Show me the money (and the explanation): eXplainable AI in finance

The AI assurance market in the UK is experiencing rapid growth, with an estimated 524 firms ...

Tokamak Energy: ‘We’ll have fusion energy by 2034’

A fusion energy pilot plant will be up and running in ten years, says Tokamak Energy chairman Chris ...

New EPO sanctions against Russia

As reported here, in late June 2024 the European Union (EU) extended their package of sanctions in ...

Court of Appeal overturns decision in POST MILK GENERATION

The primary issue in this case is whether use of the word milk in the mark POST MILK GENERATION for ...

UPC Weekly - The 9 second rule at the UPC

2024 Week 50 Does it matter who gets to the doors of the UPC first? Does it matter if you get there ...

Quantum Navigation: Revolutionising Maritime and Autonomous Vessel Technology

For thousands of years people have looked to the sky to navigate their way around the Earth. In the ...

UPC Weekly - Very appealing – preliminary injunction overturned

2024 Week 49 SharkNinja have managed to persuade the UPC Court of Appeal to overturn a preliminary ...

Protecting Copyright Holders In The Age Of AI

In the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), the training data that fuels AI ...

UPC Weekly - Front-loading and obviousness at the UPC

2024 Week 48 In NJOY v VMR, the UPC Central Division Paris revoked VMR’s patent EP 3456214 B2 on 27 ...

Eleanor Maciver: The First IP Attorney Named as a Green Ambassador

We are thrilled to share that Eleanor Maciver has been recognised as a Green Ambassador in The ...

Bad Faith or Business Strategy? Sky vs. SkyKick Sets a Precedent

The long running saga of the battle between Sky Ltd (“Sky”) and SkyKick UK Ltd (“SkyKick”) is ...

Mewburn Ellis recognised in The Legal 500 UK Green Guide 2025

We are delighted to announce that we have once again been recognised in The Legal 500 UK Green ...

UPC Weekly - UPC finds infringement using a doctrine of equivalents

2024 Week 47 Back in June 2024 (UPC Weekly 2024 week 23), we set out a few “known unknowns” – ...

Resistance is futile – how new tech tackles AMR

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) refers to the ability of microorganisms—bacteria, viruses, fungi, ...

Mewburn Ellis wins the NetDocuments Inspire Customer Automation Award

Mewburn Ellis is proud to announce that we have been awarded the prestigious NetDocuments Inspire ...

UPC Weekly - UPC dials up the advantages for patentees

2024 Week 46 We report this week on two new UPC decisions that make the UPC an even more attractive ...

Commercialising IP to fuel the fusion revolution

The race for fusion energy is on, but it’s not a sprint. Fusion energy is not expected to enter the ...

Cambiotics: a novel treatment for PFAS ‘forever chemicals’

PFAS are toxic pollutants causing health problems globally. There is currently no treatment. Now a ...

Mewburn Ellis is the world’s first IP firm to be awarded an EcoVadis Platinum Medal

European intellectual property firm Mewburn Ellis has achieved a significant milestone by earning ...

‘Small’ Nuclear – the solution for Big Data?

The growth of AI is set to explode data centre power demand by the end of the decade, according to ...

UPC Weekly - NJOY duel with Juul

2024 Week 45 5 November 2024 saw two decisions handed down by the UPC Paris Central Division (CD) ...

AI designer enzymes

During the announcement of the first survey of the entire human genome by the Human Genome Project, ...

Large Language Models in Robotics

Progress in training large language models (LLMs) in the last few years for natural language ...

UPC Weekly - All of the fizz and none of the squeeze

2024 Week 44 SodaStream v Aarke is a decision on the merits of an infringement case based on EP ...

Alchemab: the art of AI antibody discovery

Alchemab’s artificial intelligence platform enables the identification of antibodies for some of ...

GENE-ius options to protect gene therapies

Gene therapies involve treating patients by manipulating their genetic makeup. Such therapies may ...

UPC Weekly - UPC confirms approach to inventive step for life science inventions

2024 Week 43 10x Genomics and NanoString have been duking it out at the UPC since the court opened ...

Claim Requests found Inadmissible in EPO Appeal Proceedings: What Can Proprietors Do?

Since the EPO’s Rule of Procedure of the Boards of Appeal (RPBA) were revised in 2020, parties have ...

Ask a VC: how important is it for greentech startups to have an IP strategy?

We asked Jonathan Tudor, Investment Partner at Clean Growth Fund, to explain how venture ...

UPC Weekly - Light emitting diode patent falls into a black hole of invalidity

2024 Week 42 Last week we did a deep dive into some LED technology to explain the decision of the ...

Chambers & Partners 2025 legal guide - Band 1

We are proud to have once again been ranked Band 1 (gold) in Chambers & Partners 2025 legal ...

No referral to the Enlarged Board of Appeal on the requirement for description amendments

In a keenly-awaited decision (T 0056/21) issued today, Technical Board of Appeal 3.3.04 (Pregetter, ...

UPC Weekly - A pro-patent decision on infringement and validity

2024 Week 41 This week we report on Seoul Viosys v Expert Klein, a full decision on infringement ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to have co-hosted the London week of the JIPA European Seminar 2024!

This week, we were proud to welcome 14 Japanese Patent Attorneys from various companies in Japan as ...

Saving the Planet from Space: the UK-based space companies combatting climate change

Space and Climate Change is the theme of this year’s World Space Week. According to the World Space ...

Liquid precision bandages

NoBACZ ingenious new gels create an instant seal over a wound. The company is changing the way farm ...

Most opposed medical device companies at the EPO 2023

Following on from our recent post on the Most Opposed Companies at the EPO 2023 we’ve broken that ...

UPC Weekly - Costs: the UPC’s Big Lever

2024 Week 40 This week we report on a UPC Court of Appeal decision that focuses only on costs, and ...

A new horizon for quantum research in the UK or merely a shiny rebrand for an incoming government?

The levels of investment in quantum technologies are changing rapidly all the time. In 2022, ...

Mewburn Ellis – sustainability and the road to net zero

Sustainability Champion Eleanor Maciver explains her masterplan for Mewburn Ellis. Forward: ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2025

We are extremely proud to once again be ranked tier one for our patent and trade mark practices in ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal digs into the detail in a new preliminary injunction case

2024 Week 39 Outdoor equipment makers Ortovox and Mammut are locked in a UPC battle about avalanche ...

UPC Weekly - The first UPC SEP injunction

2024 Week 38 On 13 September 2024, the UPC Munich Local Division handed down its decision in the ...

Mewburn Ellis is delighted to co-host London week of the JIPA European Seminar 2024!

We are looking forward to co-hosting the London week of the JIPA F4 Course (European patent ...

Professor David Nutt’s new psychedelic mission

The expert on drugs is researching the potential to treat mental health disorders with ...

Most opposed companies at the EPO 2023

The European Patent Office grants about 100,000 patents per year (EPO Statistics here). The grant ...

How could NASA tech benefit postmenopausal women?

Over 14,000 postmenopausal women in England may benefit from the recent approval of new ...

UPC Weekly - Clearing the way can lead to UPC bifurcation and language complexities

2024 Week 37 Let’s say that you are a company based outside Europe and intend to launch a new ...

Dr. Maike de la Roche: immunotherapy & thriving as a woman in science

The world-renowned pioneer in immunotherapy tells Mewburn Ellis about her work with CAR-T cells, ...

Mewburn Ellis donate £10,000 to Rewilding Britain

Sustainability is at the heart of our business and means a lot to our people at Mewburn Ellis. Our ...

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome awareness month

September is PCOS awareness month. PCOS, which stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, is a hormonal ...

BoobyBiome: replicating the breast milk microbiome

Breast milk is abundant with essential microbes. Meet the startup mapping the microbiome, to ensure ...

UPC Weekly - UPC preliminary injunctions – a top-up

2024 Week 36 Just two weeks ago we reviewed UPC case law on preliminary injunctions (PIs), giving ...

Preparing your patent for success in EPO opposition proceedings

Emily Hayes shares five simple prosecution tips to strengthen EP patents, ensuring they are in the ...

Mewburn Ellis has donated over £1,000,000 to charity

Today marks International Day of Charity (September 5th), since 2020, we have donated over ...

Mewburn Ellis recognised as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in Consulting and Professional Services!

We are proud to announce that following on from our recent announcement of being officially named ...

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions

We really are experts when it comes to opposing patents and our enviable success rate speaks for ...

Mewburn Ellis donate £10,000, to All About Trans

Once again, our LGBTQ+ group has chosen All About Trans as one of their charities to support this ...

