shutterstock_1624197151_robert_wei
12 March 2020PatentsWIPR team

COVID-19: IP updates

This blog is no longer being updated. COVID-19 coverage is now curated into a weekly mailout to newsletter subscribers.

Latest news on the impact of COVID-19 on the IP market

Key developments

1. CIPA postpones most events

2. USPTO to hold meetings by video and phone

3. WHO director-general warns countries to take action

How has COVID-19 affected your business? Contact  tphillips@newtonmedia.co.uk with your law firm, IP team or organisation’s response to the crisis.

WIPR will update this page with all relevant news as it emerges.

Bird & Bird offers European IP office round-up (Mar 17)

UK-based IP firm Bird & Bird has  published a helpful overview of all COVID-19 communications by European IP offices.

Created by counsel  Constantin Eikel, the table lists links to deadline, rule, and time limit changes forced by the pandemic.

CIPA postpones all events until end of June (Mar 17)

The Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys has  postponed all in-person events until at least June 30 this year.

This includes its Spring Conference (March 18-20).

“We are currently exploring options to replace in-person events with webinars to ensure there are still learning and CPD opportunities available,” said the group.

Irish IP office closes until March 29 (Mar 13)

The Intellectual Property Office of Ireland (IPOI) has announced it will close until Sunday, March 29. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced unprecedented social distancing measures yesterday as the country deals with a spike in coronavirus cases.

“The office will continue to maintain all of its online and e-services, including e-filing of applications, electronic fee payments and enquiries by telephone and email during normal opening hours,” an IPOI statement said.

USPTO to hold video and phone meetings (Mar 13)

The US Patent and Trademark Office has announced all in-person meetings, including oral hearings, will be held by video or telephone from today, March 13.

The move will affect all examiner and examining attorney interviews, as well as Patent Trial and Appeal Board and Trademark Trial and Appeal Board hearings.

US Copyright Office shut to public (Mar 13)

The Library of Congress, which houses the US Copyright Office, has announced that it will be shut to the public until April 1 to limit the risk of transmission of COVID-19.

“If you are a user of US Copyright Office services, submit your applications online, browse FAQs, and submit emails with questions through  copyright.gov,” a notice on the office’s website stated.

COVID-19 pandemic ‘can be controlled’ says WHO (Mar 12)

The World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 virus a pandemic, but insisted it “was controllable”.

Almost 125,000 cases have now been reported, from 118 countries and territories, the organisation’s director-general  said.

“Countries that decide to give up on fundamental public health measures may end up with a larger problem, and a heavier burden on the health system that requires more severe measures to control,” said WHO’s Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

UKIPO offers help to affected parties (Mar 11)

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO)  has said it will take whatever measures it can to support rights applicants and attorneys affected by the outbreak.

The office will consider requests for time extensions, move deadlines and reinstate rights “in certain circumstances”.

UKIPO offers help to affected parties (Mar 11)

The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO)  has said it will take whatever measures it can to support rights applicants and attorneys affected by the outbreak.

The office will consider requests for time extensions, move deadlines and reinstate rights “in certain circumstances”.

INTA postpones next week’s New York conference to June (Mar 9)

The  International Trademark Association (INTA) has cancelled its planned conference on “Brands In Society: Their Influence and Responsibility”, which was due to be held in New York on March 16-17.

The event has now been rescheduled for June 22-23.

INTA was previously forced to postpone its annual meeting, scheduled to be held in Singapore next month.

Ninth Circuit cancels en banc hearings this week (Mar 9)

The  US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has cancelled all planned en banc (featuring the full panel of judges) hearings scheduled for this week, beginning Monday, March 9.

A statement on the court’s website said the decision was taken in light of “concerns about community spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout the circuit”.

The Ninth Circuit includes districts in both California and Washington state, two of the areas in the US worst affected by the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) Bar Association has also cancelled its planned conference, scheduled to begin tomorrow, March 10, in Washington, DC.

