European Patent Office User Hearings 2004

European Patent Office User Hearings 2004

The Future of the European patent system - a series of conferences

Background

Patents play a key role in the European Union’s “Lisbon Agenda”, which aims at turning the European economy into the world’s most competitive knowledge-based economy by 2010. In such an economy the essential function of patents is to create an effective market in ideas. This is supported by a procedural structure, which enables the European patent system to manage a key network in the flow from knowledge to innovation and to value creation.

Almost thirty years ago, Europe gave itself a unique regional system of patent protection, which has deployed its capacity to innovators, inventors, researchers and companies of all fields of technology in response to the parameters of the global market place. Accordingly, the European patent has become a key instrument for the business strategies of applicants from all over the world. It is granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) on the basis of a centralised grant procedure for the currently 28 member states of the European Patent Organisation. The European patent covers a market of more than 500 million people and is seen by many as a model for successful regional cooperation in the field of patents.

In the course of the recent development in the world of patents, a discussion has evolved about the future structure of the European patent system, and the role of its constituents. As a consequence of this situation, the member states of the Organisation will meet in November to discuss strategic questions at an extraordinary meeting of the Administrative Council of the Organisation, the EPO’s governing body. They have opened a discussion and consultation forum ( on the Council’s website which also offers insight on the papers submitted by the delegations of the countries and other parties.

However, if the patent system is to create value for the European economy, it needs to take the views of its users into account.

To enrich this consultation process the EPO has decided to launch a series of public hearings among different user groups of the patent system. The purpose of these hearings is to enhance the transparency, information and knowledge of the patenting process in Europe on the one side, and to learn about the concerns, needs and ideas of the users of the European patent system on the other. The hearings target innovative European small and medium-sized enterprises, applicants and patent attorneys as well as the finance sector as the main users of the European patent system.

25/10/04 Prague: Small and medium-sized enterprises

The majority of the EPO’s applicants are small and medium-sized enterprises. They also constitute the backbone of the European economy. Empirical research clearly shows that these enterprises frequently abstain from using the patent system, as they find a number of barriers to patenting, such as cost considerations, procedural and legal complexity and uncertainty of the economic value of patents. The conference aims to provide information on some of these aspects and to explore the views and concerns of European SMEs?

What is offered?

In four parallel workshops, the conference addresses issues of specific interest to SMEs, such as advice and information on patents, enforcement of patents and risk/venture capital and patents. Expert speakers and patent attorneys offer a unique opportunity for gathering most up to date information on intellectual property. In a plenary voting session participants are invited to present their opinion on a number of questions related to the patent system.

As a service to participants, free advice from patent attorneys is available throughout the whole meeting.

Who should attend?

The conference addresses innovation-oriented enterprises with an experience in patenting. The conference language is English.

Date and Venue:

The conference takes place on 25 October 2004 at the

Hotel Hilton Prague,

Pobrezni 1

186 00 Prague 8, Czech republic

Registration:

Please register online:

or by fax at+4989/2399-2850

No registration fee is necessary.

Contact:

For further information please contact the Conference Secretariat at

European Patent Office

Communication Department

D-80298 Munich

Tel: +4989/2399-5010/-5018/-5012

This hearing is sponsored by:

epi. UNICE, ifo Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, vdi Technologiezentrum, UEAPME, LES, AIPPI

Preliminary programme:

IP Support for SMEs - Prague, 25 October 2004

11.00 / Opening session by the chairman of the hearing Klaus-Dieter Langfinger - Chairman of the working group on Patents, UNICE
11.05 / Welcoming address by Alain Pompidou - President
European Patent Office
11.15 / Keynote speaker - N.N. UEAPME
11.25 / Keynote speaker Matthias Kunz - CEO t’blade, Villingen / Germany
12.00 / Lunch buffet
13.15 / Workshop sessions 1st round - 4 topics
14.00 / 1. Assistance provided by patent attorneys (Gabriele Gislon, Luc Santorelli to be confirmed)
End of 1st
round / 2. Enforcements for SMEs: the Patents County Court for England & Wales
(Judge Michael Fysh) / 3. Assistance provided by NORM
APME (N.N.) / 4. Capital Risk Business Planning
(N.N.)
14.10 / Workshop sessions 2nd round- 4 topics
14.55 / 1. Assistance provided by patent attorneys
(Gabriele Gislon, Luc Santorelli to be confirmed)
End of 2nd round / 2. Enforcements for SMEs: the Patents County Court for England
(Judge Michael Fysh) / 3. Assistance provided by NORM
APME (N.N.) / 4. Capital Risk Business Planning (N.N.)
15.05 / Workshop sessions 3rd round - 4 topics
15.50 / 1. Assistance provided by patent attorneys
(Gabriele Gislon, Luc Santorelli to be confirmed)
End of 3rd round / 2. Enforcements for SMEs: the Patents County Court for England
(Judge Michael Fysh) / 3. Assistance provided by NORM
APME (N.N.) / 4. Capital Risk Business Planning (N.N.)
15.50 / Coffee break
16.00 / Workshop sessions 4th round - 4 topics
16.45 / 1. Assistance provided by patent attorneys
(Gabriele Gislon, Luc Santorelli to be confirmed)
End of 4th
round / 2. Enforcements for SMEs: the Patents County Court for England
(Judge Michael Fysh) / 3. Assistance provided by NORM
APME (N.N.) / 4. Capital Risk Business Planning (N.N.)
17.00 / Plenary voting session by Klaus-Dieter Langfinger
18.00 / Closing of hearing for SMEs
Invitation to cocktail at Czech National Bank