Phasecraft: the pioneer in quantum software

The Bristol and London company, which has recently opened an office in Washington DC, is a world ...

UPC Weekly - Let’s brake for a minute, and talk about Tesla

2024 Week 35 Last week saw two decisions handed down from the UPC Local Divisions as part of ...

Mewburn Ellis donate £20,000 to Jonathan's Voice

As part of our community programme our inclusion and diversity collaboration group have once again ...

UPC Preliminary Injunctions – Background, Trends and Lessons Learned

2024 Week 34 No-one wants to be on the receiving end of a UPC preliminary injunction. The tussles ...

The Science of Success: Optimising Female Athletic Performance

For the first time in Olympic history, the Paris 2024 Games achieved gender parity among athletes. ...

Editing in situ: synthetic gene editing tools delivered straight to the gut

The critical, yet delicate balance of the microbiome in maintaining health and influencing disease ...

Antibody-drug conjugates: the new frontier of cancer treatments

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are big business. Big pharma is moving in, snapping up companies or ...

Mewburn Ellis donate £7,500 to Mothers for Mothers

Our WoMEn network here at Mewburn are passionate about giving back and supporting the community, ...

UPC Weekly - Revisiting transparency of UPC proceedings

2024 Week 33 The UPC has been doing a lot of stuff right. Litigators praise the preparedness of the ...

Cipla Europe NV v Glaxo Group Ltd: can a 3D trade mark be distinctive?

Trade mark proceedings can often feel like never-ending stories. In this case, Glaxo Group Ltd. ...

King’s Speech: AI implications for IP

Featuring in The Patent Lawyer Magazine, Emma Graham explores what the King's Speech said about AI, ...

Cellular agriculture – increasing importance of IP in cultivated meat

As the cultivated meat industry matures, consolidation is widely anticipated due to increasing ...

UPC Weekly - Now let’s talk about saisies

2024 Week 32 There is no discovery at the UPC.

Mewburn Ellis Donate £7,500 to Forgotten Women

This year the WoMen network here at Mewburn are supporting ‘Forgotten Women’ a charity run by women ...

Fin-tastic innovation: diving into the future of lab-grown fish

Much of the discussion around future food focusses on cultivated meat, with all the products so-far ...

Mewburn Ellis Donate £5,000 to Action for Conservation

As part of our community giving project, we’re proud to support Action for Conservation (AFC), a UK ...

Cell-to-cup: a new way to make an old favourite?

For those of us who can’t function without our morning coffee, there have been some promising ...

UPC Weekly - UPC revocation versus EPO opposition – playing out in not-so-slow-mo

2024 Week 31 What happens when you have the same parties fighting over revocation of the same ...

Navigating the Dual Pathways: Regulatory Approval and Patent Protection for Medical Devices

For medical device manufacturers and designers, the journey to market success hinges on two crucial ...

New EU sanctions against Russia

In late June the EU extended their package of sanctions in view of Russia’s actions in Ukraine by ...

UPC Weekly - Where’s your UPC off-ramp?

2024 Week 30 Every litigator needs to have a clear view of the possible routes out of litigation. ...

Meet the team: Jeremy Webster, Partner, Head of Chemistry

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to partner and head of chemistry, Jeremy Webster, ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Munich Central Division sets out a marker on how the UPC should approach inventive step

2024 Week 29 This week saw the first UPC decision on the merits issued in the long-running patent ...

An emotional day - The Court of Appeal reverses the High Court’s earlier judgment

Today, the Court of Appeal handed down its hotly-anticipated judgment in the Emotional Perception ...

National Paralegal Awards Finalists 2024

We are extremely proud to announce our finalists in the National Paralegal Awards 2024 which ...

Paw-some news for pets: UK’s first regulatory approval of cultivated meat

Lab-grown chicken from cultivated meat company Meatly has received regulatory approval in the UK.

Mewburn Ellis is proud to have worked on 26 of the 100 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2023

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work with some of the world’s most globally significant pharmaceuticals, ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Local Divisions - the reluctant bifurcators

2024 Week 28 This week we look at how the UPC is handling requests to split substantive ...

UPC Weekly - UPC overturns EPO opposition division decision on the same prior art

2024 Week 27 In the race to be the first UPC division to produce a written decision on a main ...

Quantum Technology in Denmark

Mewburn Ellis is excited to announce that we now have a part-time office at The BioInnovation ...

Inside the Asian microbiome library

AMILI co-founder Dr Jeremy Lim takes us on a tour of his remarkable lab, where the mysteries of the ...

UPC Weekly - Three month delay fatal for a preliminary injunction application

2024 Week 26 On 3 June 2024, the UPC Local Division in Hamburg decided to refuse a preliminary ...

Living with artificial intelligence: can the law cope?

As part of our Thought Leaders series, we explore the copyright issues arising from AI-generated ...

More recognition in MIP IP Stars 2024

It is fantastic to once again be recognised in MIP IP Stars 2024. So far this year, we have ...

Update on Trade Mark Protection in Jersey, Guernsey, Gibraltar and the Isle of Man

Some countries allow trade mark owners to extend their UK and EU trade mark protection into other ...

Battery Patents: Clearing the Way

Speaking to Intercalation, Callum McGuinn explores what has been happening in battery patent ...

Alive with Possibilities - The Future of Sustainable Plastics and Beyond

As the production and consumption of plastics continues to surge, so too has the accumulation of ...

FDA decision on MDMA therapy hangs in the balance

Recent positive data from a phase III clinical trial of MDMA assisted psychotherapy for the ...

UPC Weekly - UPC uses EPO approach to added subject matter

2024 Week 25 There was lots of UPC news to hold the interest this week but for me the standout was ...

UPC Weekly - Opting-out from the UPC: the Who, the When and the Why

2024 Week 24 It seems like a long time ago now, but from March to May 2023, the “sunrise period” of ...

Podcast with Adam Gregory: protecting innovations in the biotech space

Adam Gregory joins John Joson Ng on Nucleate Singapore’s Pulse podcast where he highlights success ...

How helpful are biological deposits at the EPO?

In our article about biological deposits under the Budapest Treaty, we explored the deadlines and ...

UPC Weekly - Three Known Unknowns at the UPC

2024 Week 23 It’s a bit risky to write a blog where you hope it will go out of date quickly. But ...

How liquid air can store solar and wind energy

Storing energy from solar and wind is a huge challenge. We talk to Highview Power, whose liquid air ...

Mewburn Ellis is first European IP firm to earn Great Place To Work Certification™

We are proud to have been officially named as a Great Place To Work™ 2024 by Great Place To Work®, ...

Unitary patent and UPC to cover Romania from 1 September 2024

The first enlargement of the UPC and Unitary Patent (UP) territory will happen on 1 September 2024, ...

The HPV vaccine: the global success of prioritising women’s health

Let's talk about the HPV vaccine - a revolutionary drug and global strategy that proved how ...

1st Anniversary of the UPC – some stats!

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) celebrated its first anniversary on 1 June 2024. The Court is busy. ...

UPC Weekly - Should we stay or should we go on?

2024 Week 22 This week we report on the UPC revocation action in Bitzer v. Carrier and the related ...

How data changed our understanding and care of breast cancer

Breast cancer does not only affect women, but it mostly affects them1. Breast cancer is the most ...

UPC Weekly - Let’s talk about costs

2024 Week 21 This week we focus how the UPC is dealing with requests for security for costs and the ...

Electric ships are here. But how to charge them?

Ports need to supply ships with megawatts of power to charge in under two hours. The BlueStor ...

UPC Weekly - UPC Court of Appeal confirms their own case law on claim interpretation but sidesteps question of file wrapper estoppel

2024 Week 20 The UPC Court of Appeal have issued another decision on a preliminary injunction – ...

English Courts consider the patentability of AI

My colleague, Rebecca Frith and I viewed the Court of Appeal hearing in the Emotional Perception AI ...

Capturing solar and wind: how Geyser Batteries can balance the grid

The grid needs a rapid way to balance input and output. Geyser Batteries of Finland may have the ...

UPC Weekly - High bar to challenge the jurisdiction of the UPC

2024 Week 19 This week saw the UPC issue two decisions about its own jurisdiction. Where a ...

Bacteria bites back: Putting carbon on the menu

When faced with solving the climate crisis, no idea is too ambitious for Synthetic Biology (SynBio) ...