EPO cancels March/April events (Mar 5)

The European Patent Office (EPO) is postponing all events with more than 50 participants scheduled for March and April.

A notice on the office’s website also requests all external partners to “abstain from visiting the EPO” if they have recently visited China, South Korea, or the ‘red zone’ in Northern Italy.

The EPO has cancelled all duty travel for its staff, including travel between EPO offices.

EUIPO postpones all March events (Mar 4)

The European Union Intellectual Property Office ( EUIPO) has  postponed all meetings and events, involving a high number of external stakeholders, planned for March this year.

This includes the 23rd Liaison Meeting on Trade Marks, the 28th User Group Meeting, the 5th Anti-Scam Meeting, the IP seminar on opposition and cancellation, the Observatory Working Groups and Judges seminars.

The body is looking into alternative solutions in order to hold these meetings (fully or partially) at a later stage, through digital means.

MARQUES cancels Frankfurt event (Mar 2)

Brand owners association  MARQUES has cancelled its 2020 spring meeting in Frankfurt this week due to the “health risks associated with the coronavirus (COVID 19)”.

The organisation, which was due to meet on March 5-6, said it had emailed delegates with more information.

“We look forward to seeing delegates at the Annual Meeting in Stockholm in September,” MARQUES said in a statement.

China approves three remdesivir patents, five pending (Feb 26)

Gilead Sciences has been granted three Chinese patents connected to possible COVID-19 treatment, with five more pending, reports  LSIPR.

The news raises doubts over the Wuhan Institute of Virology of the China Academy of Sciences’ earlier controversial patent application for the use of remdesivir.

China to extend IP pledge financing amid outbreak (Feb 26)

China’s National Intellectual Property Administration (NIPA) has announced it will extend support for IP pledge financing to keep small businesses afloat during the coronavirus outbreak.

The measure will see loans offered to small and medium-sized enterprises, with IP rights pledged as collateral.

He Zhimin, deputy director of the NIPA, said the move would bring relief to SMEs during the difficult period.

“It is a very effective measure for those small and medium-sized companies, especially technological companies, to pledge their IP rights for funds,” he said.

GSK and Chinese biotech join forces on vaccine (Feb 25)

British drugmaker  GSK and Chinese biotech  Clover Biopharmaceuticals have partnered to develop a protein-based coronavirus vaccine candidate, writes  LSIPR.

The collaboration is one of several publicised by pharmaceutical companies this month.

ICANN cancels Mexico meet, opts for ‘remote participation’ (Feb 24)

The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has stopped delegates from physically attending its ICANN67 Public Meeting, due to be held in Cancún, Mexico, in favour of ‘remote participation-only’.

The meeting, scheduled for March 7-12, marks the first time in ICANN's history that it will hold a public event in this way.

“Each ICANN Public Meeting attracts thousands of attendees from more than 150 countries. With cases in at least 26 of those countries, there is the potential of bringing the virus to Cancún and into the ICANN meeting site,” said a statement.

“If this were to happen, there could be accidental exposure of the virus to attendees, staff, and others who come in contact with an infected individual.”

More information  here.

Sanofi partners with HHS to work on COVID-19 vaccine (Feb 19)

Sanofi’s vaccine unit has united with the US Department of Health and Human Services to develop a vaccine for the COVID-19 virus, which has so far killed more than 2,000 people worldwide.

EUIPO extends deadlines for Chinese parties (Feb 18)

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has  extended deadlines in trademark and community design proceedings for Chinese parties in light of the outbreak.

EUIPO executive director Christian Archambeau stated that all deadlines falling between January 30 to February 28 will be extended until February 29.

The extension only applies to parties who are resident or have their registered office in China.

Archambeau cited EU Regulation 2017/1001 on EU trademarks, which allows for extensions in the event of an “exceptional occurrence”.

EPO may postpone oral hearings ‘if necessary’ (Feb 17)

The European Patent Office (EPO) has said it is “monitoring the situation” and is prepared to postpone oral hearings if parties are affected by the epidemic.

