COP 21, COP 22 et la protection juridique de la “Technologie Verte”

clean-techAvec l’entrée en vigueur de l’Accord de Paris, les PME européennes engagées dans les technologies vertes auront de nombreuses opportunités d’affaires dans le monde entier. Cependant, lorsqu’ils entrent dans les marchés lucratifs de la Chine ou de l’Asie du Sud-Est, les entreprises doivent accorder une attention particulière aux droits de propriété intellectuelle, car la contrefaçon et les autres formes de violation des droits de propriété intellectuelle persistent encore dans ces régions. Cet article de blogue  explore la protection de la propriété intellectuelle dans l’industrie des technologies propres et a été  rédigé pour nous par notre expert en propriété intellectuelle Maître Philippe Girard-Foley de GIRARD-FOLEY & Associates.

Introduction 

Alors que s’ouvre la COP 22 visant à mettre en œuvre les principes de l’Accord de Paris sur le climat entré en vigueur le 4 novembre dernier, une question qui se pose aux juristes est celle de la protection des avancées technologiques dans ce domaine. Les technologies vertes visent un objectif qui dépasse le seul profit mais n’en demeurent pas moins une branche de l’industrie, confrontée aux mêmes contraintes de rentabilité et de succès. Comme l’industrie “traditionnelle”, l’industrie verte a besoin de la propriété intellectuelle pour assurer la protection du retour sur investissement technologique et commercial. Mais la propriété intellectuelle s’est elle adaptée aux spécificités de cette industrie? Quelles sont les questions que doivent se poser les industriels de la technologie verte en matière de propriété intellectuelle? Cet article, basé sur une présentation de son auteur dans le cadre d’un webinar organisé le 7 octobre 2016 par le South-Asia IPR SME Helpdesk, un programme co-financé par l’Union Européenne et par la Chambre de Commerce Européenne en Malaisie, tente d’apporter des réponses pratiques à ces questions.

  1. Technologie verte et propriété intellectuelle : une affaire de choix

1.1. La technologie verte étant d’apparition récente, est par essence une industrie d’innovation.

Il en résulte une plus grande dépendance quant à la protection que peut offrir la propriété intellectuelle, mais aussi:

1.1.1. un coût plus important avant la mise sur le marché, ceci résultant :

  • du contenu élevé en recherche & développement (“R&D”) dans le produit final; et
  • de la nécessité de recourir, avec le brevet, à un mode de protection des actifs immatériels onéreux.

Continue reading “COP 21, COP 22 et la protection juridique de la “Technologie Verte”” »

Upcoming Reform: Registered Designs Regime in Singapore

shutterstock_385731427Singapore has recently finalized the review of registered designs and is ready to implement the amendments to the Registered Designs Act. These amendments are meant to bring Singapore’s design rights in line with the changing environment and improve the country’s design industry. Our external IP experts Mr. Max Ng and Ms. You Na Lee from the Gateway Law Corporation have kindly drafted for us today’s blog post, where they discuss these amendments and their implications to the European SMEs. 

Introduction

In light of the recent technological advances and evolving business practices in the designs industry, the Ministry of Law (the “MinLaw”) and the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (the “IPOS”) commenced their review of the registered designs regime in Singapore in 2014, conducting 2 rounds of public consultations, and numerous focus group talks and one-to-one consultations with design associations, business, IP practitioners and academics. They have completed their joint review and released a “Final Report on the Review of Singapore’s Registered Designs Regime”, which sets out their recommendations to amend the Registered Designs Act (the “RDA”) to keep abreast of the changes in the industry.

Aims

The proposed reform is to complement the “Design 2025 Masterplan” released by DesignSingapore Council in March 2016, which sets out the government initiatives and policy framework to develop Singapore into a creativity- and innovation-driven economy and ecosystem by supporting capitalisation of the intellectual property in Singapore. Design is identified as one of the key pillars and catalysts to propel such a paradigm shift.

In the meantime, it seeks to protect interests of the users and the public, support business certainty and remain in line with international best practices, especially with other major markets. The MinLaw and IPOS have therefore taken into account different interests of all stakeholders and decided to implement some changes to the current designs regime to provide for sustainability and growth of the designs industry in Singapore. Continue reading “Upcoming Reform: Registered Designs Regime in Singapore” »

Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program and Patent Information Data Exchange Between Vietnam and Japan


patent-prosecution-highwayToday’s blog post has been kindly drafted for us by our IPR experts Mr. Max Ng and  Ms. Amira Nabila Budiyano from the Gateway Law Corporation, who will discuss the Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between Vietnam and Japan. The Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program is important as it can accelerate the examination of patent applications in Vietnam. The experts will explain how the Patent Prosecution Highway works and how SMEs from Europe and around the world can benefit from the program.  

Background 

One of the problems currently faced by the National Office of Intellectual Property of Vietnam (“NOIP”) is the increasing backlog of patent applications, which is one of the main reasons for the delayed examination of patent applications in Vietnam. This may adversely affect the quality of patent examination, as the bigger the backlog, the less time the examiners would have for reviewing the patent applications. The backlog of patent applications may further hinder the innovation process of the country while also posing a real concern to foreign businesses and investors wanting to venture into the Vietnam market. The Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program between the NOIP and the Japan Patent Office (“JPO”), which came into effect on 1 April 2016, is therefore a much welcomed move by the NOIP to cope with the increasing backlog and accelerate examination of patent applications in Vietnam. Continue reading “Patent Prosecution Highway Pilot Program and Patent Information Data Exchange Between Vietnam and Japan” »

Copyright in China: Q&A for the International Comparative Legal Guide on Copyright 2017

copyright, page 2Have a question about Copyright protection in China? Today’s blog post will provide you an answer. Our China IPR SME Helpdesk expert Mr. Charles Feng from East & Concord Partners based in Beijing has kindly drafted for us a very useful and informative blog post on Copyright Protection in China. In this comprehensive Copyright Guide, presented in Q&A format, you will  be able to find answers about how to register Copyright in China, what rights do you have in China and how you can enforce these rights. 

1          Copyright Subsistence

1.1       What are the requirements for copyright to subsist in a work?

Article 2 of the Implementing Rule of Copyright Law of PRC provides that work shall refer to original intellectual creations in the literary, artistic and scientific domain, insofar as they are capable of being reproduced in a certain tangible form.

Therefore, a work protectable under the Copyright Law of PRC must be:

  • original, which means that the work must be originated by the author rather than copied from any other party; and
  • reproducible, which means that the work must be able to be fixed in a tangible form.

Continue reading “Copyright in China: Q&A for the International Comparative Legal Guide on Copyright 2017” »

The 2016 Amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act – Its Changes, Significance, and Consequences

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trademarkThailand has issued new amendments to its Trademark Act, which will enter into force in the end of July, this year. In order to  allow you to familiarize yourselves with the upcoming changes, our IPR SME Helpdesk expert Mr. Franck Fougere from Ananda Intellectual Property has kindly drafted for us a blog post explaining the amendments to the Trademark Act and discussing their significance for the SMEs.

The widely forecasted amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act of B.E. 2534 (1991 A.D) will become effective on July 28, 2016. Significant structural policy changes will include Thailand’s ratification of the Madrid Protocol and acceptance of sound marks for registration. Several other changes to be introduced via the Amendment will affect the mechanics of trademark registration and prosecution, and, thus, intellectual property (IP) strategy. Anticipated changes to the registration and prosecution process are discussed below. Continue reading “The 2016 Amendment to Thailand’s Trademark Act – Its Changes, Significance, and Consequences” »