UPC Weekly - Preliminary injunctions at the UPC – get your defence ready

2024 Week 18 This week we look at a recent UPC first instance decision for a preliminary ...

Our clients are at the heart of our Trade Mark business

We are delighted to release our latest brochure 'Our clients are at the heart of our Trade Mark ...

UPC Weekly - Language of proceedings at the UPC

2024 Week 16 This week we focus on the language of proceedings at the UPC, considering when the ...

UPC Weekly - Time-dependent transparency of UPC proceedings?

2024 Week 15 The week saw the Court of Appeal issue its decision on public access to court file ...

UPC Weekly - Mind your costs

2024 Week 14 The UPC Court of Appeal issued a collection of five appeal decisions on 3 April 2024 ...

Public access to UPC proceedings

When the UPC was set up, a basic tenet was set out in Article 45 of the UPC Agreement, that the ...

Efficiency in Expansion: Meeting the Scale-Up Challenge in Cell and Gene Therapies

One of the pivotal challenges in the development and commercialisation of cell and gene therapies ...

EPO related support measures for small entities – 1 April 2024

INTRODUCTION From 1 April 2024, the EPO are introducing a new fee reduction scheme specifically for ...

Design rights can build IP protection, EU Lego ruling shows

Featuring in Law360, Christoph Moeller explores the recent EU Lego ruling and how it serves as a ...

Endometriosis - research, diagnosis and treatment progress

March is Endometriosis Action Month, and this year’s focus is on raising awareness.

Cancer-killing bacteria: past, present and future

While bacteria have frequently made the medical news in recent years due to the urgent problem of ...

From grass to graphene: could methane answer the call for rising nanomaterial demand?

Methane, the principal component in natural gas, accounts for approximately a third of the ...

EU design protection rules modernised for new technologies and circular economy

On 14 March 2024, the European Parliament approved modernised EU design protection rules to adapt ...

Can AI help to improve the biopsy process for patients?

In medicine, a biopsy is a procedure that involves taking a small sample of body tissue so it can ...

Challenging patents and other clearance actions in Europe

Whether it is to remove a current infringement threat, clear the way to reduce the risk in ...

Navigating the Sonic Maze: overcoming the challenges with registering sound marks in the UK

In an increasingly crowded market, businesses are recognising the value of sound marks (or ‘sonic ...

Robotics in surgery

For many, the word ‘surgery’ suggests images of surgeons operating with handheld instruments ...

Inside Silicon Quantum Computing: an interview with Komal Pahwa

Senior IP counsel Komal Pahwa reveals how Australia's star quantum startup is building a silicon ...

Laparoscopic AI

AI in the OR Copying music, making bad art and training the next generation of surgeons, just some ...

Meet the team: Laura Pediani, Patent Paralegal

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to paralegal Laura Pediani about client service, ...

New partner and IP director promotions

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Anna Mudge, Ben Boyd, Daniel Brodsky, Isobel Stone ...

Cellular Agriculture – Innovating through the Challenges

The last year (2023) has seen a difficult environment for Cellular Agriculture (Cell Ag) companies ...

The link between the microbiome and chronic liver disorders

Guts UK is the charity for the digestive system. It funds scientific research such as Nicholas ...

British Science Association CREST Discovery Day in our Bristol office

On Tuesday 20 February 2024, we were thrilled to welcome 28 students from Kings Oak Academy to our ...

Updates to the Guidelines for Examination at the EPO

The Guidelines for Examination at the EPO (which will be referred to as “the Guidelines” in this ...

UKIPO Green Technology Report 2024

When the UK set a legally binding target to reach net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, it was ...

Women in IP Global Networking Event 18 April 2024

We are delighted to be hosting an in person global networking and discussion event to celebrate ...

Sodium alternatives to lithium-ion batteries? Na, we’re not Li-ion!

The importance of lithium ion (Li-ion) batteries in modern society is no secret. They dominate the ...

Graphene Medtech: The Next Frontier

It has been 20 years since Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov first isolated graphene: the two ...

Top marks for Iovance as FDA approves first-in-class cell therapy Amtagvi for solid tumours

On February 16, 2024, a real milestone was reached in the cell therapy field, as the FDA approved ...

Colony picking robot expands our knowledge of human gut microbiome

The human microbiome is very diverse. A typical gut microbiome can contain hundreds or even ...

Antibody inventions: Updates in the EPO Guidelines for Examination

The EPO Guidelines for Examination are set to undergo updates effective from 1 March 2024. The ...

Meet the team: Christoph Moeller, Partner, Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Christoph Moeller, partner in our Munich office, ...

Biological Deposits under the Budapest Treaty (1977): important considerations for filing strategies and public accessibility

Biological material, which the EPO understands to be any material containing genetic information ...

Meet the Team: Natascha Newbold, IP Support, Trade Mark Paralegal

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to trade mark paralegal Natascha Newbold about her ...

Mewburn Ellis achieves Menopause Friendly Accreditation

We are proud to have been awarded the Menopause Friendly Accreditation, established by Henpicked: ...

The major players in the SEP landscape in Europe

Next in our series of blogs, we have investigated the major players in the SEP landscape in Europe.

Advances in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) Scans

Positron Emission Tomography (PET) is a non-invasive technique for imaging inside of the body. It ...

Blooming bright! Bioluminescent plant set to brighten up flower beds across the US

The green fingered among us take great pride in our blossoming gardens and house plants; those, ...

Yoni Health: the medical secrets of menstrual blood

Menstrual effluent contains a wealth of scientific info, including biomarkers for endometriosis, ...

European Parliament votes to endorse plants bred using New Genomic Techniques

7 February 2024 marked a milestone for plant science as the European Parliament (EP) voted to ...

Lucie Jones appointed to CIPA IP Paralegal Committee

Congratulations to Lucie Jones on her appointment to the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys ...

Genes as Medicines: Treating the Untreatable

In 2023, gene therapy hit the headlines in the UK, when the BBC reported the cure of a toddler with ...

Fertile Ground: Tapping into the Potential of the Female Microbiome

Healthcare systems around the world have historically been designed by men, with “white males” ...

EPO announces fee increases from 1 April 2024

In recent times, the European Patent Office (EPO) has increased its official fees every two years, ...

Meet our Women’s Champion: Fran Salisbury

Even the most progressive firm can improve working life for women.

Mewburn Ellis is delighted to partner with Oxfordshire Greentech on the Climate Solutions Conference

Mewburn Ellis is delighted to partner with Oxfordshire Greentech on the Climate Solutions ...

Sustainable shoes: Fossil Fuels are so last year!

It is estimated that 24 billion pairs of shoes are made every year. Many of these will contain ...

Most opposed patents of 2023

Multiple sclerosis therapies are the subject of two of the most opposed patents of 2023. Novartis’ ...

Hydrogels in sustainable agriculture

As we move into 2024, the agricultural sector is being driven by the urgent need to address global ...

Plant based leather - the eco-friendly alternative hitting the catwalks

Vegan leather isn’t only an ecofriendly alternative, which isn’t made from animals. It’s also being ...

Gouda vibes only – AI cooks up vegan meat and cheese alternatives

The Kraft Heinz Company has recently introduced three new vegan sliced cheese varieties in the ...

Meet The Team: Philippa Schofield, IP Support Services, Paralegal Manager

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to paralegal manager Philippa Schofield about ...

High Court confirms EU law does not prohibit use of ‘milk’ in a trade mark for milk substitutes in the UK

Last year, in December 2023, the Chancery Division of the High Court handed down its decision on ...

One Health and the role of the microbiome

Traditionally, clinical microbiology focused on the role of individual microbes in human and animal ...

Design Rights: A powerful tool in the IP armoury

We are pleased to launch our latest special report Design Rights: A powerful tool in the IP ...

AI bias in healthcare

AI tools are increasingly being used in healthcare settings, with applications ranging from ...

Gigafactories & IP: Protecting the processes that power the future

As the use of electric vehicles (EVs) becomes increasingly prevalent, demand for batteries is set ...

Eat your greens: innovations in sustainable alternative protein sources

As the demand for plant-based products continues to grow, so too does the rate of advancement in ...

Meet The Team: Naomi Armitage, IP Support Services Trainer

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to IP Support Services Trainer Naomi Armitage about ...

Pharma trade marks: 2023 EU case law round up

As we enter 2024, we reflect on the lessons we have learned in 2023. The trade mark landscape has ...

Nuclear Fusion: A Case Study in the need for a cohesive IP Strategy at the forefront of science

Following on the continued success in inertial confinement research reported from the National ...

Antibiotic with novel mechanism offers new hope for treating resistant infections

This week saw the publication of a potential new class of antibiotics and their mechanism ...