“We are in close contact with our user community and will provide information whenever this becomes necessary. Such steps could also involve postponement of oral proceedings if a party is adversely affected by the outbreak,” said EPO spokesperson Luis Berenguer.

The office said that under the rules of the European Patent Convention (EPC), parties affected by the coronavirus have options to extend time limits “on request”.

The EPC also provides for possibilities to remedy a loss of rights, said Berenguer.

The EPO will try and limit any negative consequences for parties and “ensure that [parties’] rights are safeguarded to the extent possible”, he added.

IPOS reaction to INTA cancellation (Feb 17)

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has said it looks forward to welcoming INTA to Singapore in 2022, in the wake of April’s planned annual meeting in the city-state being called off in favour of a new US location.

An IPOS spokesperson told WIPR: “We accept that the decision was made in the interest of the potential participants. We appreciate that INTA had also informed us personally of their decision, and we look forward to welcoming them back to Singapore in 2022, and continue working closely with them.”

Anti-counterfeiting conference called off (Feb 17)

The International AntiCounterfeiting Coalition (IACC) has  cancelled its planned annual conference in Singapore, which was scheduled to take place in April immediately before INTA’s annual meeting.

The IACC said it is “looking at opportunities to reschedule the conference for later this year”.

INTA moves 2020 annual meeting to US (Feb 15)

The International Trademark Association’s (INTA) 2020 annual meeting will not go ahead in Singapore, and will be instead be held in a US venue in “May or June”, the organisation has announced.

In a statement issued this morning, INTA CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo said Singapore will now host the annual meeting in 2022.

INTA said it would automatically refund in full registration fees and sponsor fees. Bnetwork, the official housing provider for the planned Singapore meeting, will also reimburse deposits for hotel rooms booked through its service, the statement said.

Read the full story  here.

J&J, HHS sign expanded COVID-19 vaccine deal (Feb 14)

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) unit Janssen has expanded an existing R&D agreement with the US Department of Health and Human Services, to speed up the development of an investigational vaccine for the novel coronavirus COVID-19.

Law firms in Asia take precautions (Feb 14)

James Hill at Winkler Partners, based in Taipei, Taiwan, writes that the firm has taken the following precautions:  1) A survey of all colleagues' travel history on our return to work after the Lunar New Year, including the travel history of family members2) Hand sanitiser placed at entrances, and increased cleaning of facilities3) Introduced temporary guidelines for taking leave or work-from-home arrangements in line with Taiwan government advice during the outbreak period4) Monitoring of official announcements and news and sharing that information with all colleagues

‘We’re learning to work remotely’ (Feb 13)

Kenneth L Ng, a US-based partner at Chinese IP firm Chang Tsi & Partners, said the epidemic had not affected IP work directly.

“The biggest impact is that it’s really affecting trade. People can’t get to China and people can’t leave,” said Ng, whose firm employs 350 people, including 220 attorneys, mostly located in Beijing.

The firm has told its China-based lawyers to work from home since the start of the outbreak. And because the virus coincided with the Chinese New Year holidays, some of its employees have not returned to their Beijing homes from visiting family.

Ng said the situation also had an upside. While he has been working from home for many years, Ng said it’s been a “useful exercise” for the entire firm.

“We’re learning how to work remotely, from junior staff to senior leaders,” he said.

Speaking of the Chinese population, which is faced with food, supplies and medicine shortages, Ng added that it was “admirable to watch how people are dealing with the crisis”.

Airlines suspend China flights (Feb 13)

Dozens of airlines have suspended flights to mainland China and Hong Kong, according to Business Traveller.

Singapore declares new cases (Feb 12)

Singapore, which in April this year is due to host the International Trademark Association’s Annual Meeting, has declared three new cases of the virus, reports Singapore news site CNA. This takes the number of confirmed cases of the virus the county fo 50, second only to China.

Major events in the country were recently cancelled, including the HSBC Women's World Championship, Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit, and the World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers’ inaugural Asian Media Leaders Summit (moved from March to July).

