OHIM, Prof. Pasqual Segura, Director of the Patents Centre of the University of Barcelona and Dr Alexander von Mühlendahl, former Vice President of OHIM (now attorney at law with the firm). The IP Symposium was followed by a reception in the new office rooms.
The Administrative Council of the European Patent Office has decided on December 14, 2007 to increase several of its fees involved in a European patent application as of April 1, 2008 (please see direct web link to the EPO).
Most of these fee increases are unavoidable for applicants but do not dramatically increase the overall costs of patent prosecution at the European Patent Office. However, the increase in annuity fees goes up almost 30% and the increase in claim fees is particularly drastic:
Until March 31, 2008 the claim fees continue to be € 45 for the 11th and any further claim. Claim fees paid on or after April 1, 2008 amount to € 200 for the 16th and any further claim. For European patent applications filed on or after April 1, 2009 as well as for PCT applications entering the regional phase on or after that date, the claim fees for the 16th until the 50th claim are € 200, for the 51st and any further claim the claim fees are € 500.
In order to avoid a dramatic cost increase for applicant, it should be verified if the number of claims of a PCT application can be reduced before the entry into the European regional phase.
1. The Commission Communication of 29 March 2007
2. Questionnaire of German Presidency of 23 April 2007
3. Paper of the Portuguese Presidency of 12 July 2007
4. Munich Symposium and Outlook
"Concise European Patent Law" aims to offer the reader a rapid understanding of all the provisions of patent law in force in Europe that have been enacted at the European and international levels. This volume takes the form of an article-by-article commentary on the relevant European instruments and international treaties. It is intended to provide the reader with a short and straightforward explanation of the principles of law to be drawn from each provision. Editors and authors are prominent specialists (academics and practitioners) in the field of international and European patent law.
Decisions of European and National Courts,
Volume 1
Edited by Dr. Henning Hartwig,
270 pages, Carl Heymanns Verlag, March 2007
The book contains the first available collection of European and national decisions regarding the Community design. The collection includes 18 published as well as unpublished decisions of courts in Germany, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and Spain, as well as two decisions of the Invalidity Division of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM). Each decision is presented in full length, either in English or in German with English headnotes. Additionally, prominent design specialists have commented each decision, pointing out the fundamental steps the decision has taken. In-depth analysis by experts on the new and largely unexplored field of European design protection. See preface, list of authors and table of contents.
Once a year Heinz Bardehle and the partners of the firm organize the 'Bardehle Seminar' at the firm's offices in Munich. This well established event is an informal discussion on particular important patent topics among high ranking patent office officials, IP lawyers and industry representatives.