Podcast with Robert Andrews: a forward-thinking approach to inclusion & diversity

Robert Andrews joins Lisa Mueller and Vivian Luiz Coco on their Inclusion Evolution podcast to ...

Plastic Packaging Pollution: Kelp is on the Way!

Plastic packaging materials have revolutionised modern life. They have several important properties ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to be participating in Veganuary (again)

Following last years’ success, we will once again be taking part in the Veganuary Workplace ...

The wonderful potential of waxworm saliva

Enzymes are able to break up plastic, opening the way for rapid recycling.

Amended Rules of Procedure of the EPO Boards of Appeal are coming into force on 1 January 2024

The EPO Boards of Appeal have now published their amended Rules of Procedure and these will be ...

UK Battery Strategy Commentary

Ahead of the Global Investment Summit hosted recently in November 2023 at Hampton Court Palace, the ...

The Royal Institution's new mission

With 1.4 million subscribers on YouTube, the organisation is finding new ways to enthuse the ...

Gazing into the future of augmented reality glasses

Augmented reality (AR) sits between virtual reality (VR) and the real world.

Synthetic probiotics: bacteria that link the gut to the brain

Optimising pharmacokinetics of a drug is a vital stage of the development process. Pharmacokinetics ...

How does declaring a patent or application as “essential to a standard” affect the pre-grant experience of an application? – Part 3

This article continues our series of blogs investigating whether or not declaring your patent or ...

Sailing cargo

You might question why an IP firm concerned with innovation is writing about the use of sails in ...

Saved by the cell: taking the animals out of meat

Entrepreneur Joshua Errett is aiming to remove animals from the food chain. His first move is to ...

The Ghosts of Paralegals Past, Present and Future

Going back in time Let me take you back at the beginning of the century. Christmas 2001 is just ...

National Vision for Engineering Biology

On Tuesday 5 December 2023, the Minister for Science, Research and Innovation, Andrew Griffith MP, ...

New highs for psychedelics in the clinic

Psychedelic compounds have long been experimented with for their mind-altering properties, but in ...

Meet The Team: Shajila Aziz, Patent Administrator

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to patent administrator, Shajila Aziz about her ...

Layering up: how graphene is disrupting the sportswear industry

Earlier this year, Novak Djokovic broke the men’s tennis record for the most Grand Slam tournament ...

Ballast-free ships

While this blog is about ballast-free ships, it is important to understand why cargo ships require ...

Enzyme-based carbon capture: as easy as breathing

Over the past few years, the impact of the climate crisis has never been far from the front pages. ...

EPO will accelerate oppositions when there are parallel UPC infringement or revocation proceedings

The EPO have announced in the November 2023 Official Journal that they will accelerate opposition ...

Mewburn Ellis recognised in The Legal 500 UK Green Guide 2024

We are delighted to announce that we have been recognised in The Legal 500 UK Green Guide 2024 ...

Practical tips for EPO appeal proceedings under the new, stricter rules: 5 key takeaways from a recent EPO conference

In 2020 the EPO revised the rules that govern the procedure at the EPO Boards of Appeal. As we ...

What is Graphene?

For an undergraduate scientist, the answer to the question “What is graphene?” is perhaps all ...

Invention Capture: 5 Steps to Success - Transforming Technology to Patent Protection

Invention capturing, also referred to as invention harvesting or invention mining, is the start of ...

Emotional Perception AI v UKIPO: Is this the dawning of a new era for AI-related inventions at the UKIPO?

On 21 November 2023, Mann J handed down his judgment on Emotional Perception AI Ltd v ...

Tidal energy

Most people are aware that the moon (and to a lesser extent the sun), exert a gravitational pull on ...

Meet The Team: Tamara Rubery, Senior HR Manager

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to senior HR manager, Tamara Rubery about being ...

Mewburn Ellis announce carbon offsetting for 22 – 23 financial year

As a business, we have made several commitments about our environmental impact, and in particular ...

Latest Medtech developments in the race to help diabetes sufferers

November is National Diabetes Awareness month and, in this blog, we are discussing the latest ...

Bristol office selects Springboard Opportunity Group as their chosen charity to support

This year, our Bristol office voted for Springboard Opportunity Group as their office charity. We ...

The first CRISPR treatment – Casgevy wins UK approval for sickle cell disease

In a world first, the UK medicines regulator has given the green light to a therapy employing ...

The polymathic Professor Michael Shaver

The maverick scientist leads the SMI Hub in Manchester. He’s bringing together environmentalists, ...

Biosensor bacteria for tumor detection

Genetically engineered biosensor bacteria could allow us to detect colon cancer without the need ...

IP Protection for software-based products- An Introduction for SMEs

We are excited to launch our new software resource booklet — 'IP Protection for software-based ...

EU General Court provides guidance on consumer perception in the pharmaceutical industry

Earlier this year, in March 2023, the European Union’s General Court provided some useful ...

Salinity gradient power

In this series on capturing energy from the ocean we’ve recently discussed wave power, tidal power ...

Most opposed patents of 2022

As with CRISPR, patents directed to Nobel Prize-winning technologies are viewed as extremely ...

Meet the Team: Rachel Collier, IP Support, Paralegal

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to paralegal Rachel Collier about her commitment to ...

Validating European patents outside Europe - the Validation State system

We are pleased to launch our latest report Validating European patents outside Europe - the ...

Is Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion a sustainable way forward?

We’ve previously discussed how energy can be captured directly from the movement of the waves on ...

Total artificial hearts: creating the perfect pump

Cardiovascular disease is estimated to account for 45% of deaths in Europe each year. More ...

Swapping in stem cells for diabetes treatment

With just under 50% of type 1 diabetes patients using wearable blood glucose monitors1, medical ...

Check out the Mewburn Forest!

We committed to plant a tree for every new matter we’ve opened since April 2021. Two-and-a-half ...

After the road: how to recycle old tyres

With a billion tyres going to the scrapheap each year, the industry is seeking to end the waste. ...

In person event - Circular Economy: Ideas to Business, Oxford, 7 December 2023

Mewburn Ellis is delighted to be partnering with Oxfordshire Greentech to present an exciting in ...

Andy King appointed as Head of Trade Marks and joins the firm’s Management Board

We're pleased to announce that Partner Andy King will be the new Head of the Trade Mark Practice ...

Meet the Team: Lesley Gardner, Business Services, Head of IP Support Services

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Head of IP Support Services Lesley Gardner about ...

WIPR Diversity 2023

We are delighted to have three of our wonderful women recognised in WIPR Diversity 2023. WIPR ...

Lucy Coe appointed Women in IP Committee Lead for IP Inclusive

Congratulations to Lucy Coe on her appointment as IP Inclusive: Women in IP Committee Lead.

Major developments in the UK offshore wind farm industry

October has been a busy and exciting month for offshore wind news in the United Kingdom.

Chambers & Partners 2024 legal guide - Band 1

We are proud to have once again been ranked Band 1 (gold) in Chambers & Partners 2024 legal ...

The EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal decides how the EPO should assess entitlement to priority

The Enlarged Board of Appeal of the EPO has now issued its long-awaited answers to the legal ...

Meet the Team: Lucy Coe, Senior Associate, Patent Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talked to Lucy Coe about her passion for science, the ...

Recycling the Rainbow - coloured plastics in the circular economy

Single-use plastic has become indispensable in everyday life, particularly in the packaging of ...

Supporting Guts UK and their research into the gut microbiome

We’re pleased to announce that we have started a new charity partnership with Guts UK. Guts UK was ...

Chartered Trade Mark Attorneys – your key business ally

In the past few years there has been an upsurge in the number of unqualified and unregulated ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2024

We are extremely proud to once again be ranked tier one for our patent and trade mark practices in ...

UPC at four months old - a review

The UPC is now four months old and the Court of First Instance is already quite busy. As of 4 ...

Congratulations to our Rising Stars 2023

Congratulations to Eleanor Maciver, Anna Mudge and Ben Tolley for being recognised as Rising Stars ...

Covid autumn booster vaccine 2023: the switch to mono-valent vaccines

Autumn 2023 sees another round of COVID-19 booster jabs across the UK for vulnerable people.

Taking (personal) care of the future

The market size of beauty and personal care is huge, valued at a global revenue of over $570 ...

Beware the front-loaded procedure!

The Unified Patent Court (‘UPC’) opened its doors on 1 June 2023. It is a new court in the European ...

Meet The Team: Sydney Phillips, IP Support Services, Paralegal

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to patent paralegal, Sydney Phillips about time ...