The Singapore Ministry of Health has published guidance for organisers of large-scale events in light of the outbreak.

Chinese drugmaker copies Gilead anti-Ebola drug (Feb 12)

Chinese pharmaceutical company BrightGene has said that it has successfully copied and manufactured remdesivir, Gilead Sciences’ experimental anti-Ebola drug believed to be a potential treatment option for coronavirus.

The firm has suggested that it could seek an agreement with Gilead to market the drug commercially.

UK government asks pharma to retain existing drug stockpiles (Feb 11)

The UK government has requested that pharmaceutical companies retain existing stockpiles of medical supplies, which were compiled as a contingency measure ahead of the country’s exit from the EU.

In addition, the government has requested that drugs suppliers examine the risk that coronavirus poses, to relieve potential pressures on global supply chains.

UK Health Minister Nicola Blackwood said: “We are not aware of any current medicine shortages linked to this novel coronavirus, but we are putting in place common-sense measures as a precaution to help to ensure the uninterrupted supply of medicines to UK patients.”

Virus ‘threatens global drug supply’ (Feb 10)

Bristows’ Claire Smith has warned that the coronavirus outbreak could pose a threat to the supply of drugs around the world, due to disruption at Chinese manufacturing plants.

Around 40% of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are made in China, with the country also being a major supplier to the UK’s National Health Service.

Gilead CEO brushes off Chinese remdesivir patent (Feb 10)

China has begun clinical trials of Gilead’s remdesivir as a potential treatment for coronavirus.

The Wuhan Institute of Virology of the China Academy of Sciences has also filed a patent for use of the antiretroviral to treat coronavirus.

Speaking at a company event, Gilead CEO Daniel O’Day said that the “patent is not at the forefront of our mind”, and said the company “will not get into a patent dispute”.

INTA extends cancellation deadline for annual meeting (Feb 7)

The International Trademark Association’s (INTA) annual meeting is set to kick off in Singapore on April 25. The city-state currently has one of the largest outbreaks of the virus outside of China.

In light of the public health crisis, INTA has extended the deadline to cancel attendance at the annual meeting and receive a full refund to April 10, 2020. Registrants who cancel before this date will not incur a cancellation fee.

The International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property (AIPPI) is also set to host its annual world congress in the Chinese city of Guangzhou in October. In an update, AIPPI said that it is closely monitoring the situation and that it is “fully prepared for a backup plan”.

Sanofi pledges coronavirus initiative within a week (Feb 6)

CEO Paul Hudson told reporters last Thursday, February 6 that the French drugmaker would announce a new coronavirus initiative “within the next two weeks”.

“We have seen a flurry of activities from other companies,” Hudson said, after Sanofi published its 2019 financial results.

“We are one of the few companies that has the expertise to know when it is just a fantasy, or when it could be real. In the next week or two, you will see something more confirmatory about the approach we will take,” the Sanofi CEO added.

AbbVie donates Aluvia to Chinese government (Jan 27)

AbbVie confirmed in late January that it had donated a supply of Aluvia (lopinavir/ritonavir) to the Chinese health authorities as an “experimental option” to tackle the virus.

Aluvia is normally used to treat HIV in adults.

The move came at the request of the Chinese government, the pharma company confirmed.

Already registered?

Login to your account

To request a FREE 2-week trial subscription, please signup.
NOTE - this can take up to 48hrs to be approved.

Two Weeks Free Trial

For multi-user price options, or to check if your company has an existing subscription that we can add you to for FREE, please email Adrian Tapping at atapping@newtonmedia.co.uk


More on this story

Copyright
17 March 2020   The US Patent and Trademark Office has announced it will waive petition fees in certain situations, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
article
10 July 2020   The UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has put the UK’s return to full strength as an “innovative and creative nation” at the heart of its Corporate Plan 2020-21.
article
13 July 2020   The US Copyright Office has further extended the deadline for aspiring copyright owners who need to register their works electronically, by another 60 days, until September 8.