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”” »

Patent Protection in Cambodia

shutterstock_88533937Last week we discussed trade mark protection in Cambodia, one of the fast growing South-East Asian Countries. With today’s blog post we will continue expanding our IP knowledge on Cambodia and  delve into patent protection, taking a closer look on how to obtain and enforce your patents in Cambodia.  

Patents and Utility Models in Cambodia

Patents are the set of exclusive rights granted to inventors or their assignees to exploit an invention for a limited period of time. The Cambodian Patent Law defines an invention as, “the idea of an inventor which permits in practice the solution to a specific problem in the field of technology.” The law further clarifies that an invention may either be, or relate to, both a product and a process. A product patent (i.e., a patent giving protection to the product as such) gives the patent holder the exclusive right to make, import, sell, offer for sale, use, and stock the product for the purpose of sale or use. A process patent (i.e. a patent granted for a process or a method), gives the patent holder an exclusive right to prevent others from using that process/form.

An invention is patentable if it is novel, involves an inventive step, and is industrially applicable. An invention is novel if it is not disclosed to the public, anywhere in the world, prior to the date of filing the application or the priority date. An invention is considered to involve an inventive step if the invention is not obvious to a person skilled in the art. The industrially applicable requirement means that the invention must have a use in at least one kind of industry. The Patent Law excludes certain types of inventions from patent protection, such as discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods. The law also excludes inventions that would be contrary to public order or morality, that would be harmful to human, animal or plant life and that would seriously compromise the environment. Continue reading “Patent Protection in Cambodia” »

Patent Protection in South-East Asia

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patentWith today’s blog post we continue our Back to the Basics theme and take a look at patent protection in South-East Asia. This blog post  will explain the patent application process and discuss alternative and oftentimes faster routes for obtaining patents in South-East Asia via using the Patent Cooperation Treaty or benefiting from ASEAN Patent Examination Cooperation. 

A patent is an exclusive right granted for the protection of new inventions, which are products or processes offering new technical solutions or providing new ways of doing something. The product or process in question must be applicable in industry to be eligible for protection. Patent protection lasts for a limited period of time, usually 20 years. A patent is a territorial right and has its effects only within the national boundaries of the country for which it is granted. It means that patents registered in Europe have no legal effect in any South-East Asian country.

A patent provides protection for the invention to the owner of the patent, meaning that the invention cannot be commercially made, used, distributed or sold without the patent owner’s consent. Patent rights are enforceable in courts and obtaining patent protection is therefore a crucial aspect of business in the modern global economy. It is vital that SMEs apply for patent protection in the South-East Asian countries of interest to their business, especially if the launch of their respective produc on the South-East Asian market is on the horizon. Continue reading “Patent Protection in South-East Asia” »

Proposed Revisions to the Chinese Patent Law (December 2015)

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PatentToday’s blog post has been kindly brought to you by our IPR expert Mr. Toby Mak from Tee & Howe Intellectual Property Attorneys. In his article, which was first published in UK Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA) Journal,  Mr. Mak gives a detailed overview of the Chinese State Intellectual Property Office’s final draft of the proposed revisions to the Chinese Patent Law. 

In December 2015, the Chinese SIPO published their final draft of the proposed revisions (the proposal) to the Chinese Patent Law (the Law) to seek public opinion. Compare to the draft in April 2015 (please see my report in the May issue of the CIPA Journal), there are a lot of significant changes in this proposal, while many changes proposed in April 2015 were retained. This article reports these proposed revisions in the final draft, together with my comments.

As this article closely relates to mine published in May 2015 issue of the CIPA Journal, I will continue to use the same number scheme for various topics so that the two articles could be referred to each other.

To start with, let us have a look at the changes that have been retained and remain unchanged: Continue reading “Proposed Revisions to the Chinese Patent Law (December 2015)” »

Industry Spotlight: IPR Strategies in China for Cleantech Industry

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MC900437625China is the fastest growing market for wind and nuclear power generation, and is investing heavily in exploring alternative, renewable means of addressing its immense energy needs. With a large potential cleantech market, and strong government support for the development and adoption of new clean technologies, China presents great opportunities for European cleantech SMEs.

China’s large market potential means that cleantech businesses cannot risk losing a strategic foothold in China by waiting to act. However, cleantech businesses that enter China need to understand that while good execution, effective management, and access to financing is critical to maintaining a competitive advantage, protecting good technology is also equally critical. Although technology transfer can be structured in a way that minimises IP risk, additional preparation and measures directed at the IP environment in China need to be considered as well.

How IP fits into an overall business strategy will depend on whether the firm is a start-up or a growth business, and also whether the technology itself is new and untested in the market, or mature and ‘off-patent’ (technology that is no longer protected by patent). Different businesses will use IP to achieve different objectives, such as to maximise revenue-generation by monetising their IP portfolio through licensing, increase opportunities for partnerships and cross-licensing, or bar new market entrants. Continue reading “Industry Spotlight: IPR Strategies in China for Cleantech Industry” »