UK regulators decide preferred approach to precision bred crops

Yesterday (Wednesday 20 September 2023), the Food Standards Agency board decided on their preferred ...

How does declaring a patent or application as “essential to a standard” affect the pre-grant experience of an application? – Part 2

This article is the latest in a series of blogs exploring whether declaring your patent or ...

Not just window dressing: the technologies making textiles greener

Not only are textiles the biggest source of microplastics globally, supplying the world’s clothing ...

Mewburn Ellis praised for achievements in sustainability

EcoVadis ratings highlight environmental policies and sustainable procurement practices alongside ...

Meet The Team: Sean Jauss, Partner, Solicitor, Litigator, Head of Legal Services

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to head of legal and dispute resolution, Sean Jauss, ...

Trends in Graphene IP – a refresh

Last year, we delved into the data to see how the number of patent publications coming out had ...

A badge of green credentials

With consumers increasingly choosing brands that are more environmentally friendly, we have seen a ...

Meet The Team: Kirsty Morris, IP Support Services, Patent Administrator

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to patent administrator, Kirsty Morris about her ...

Graphene: permeating the hydrogen economy

The growth of the so-called “hydrogen economy” is crucial to achieving net-zero carbon emissions ...

IP audits for battery and energy storage businesses

Companies working in the fields of batteries and energy storage often have a wealth of intellectual ...

A leap forward in slowing down Alzheimer’s

This summer has seen a major leap forward in slowing the rate of progression of Alzheimer’s disease.

Meet The Team: Joseph Newcombe, Associate and Patent Attorney, Sustainable Pharma Commentator

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Joseph Newcombe about being involved in the ...

Mewburn Ellis donate £219,000 to charity partnerships for 2023/2024  — over £790,000 donated since 2020

To mark the International Day of Charity (September 5th), we are delighted to announce a commitment ...

Building an international Customs strategy for your pharma brand

Counterfeit pharmaceuticals are a global problem and pose a significant threat to consumers and ...

Gene therapy – the status quo and future trends

The uptick in recent approvals in the gene therapy space is emblematic of a field which is now ...

Understanding parallel import of pharmaceuticals in the EU – a quick guide to repackaging and relabelling of parallel imports for brand owners

Parallel importing, the practice where third parties import branded goods already put on sale by ...

Cambridge office selects Cambridge City Foodbank as their chosen charity to support

Our Cambridge office has chosen Cambridge City Foodbank as one of our local charities and we have ...

A visit to The Booth Centre — Manchester office to support charity over next two years

The Booth Centre is a charity that our Manchester Office have chosen to support over the next two ...

Updates on the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) fee structure, effective 1 August 2023

If you have patents or trade marks in Korea or are considering filing or transferring them, you ...

Meet The Team: Maria Hall, Business Services, Chief M&BD Officer, Community Champion

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to chief marketing and business development officer ...

Strategic Pharmaceutical Branding: when should you apply to register a trade mark if still undergoing clinical trials?

Tying trade mark considerations into your drug development strategy can be a rather challenging ...

Mewburn Ellis Net-Zero Targets Validated by Science Based Target initiative

As part of our ongoing commitment to environmental sustainability, we are proud to have our near ...

Is the future in the wind? Pyxis Ocean sets sail!

This week we have seen the bulk carrier Pyxis Ocean set sail (literally!) for the first time with ...

The world beyond quantum computing

Infleqtion is developing the next generation of quantum tools, including clocks, gravimeters and ...

Silicon anodes: where are we now?

In 2020, we wrote about some of the approaches being taken to develop viable silicon-based anodes. ...

Mewburn Ellis support Jonathan's Voice for third year, donating £50,000 so far

“The focus of our I&D strategy is building inclusion, we are aiming to do this by ensuring that ...

Quick guide to determining whether a software invention is patent eligible.

In general, the main obstacle to obtaining patent protection for a new software invention is the ...

Meet The Team: Kimberley Harding, IP Support, Paralegal

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to paralegal, Kim Harding about studying for patent ...

Our LGBTQ+ Group selects All About Trans as one of their chosen charities to support.

This year, our LGBTQ+ group has chosen All About Trans as one of their charities to support for our ...

London office selects The National Brain Appeal as their chosen charity to support.

This year, our team in London have voted for The National Brain Appeal as their office charity. We ...

VC tips for SMEs — how do VCs evaluate the value of intellectual property?

As part of a series in which we ask leading venture capitalists to answer a question of fundamental ...

UPC as a forum for SEP disputes – Panasonic kick off proceedings

With the UPC opening its doors just over two months’ ago, the IP profession has been keenly ...

In vivo expression of chimeric antigen receptors: using gene therapy to improve cell therapy

In vivo CAR therapies build on the success of standard CAR treatments and aim to overcome the ...

Mewburn Ellis team up with Support Dogs to sponsor an Assistance Dog

This week (7 – 13 August 2023) is International Assistance Dog Week and this year we're excited to ...

The next-generation therapies for autoimmune diseases

The immune system has an extraordinary capacity to distinguish “self” from “non-self”. This means ...

Nuclear fusion breakthrough raises hope for limitless clean energy

A research team at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in California USA has reportedly ...

Superconductor sparks excitement, but meets resistance

The last few weeks have seen the rise of an unlikely social media star – the claimed ...

Cells as medicines: the promise of cell therapy

Cell therapy is one of the most exciting areas of medical science, with recent years having seen ...

How does declaring a patent or application as “essential to a standard” affect the pre-grant experience of an application?

This article is the latest in a series of blogs exploring whether declaring your patent or ...

Mewburn Ellis support CREST Awards for the third year donating £128,000 so far

We now enter our third year of supporting the British Science Association and their CREST Awards ...

Court of Appeal confirms filing a trade mark cancellation action does not ‘stop the clock’ on acquiescence

In our “Pharma trade marks: 2022 case law round up” (written towards the end of November 2022) we ...

Meet The Team: Clare James, Business Services, Executive Assistant

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Clare James, EA to the Mewburn Ellis management ...

US Supreme Court Upholds Tightening of Patent Enablement Standard

In an eagerly awaited judgement, the US Supreme Court has affirmed the standard applied by the ...

Green Aviation – Ready for Take off!

In 2022 aviation accounted for ca. 2% of global energy-related CO2 emissions, with around 800 Mt ...

National Paralegal Awards Finalists 2023

We are extremely proud to announce our finalists in the National Paralegal Awards 2023 which ...

IP priorities for forward-looking cell and gene therapy businesses

IP priorities are especially important to businesses developing advanced therapeutic products. ...

Developing our online services to meet your needs

Our clients choose to work with us because we offer fresh insights and business-minded solutions. ...

How to mobilize your IP rights in the fight against counterfeit goods: Customs Application for Action

‘Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery’ is a motto that does not fare well with intellectual ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work on 18 of the 50 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2022

Last year we reported the unprecedented growth of the innovative pharmaceuticals industry in 2021 ...

Meet The Team: Ellie Gooding, IP Support, Paralegal

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to paralegal, Ellie Gooding about being part of a ...

Does Green IP mean go? Exploring acceleration under the UKIPO’s “Green Channel”

We are pleased to launch our latest report Does Green IP mean go? Exploring acceleration under the ...

Developing battery technology? Think inside the Box!

The Patent Box is a tax break scheme that is designed to encourage companies, such as those ...

The secrets of the oral microbiome

More than 700 species of bacteria live in our mouths. The mysteries of this ecosystem are now being ...

Evolution of engineered minimal cells - high mutation rates and regained fitness

Engineered bacterial cells with minimal genomes were developed in 2016 - these minimal cells ...

Mewburn Ellis lace up for Endure24 in support of East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices

Mewburn Ellis showed steely determination to complete a 24-hour running challenge, raising £2,500 ...

VC tips for SMEs — how much equity should a start-up give away in a Series A fundraising?

As part of a series in which we ask leading venture capitalists to answer a question of fundamental ...

VC tips for SMEs — how to choose the right VC?

As part of a series in which we ask leading venture capitalists to answer a question of fundamental ...

£20,000 support for FoodCycle to help address the cost of living crisis.

This year we have chosen to support FoodCycle as one of our firmwide charities and have made a ...

Beating the Punch: UPC Protective Letters

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is now operational. As of June 1, 2023, patentees can enforce ...

Litigation in the Unified Patent Court (UPC)

The UPC is a new European patent litigation court. It will provide a single forum for the ...

Big Data in Maritime transport

Big data has been a big thing for most of the last decade, yet its importance in industry continues ...

Mewburn Ellis ranked ‘gold tier’ in IAM PATENT 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners 2023

We are delighted to once again be ranked ‘gold tier’ in IAM PATENT 1000: The World’s Leading Patent ...

Protecting yourself against IP scammers

Scamming practices, such as misleading invoices and spoofed phone calls, are unfortunately a part ...

Meet The Team: Davina Lockyer, Business Services, System Accountant

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to system accountant, Davina Lockyer about why she ...

Proud to support the Better Kitchen Sink Project

UPC Administrative Committee approves Milan as host of the third Central Division court

The UPC Administrative Committee has announced that Milan will host the third seat of the UPC’s ...

In person event - Circular Economy: Ideas to Business, Cambridge, 13 September

Mewburn Ellis is delighted to be partnering with Cambridge Cleantech to present an exciting in ...

Cell-cultivated chicken approved for sale in US

On Wednesday 21 June 2023, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) approved the sale of ...

One giant leap for plant-kind: engineering plants for Mars

If humans are going to live on Mars one day, we need to work out how to grow plants there. Plants ...

Meet The Team: Debbie Williams, IP Support, Paralegal

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to paralegal Debbie Williams about developing her ...

Making plastic disappear

It comes as no surprise, that single-use plastic remains one of the most pressing environmental ...

IPEC Small Claims moving to Manchester

The Presiding Judge of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (‘IPEC’) has issued a Practice ...

Meet Ava Garside, teenage graphene innovator

Ava Garside first created her pollution sensor badge aged 12. Now she's pushing the boundaries of ...

Meet The Team: Cat Bate, Business Services, Learning & Development Manager

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to learning and development manager, Cat Bate about ...

Katy Perry v Katie Perry: Use of famous personalities’ names in commerce

Brand owners who build brands under their own name unsurprisingly attach great importance to how ...

World Ocean Day 2023 – Turning the Tide on Ocean Pollution

8 June 2023 marks the 21st World Ocean Day, which, in the words of The Ocean Project, has a mission ...

More recognition in MIP IP Stars 2023

It is fantastic to once again be recognised in MIP IP Stars 2023. So far this year, we have ...

EUIPO vs “EMMENTALER”

Trade mark courts worldwide spend a good deal of time deciding what trade marks cheese ...

Meet The Team: Rebecca Anderson-Smith, Partner, Chartered Trade Mark Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to partner, Rebecca Anderson-Smith about how she set ...

Team Bath Racing Electric enters driverless car race at Silverstone

Team Bath Racing Electric is set to hit the track at Formula Student 2023, including the Dynamic ...

Meet The Team: Andy King, Head of Trade Marks, Chartered Trade Mark Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to partner and Head of Trade Marks Andy King about ...

Podcast with Robert Andrews: how to drive I&D progress and engage key stakeholders

Robert Andrews joins Natasha Rainey on her All Inclusive Podcast to discuss his journey to becoming ...

CREST Awards case study: an interview with Toby Hill

Mewburn is a national partner for the CREST Awards programme run by the British Science Association ...

Green Tech: Making IP Part of Your Toolkit - Webinar

On Wednesday 21 June, we are delighted to be hosting in partnership with Oxfordshire Greentech a ...

Percy Pig ice cream renamed after M&S request

A small family-run ice cream parlour based in Hertfordshire has recently renamed its 'Perky Pig ...

Offshore wind's contribution to the world's energy demand

In 2019 the International Energy Agency (IEA) estimated that the energy available worldwide from ...

Meet The Team: Kate O'Rourke, Partner, Chartered Trade Mark Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Chartered Trade Mark Attorney, Kate O’Rourke ...

Patenting antibodies – the latest developments from the EPO Boards of Appeal:  Part 2 – inventive step

We have conducted a review of Board of Appeal decisions relating to antibody patents published ...

Mewburn Ellis shortlisted for two awards at the Managing IP EMEA Awards 2023

We are delighted to have been nominated in two categories by Managing IP at their EMEA Awards.

Gene sequencing accelerates with custom hardware

The cost to sequence a genome continues to drop exponentially. Over the past 20 years, the cost to ...

The ball is rolling at the FDA for microbiome therapies

The FDA was busy last week! Off the back of the first approval for faecal microbiota transplant ...

Meet The Team: Jacqueline Pang, Partner, Chartered Trade Mark Attorney

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talked to Jacqueline Pang about ChatGPT, the use of trade ...

The allogeneic advantage

Bespoke cell therapies are expensive and time-consuming. Now allogeneic cell treatments offer a ...

The History of Hydrofoils

Since their introduction into the America’s Cup boats in 2013, hydrofoils have become familiar to ...

Meet The Team: Jan Rether, Partner, Attorney at Law

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talked to Jan Rether, partner in the Munich office, about ...

Fail to Prepare; Prepare to Fail: a discussion about representation issues at the UK IPO

The UK IPO has recently introduced an important change to the rules on representation of certain ...

Joe Newcombe in PharmaTimes — new order

In his regular PharmaTimes feature, sustainability columnist Joe Newcombe looks out to pharma’s ...

MIP IP STARS: Top 250 Women in IP 2023

Congratulations to Kate O'Rourke who has been recognised in Managing IP: IP STARS Top 250 Women in ...

EPO to Abolish “10-Day Rule” from 01 November 2023

Key Points: the “10-day rule” will be abolished and will not be applied in respect of European ...

The lithium rush: an unsustainable approach to sustainability?

In recent years, the world has seen the significant consequences of our continued heavy dependence ...

High Court finds Tesco Clubcard Prices logo infringes Lidl’s trade mark

The High Court of England and Wales yesterday (19 April 2023) held that Tesco has been infringing ...

Operating in the circular economy: From idea to Business – our co-hosted event with Oxfordshire Greentech

On Wednesday 22 March, we were delighted to co-host an in-person event with Oxfordshire Greentech ...

Offshore winds blow against Siemens

Late last year Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy A/S was unsuccessful in asserting infringement of ...

“Wood”n’t it be nice? - Turning over a new leaf in wood-based packaging

For years, we have been aware of the need to reduce our reliance on plastic. But there is a reason ...

Patents at sea

Patents are a territorial right. A UK patent provides you with a monopoly right for your claimed ...

Does declaring your patent or application as “essential to a standard” influence the outcome of that patent or application in Europe?

This blog is the first in a series in which we explore standards essential patents using patent ...

Blowing bubbles to cut drag and clean up shipping

If someone told you their latest invention was a bubble blowing device, you might think that they ...

When dragons come to court: why a children book’s author lost a case of copyright infringement against John Lewis

“The dragon is a creature of myth, dating back to ancient times and found in cultures across the ...

UK accession to the CPTPP - grace period exemption big boost for IP

The UK government announced 5 years ago its intention to join the CPTPP (Comprehensive and ...

Can parallel importers apply registered trade marks to previously unbranded products?

Towards the back end of last year, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) gave a series ...

Spot the difference: where UK and German laws go astray

Despite the harmonisation of trade mark law in Europe over the past decades, significant ...

Advanced Therapies Congress 2023 - five key themes

Anna Mudge enjoyed a bustling two days at the Advanced Therapies Congress 2023 in London. Nine ...

Motion of the ocean - Wave energy converters

The ocean covers 70% of the earth’s surface, so it is no wonder there is a significant attention at ...

Reborn! How a radical process will be able to give new life to unwanted boats

There are around a million boats in the UK and eventually they will all need to be recycled. The ...

How neurodiversity can benefit the legal profession

As part of our Thought Leaders series, we explore the unique perspectives neurodivergent ...

Mycelium, a natural wonder

In an ever more eco-aware world, Ecovative is creating foam, fashion, face masks and food from ...

Femtech: a growth industry - new special report

We are delighted to release our latest report Femtech: a growth industry.

Trade Secrets in practice

As part of our Thought Leaders series, Mewburn Ellis Partner and Head of Legal Services Sean Jauss ...

Wearing down tyre emissions

The amount of particulate material which comes out of an exhaust pipe of a car is relatively modest ...

Mewburn Ellis celebrates International Women's Day 2023

8 March 2023 was International Women's Day (IWD) which looks to celebrate women's achievements, ...

Come and join us for a ‘Celebration of all things Singapore’

We are excited to be in Singapore for INTA 2023 and very much hope that you can join us at our ...

Cheese without cows

How Better Dairy are creating products that are molecularly identical to traditional dairy (without ...

Conservation innovation – working towards a world for both humans and wildlife

With a rapidly growing human global population, predicted to reach 10 billion by 2057, our impact ...

Julie Carlisle and Robert Watson in PharmaTimes — everything I own?

Featured in PharmaTimes, Julie Carlisle and Robert Watson dig deep into the maelstrom of ...

Can an AI win copyright protection?

As part of our Thought Leaders series, we explore artificial intelligence and copyright. Forward: ...

Unified Patent Court (UPC) FAQS – how do we make sure an opt-out request is valid?

The delay of the opening of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) gives us some additional time to reflect ...

Joe Newcombe in PharmaTimes — circle of life

In his regular PharmaTimes feature, sustainability columnist Joe Newcombe looks out to pharma’s ...

Microbiome claims around the world: how to define your microbe?

A booming commercial interest in harnessing the human microbiome for therapeutic uses has led to a ...

Faraday Battery Challenge: Funding the Future

Michael Faraday uncovered the link between electricity and magnetism, built the first electric ...

The world’s toughest sports earbuds

Tom Jelliffe is the founder of ultra-durable earphones brand Tzuka. Here’s how he took his concept ...

Trafficking T cells – how to get cells to their target destination

After being in the shadow of its famous relative, the antibody-producing B cell, for many decades, ...

WTR 1000 - The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals 2023

We are delighted be ranked silver for prosecution and strategy in WTR 1000 – The World’s Leading ...

EPO announces fee increases from 1 April 2023

In recent times, the European Patent Office (EPO) has increased its official fees every two years. ...

Germany completes ratification of UPC agreement, confirming the 1 June 2023 launch date

Months of delay and uncertainty are finally behind us. Germany deposited its ratification of the ...

Unified Patent Court (UPC) FAQS – who is entitled to file an opt-out request?

The delay of the opening of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) gives us some additional time to reflect ...

Plastics and climate change - a solution and a problem

Plastics have the potential to play a crucial role in emission-saving technologies – from the ...

Women and Girls in Science Day: Mewburn Ellis celebrates women in STEM fields

Saturday 11 February 2023 marks the 8th International Women and Girls in Science Day.

AI and Tech innovation stands out in a slow year for pharma deals

Last year saw a drop in the number and value of deals performed in the biotech and pharma sector ...

Meet the team: Callum McGuinn, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Chemistry team, London

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Callum McGuinn about his journey to becoming a ...

Mewburn Ellis CREST Awards partnership report

We are delighted to share our CREST Awards partnership project report. This outlines some of the ...

Curing pharmaceutical trade mark deficiencies: EU guidance on “food supplements” and “pharmaceutical products” in Hasco TM v EUIPO

Making genuine use of trade marks after registration is of fundamental importance to avoid the ...

Meet the team: Julie Carlisle, Partner, Patent Attorney and Litigator in the Chemistry team, London

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Julie Carlisle about her journey to becoming a ...

Veganuary: what a month it has been!

Veganuary is done for another year. What a month it has been!

Veganuary: what we eat - 5 tips for sustainability

As Veganuary comes to a close, we are preparing to return to our normal lives and, indeed, diets. ...

Getting to grips with device led physical rehabilitation innovation

In the UK, there are an estimated 187,000 children living with an arm disability, and 85 million ...

Meet the team: Emma Graham, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Engineering team, London

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Emma Graham about her love of patent drafting, ...

Should I file third party observations?

A study of the consequences of filing third party observations (TPOs) in the MedTech sector and the ...

Patenting antibodies – the latest developments from the EPO Boards of Appeal

The prosecution of patent applications relating to antibodies involves particular considerations. ...

Meet the team: Camille Terfve, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Life Sciences team, Cambridge

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Camille Terfve about her journey to becoming a ...

Battery insights & IP trends - new special report

We are pleased to announce the launch of our latest special report Battery insights & IP ...

Meet the team: Eleanor Maciver, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Chemistry team, Cambridge

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Eleanor Maciver about her journey to becoming a ...

Veganuary: food for thought - ethical considerations when navigating the future food technology landscape

Our focus this Veganuary has been on the technology leading the way in this sector, and in ...

CAR Treg cell therapy - to autoimmunity and beyond

A new wave of cell therapy is hitting the clinics for treating various autoimmune diseases, by ...

Meet the team: Christopher Casley, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Life Sciences team, Bristol

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Christopher Casley about why he enjoys life as a ...

Quantum sensors in space: measuring a warming world with cold atoms

Space-borne sensors serve a variety of purposes that are all but essential to our daily lives, from ...

Synthetic Biology - creating innovative solutions to tackle climate change

Over the past few decades, awareness of the impact that humans are having on the planet has grown ...

Veganuary: vegan branding – more than meats the eye

The Veganuary challenge is in full swing, at Mewburn Ellis, and across the UK more generally. But ...

Opting out from the UPC – when to opt-out a pending European patent application

From 1 March 2023, when the Unified Patent Court (UPC) sunrise period starts, it will become ...

Veganuary: horizons in next-generation plant-based meat analogues

Here at Mewburn Ellis, we have been thinking about the future of food for some time. Since 2019, we ...

Battery innovation - an enabling technology for the reduction of greenhouse emissions

From both sides of the research community, companies and academics are working to not only invent ...

Veganuary: Culturing an appetite; advances in 3D bioprinting

Throughout Veganuary, we are looking at the technologies that are taking us beyond animal ...

Operating in the circular economy: From idea to Business – in person event, Oxford UK, 22 March 2023

We are delighted to be partnering with Oxfordshire Greentech to present an exciting new in person ...

Form TM7 & TM7A — discrepancies between threatened and actual opponents at the UKIPO

Publication of a UK trade mark application, following examination and acceptance by the UK IPO, ...

Mewburn's The Christie Challenge raises over £30,000!

Over the course of September 2021 to September 2022, Mewburn Ellis participated in The Christie ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to be participating in Veganuary

At Mewburn Ellis, we have been thinking about the future of food for some time. So have the ...

A world-first approval for off-the-shelf cell therapy

We are delighted to learn that this week the European Commission granted the world’s first approval ...

mRNA cancer vaccine shows efficacy in clinical trial

Moderna and Merck announced in a mid-December 2022 press release that its mRNA cancer vaccine ...

Podcast with Jevan Nagarajah: Cheese without cows

Jevan Nagarajah, Co-Founder and CEO of Better Dairy, joins Forward Editor Charles Orton-Jones to ...

The state of quantum

Quantum chips are sparking into life. But what is this hardware going to be used for?

Quantum and the law

Mewburn Ellis speaks to Kaniah Konkoly-Thege, Chief Legal Officer and Head of Government Relations ...

Joe Newcombe in PharmaTimes — Reality checked

In his regular PharmaTimes feature, sustainability columnist Joe Newcombe looks at how COP27 ...

Repurpose our rigs! Platforms for climate tech

2022 saw the end of one of the UK’s largest, and possibly most bizarre, public art exhibitions – an ...

Pharma trade marks: 2022 case law round up

As we enter December, and the year draws to a close, many trade mark practitioners and brand owners ...

Parallel imports of repackaged pharmaceutical products - clarification from recent CJEU rulings

Recent case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has clarified how the ...

Welcome to the market, FMT

On Wednesday 30 November 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorised the first ...

What is Synthetic Biology and why should you care?

The term Synthetic Biology, or SynBio, has been used for a while; the meaning of the term seems to ...

Antibody therapy for pets – following the human lead

Over recent decades monoclonal antibody (mAb) therapy has developed from a standing start to become ...

David Deutsch – making more sense than common sense

“Our best theories are not only truer than common sense, they make more sense than common sense.” — ...

Patent Litigation Trends in England & Wales - new report

We are delighted to release our latest report Patent Litigation Trends in England and Wales.

Joe Newcombe in PharmaTimes — We are the robots

In his regular PharmaTimes feature, sustainability columnist Joe Newcombe looks his experience at ...

Graphene: the commercial disrupter

Graphene has generated a tremendous amount of excitement since it was first isolated at the ...

Opposition and examination oral proceedings by videoconference (ViCo) now as standard

In response to the significant travel restrictions that were in place across Europe during the ...

Pharma Trade Marks: Exhaustion and Parallel Trade in the UK - Special Report 2022

We are excited to announce the release of our latest special report Pharma Trade Marks: Exhaustion ...

Plausibility and Inventive Step at the EPO - Watch G2/21 live on Thursday 24 November

On Thursday 24 November 2022, the Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) will hear the parties in case ...

Coming soon to a plate near you? US Food and Drug Administration issue first step towards approval for cell-based meat

For over a decade, the promise of cultivated meat, grown using cell-culture techniques ex vivo and ...

European validation strategies for pharmaceutical patents – an update

In January 2021, we published our Special Report on EP validation strategies for pharmaceutical ...

Positive feedback on oral proceedings in oppositions carried out by videoconference

In September, the EPO commissioned a survey about their opposition procedure, in particular asking ...

Enablement Requirements for Antibody Claims to be Reviewed by US Supreme Court

In a development which will be of interest to biotech companies, particularly those working in the ...

Gender bias in patent prosecution

Fran Salisbury spoke to The Patent Lawyer Magazine about gender bias in patent prosecution. This ...

Eight days – the longest ever opposition hearing at the EPO?

The EPO Opposition Division just issued its decision on European Patent 2 188 302 following an ...

Ocean-based carbon dioxide removal is making a splash

COP27 commences on 6th November 2022 and one of the key items on the agenda will be the rules ...

Vets: who’s taking care of the animal caregivers?

Our pets are members of the family, and we would do everything we can to make sure they stay fit ...

Meet the team: Paul Dunne, Partner and Patent Attorney in the Chemistry team, Bristol

As part of our 'meet the team' series, we talk to Paul Dunne about his journey to becoming a patent ...

EPO introduces top-up searches for earlier national rights

On 1 September 2022, the EPO introduced an extra “quality check” prior to granting a European ...

Top Tier in Chambers & Partners 2023 legal guide

We are proud to have once again been ranked Band 1 (gold) in Chambers & Partners 2023 legal ...

Graphene: patenting a wonder material

Our Special Report Graphene: patenting a wonder material examines graphene-related patent ...

On track for net-zero railway: Hitachi’s Blues Train

In 1825 George Stephenson’s Locomotion took 450 people 25 miles from Darlington to Stockton at 15 ...

Mewburn Ellis Partner with the General Counsel for Diversity & Inclusion

We're Proud to Partner with the General Counsel for Diversity & Inclusion (GCD&I) GCD&I ...

AI at the UKIPO – a more patent friendly approach?

The UKIPO recently issued new guidance relating to examining patent applications relating to ...

Bioinformatics at the UK IPO – what does the new Guidance mean for applicants?

As recently publicised, the UK IPO recently issued new guidance relating to examining patent ...

Picky and potent: bioorthogonal chemistry in therapy

There exist chemical moieties that are essentially invisible to the machinery in the mammalian ...

Mewburn Ellis: top tier firm Legal 500 2023

We are extremely proud to be ranked tier one for our patent and trade mark practices in the 2023 ...

Robert Watson elected President of FICPI’s Study and Work Committee

Partner Robert Watson was elected President of FICPI’s Study and Work Committee (Commission d'Etude ...

Joe Newcombe in PharmaTimes — biohazard

In his regular PharmaTimes feature, sustainability columnist Joe Newcombe looks out to pharma’s ...

WIPR Diversity Champions & Trailblazers 2022

Congratulations to Robert Andrews and Rebecca Campbell on being recognised as a World Intellectual ...

Congratulations to our Rising Stars 2022

Congratulations to Eleanor Maciver, Anna Mudge and Ben Tolley for being recognised as Rising Stars ...

AI-enabled sensor provides early warning for postpartum haemorrhage

Australian start-up Baymatob combines an array of sensors with artificial intelligence to identify ...

A patent attorney, a dog and meaning in the job

4 October 2022 is World Animal Day and we can reflect on how the strong bond with our canine ...

Post quantum cryptography – The Final Frontier

We have previously reported on the ongoing search by the National Institute of Standards and ...

Obtaining patent protection for software inventions can be challenging - but we can help

New developments in software are continuing to change the world we live in at a rapid pace. Patent ...

UPC: Rules of Procedure finalised and in force

The Unitary Patent Court now has a revised set of Rules of Procedure. These came into force on 1 ...

Mewburn Ellis launch Validation Costs Estimator Tool

We are pleased to launch our new Validation Costs Estimator Tool. We know that it can be ...

Non-Fungible Tokens as legal property?

The world of cryptocurrency is a fast-moving and complex one. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin have ...

Mewburn Ellis leads UK IP sector with a silver medal from EcoVadis

Recognition comes as firm launches its in-depth Sustainability Report examining progress to date ...

Supercrystals

A new process allows for the creation of conductive nanocrystals, offering an extraordinarily wide ...

Regulatory challenges for microbiome therapeutics in the EU and beyond – focus on FMT

One of the oldest known microbiome-based therapeutics, faecal microbiota transplantation, is again ...

Pattern trade marks: cross-stitch your way to trade mark registration success

We live in a world filled with patterns. The natural world reveals to us many patterned ...

The long road to safer micro-mobility

June 2022 marked the first anniversary of the introduction of e-scooters in London as part of the ...

Standards, SEPs, and FRAND agreements - an overview

The terms “standards,” “SEPs,” and “FRAND agreements,” are increasingly being mentioned in the ...

The firepower of Cloud Native thinking

Taylor Dolezal of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation explains why the tech industry reveres this ...

Consequences of Brexit on trademarks and designs

Just over six years ago, the United Kingdom voted to exit the European Union. With most of the ...

IP as an enabler for AI: UK government shows its hand

The recently published response of the UK government to a consultation on the interface between ...

The FemTech revolution: providing much-needed menopause care

High quality menopause care has the potential to significantly improve women’s lives. Fortunately, ...

We perform significantly better than the EPO average at oppositions

We really are experts when it comes to opposing patents and our enviable success rate speaks for ...

So you want to be a STEMinist

The gender imbalance in science and technology is startling. A bold group of pioneers is showing ...

Alternative proteins: you can’t magic anything out of thin air – or can you?

It’s hard to miss the scale of investor and consumer appetite for sustainable, future foods. Future ...

Joe Newcombe in PharmaTimes — chemical reaction

In his regular PharmaTimes feature, sustainability columnist Joe Newcombe looks out to pharma’s ...

Bugs helping drugs beat cancer – harnessing the microbiome for immunotherapy

In recent years the field of cancer immunotherapy has exploded in popularity, and now a new branch ...

Most opposed patents of 2021

When we reviewed our list of the most opposed European patents of 2021, we found that the patent at ...

Mewburn Ellis is proud to work on 19 of the 50 top-selling pharmaceuticals of 2021

2021 was a year of unprecedented success for the biotech and pharmaceutical industries, with the ...

Electrolytes: the challenge for new-age batteries

Most people have heard some version of a horror story about a laptop spontaneously catching fire or ...

Unitary Patent Package - an overview

In this Forward: On Demand vlog, Eliot Ward gives us an overview of the Unitary Patent Package, ...

MRI-Guided Therapy

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners use strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce ...

Breakthrough: super fast DNA tests

A rapid bedside genetic test can screen newborn babies for a genetic variant which makes them ...

Bacteria: a surface level understanding

Surfaces pose a unique challenge in the on-going war against pathogenic bacteria. Bacteria may ...

Mewburn Ellis ranked ‘gold tier’ in IAM PATENT 1000: The World’s Leading Patent Practitioners 2022

We are delighted to once again be ranked ‘gold tier’ in IAM PATENT 1000: The World’s Leading Patent ...

High hopes for hydrogen electrolysers: EPO report looks to the future of green hydrogen production

Hydrogen is often seen as the “fuel of the future” due to its high energy density, its abundance ...

Mewburn Ellis announces firmwide menopause policy

We are delighted to have launched a firmwide menopause policy to encourage discussion around, and ...

EPO presses pause on proceedings that depend on the plausibility referral to the EBA

Despite not having any express legislative basis in the European Patent Convention, plausibility ...

Robotic-assisted surgery: from fiction to reality and beyond

It’s a notable feature of (my favourite) Sci-Fi movies, that they tend to include some sort of ...

Mewburn Ellis win MIP UK Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year!

We are delighted to have been named UK Firm of the Year for Patent Prosecution at the Managing IP ...

The surprising world of canine oncology

Dog cancer specialist Dr Clare Knottenbelt reveals the insights derived from studying and treating ...

The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court – renovation, or a new coat of paint?

Comments on the current functioning, and the future, of the IPEC.

Mewburn Ellis ranked Tier 1 for Patent prosecution in MIP IP STARS 2022

We are delighted to once again be ranked Tier 1 for Patent Prosecution UK in MIP IP STARS 2022.

Mewburn Ellis advises creators of Goodwood 2022 record breaker

IP firm advises the company behind the Spéirling electric hypercar which has just beaten the ...