Fall 1999
Professor Hans-Gunther Foraita
Organize your answers before you begin to write and try to keep yours answers concise and clear.
Write your answers in the blue books supplied, but please use only one side of the page and observe the margins. Please
write as legibly as possible!
Grading will be anonymous; please do not put your name on anything you turn in. Be sure your examination number is
on each blue book you turn in.
Problem 1
(10 points) Define briefly the very common terms in patent language:
Problem 2 (5 points)
b) File a PCT application
c) File a European application
Problem 3 (10 points)
In order to harmonize management of intellectual property rights international agreements have been enacted between numerous countries. Such agreements are for example:
a) The Paris Convention
b) The Gatt/TRIPS
Agreement
c) The Budapest Treaty
d) The Patent Cooperation Treaty
e) The European Patent
Convention Describe in one sentence the rights, which these agreements confer upon inventors and applicants of the
member states. Remember you may consult your or any written material, especially the written material distributed in
class.
Problem 4
(10 points)
One of your clients Mr. Bradford from
the U.K. has realized that a European
Patent has been granted and thereafter
published on September 22, 1999
covering the very produkt which he intends to bring on the European market,
e.g. France, Gernany, U.K. and Italy.
All those countries have been
designated on the granted European
Patent.
a) What would you suggest as his attorney as next and cheapest action on his request, if you have checked with your client that additional and uncited prior art has been revealed?
b) Under citing which Articles of the
EPC this action may occur? What term
in patent language is used for this very action?
Problem 5 (10 points) What is meant under
the abbreviated terms when the PCT-systern is used for filing:
a) RO
b) ISA
c) IPEA
d) Why is the request for filing an
Report by the IPEA (using the PCT-filing system) to be seen as advantage when
going later into the national phase?
Problem 6 (5 points)
Which are the main
criterias required for patentability of an invention? Remember the very similar
demands in above mentioned conventions and agreements.
Problem 7 (5 points)
In which countries
are patent term extensions possible?
To which field of
invention are they limited and how long are the obtainable
extension terms.?
Problem 8 (5 points)
A resident of Belgium has
filed a number of corresponding patent
applications in numerous member states
of the Paris Convention for his
invenion, a new electronic calculator. In one of the
countries on file the
receiving National Patent Office defines that the claims do
not comply with
the requirement of unity. Does this have any effect on the
applications on
other countries?
Problem 9..... (10 points)
An inventor from the US has filed for his invention an PCT
application
when going abroad and chose the EPO as ISA and IPEA. He
appointed a
European Patent Attorney to represent him before the EPO in the
international phase.
a) Was that necessary?
b) If not, what could be the reason to chose this way?
Problem 10 (10 points)
A patentee of a granted EP-Patent has the right to apply for an SPC (Supplementary Protection Certificate) (remember the criterias of the right)
a) If the patent was filed on December 20, 1978, can he as patentee obtain a
Supplementary Protection Certificate in:
i) Denmark
ii) Belgium
iii) France
iv) Germany
v) Italy
vi) Sweden
Please remember
the earliest date for each country when registration for the
launch may be obtained.
Problem 11 (10 points)
Mr. Petersen, a citizen from Finland, a national of a non-contracting state of the EPC
has filed a patent application under the EPC on August 20, 1997 claiming a priority right of August 21, 1996 of
his Application in Finland.
A second applicant Mr. Miller, a national of the U.K., a contracting state of the EPC, has filed one month later
on September 20, 1997 a patent application under the EPC claiming priority rights of his U.K. application of
September 21, 1996 describing to some extent the very similar invention.
a) Who is entitled to the
priority-rights and why.? Remember the
convention, especially the Article 4
responsible for the priority-rights for
all inventors of the contracting states
of this convention, the oldest and
most important convention.
b) Is the
description of Mr. Petersen European application a valid reference
against the European
application of Mr. Miller(U.K.), if said application
(Mr.Petersen) describes parts of the second application and could be seen
as an. obvious equivalent
thereof? Please answer just by indicating yes
or no.
c) If
parts of the invention of Mr.Miller (U.K.) describe only to some
extent
the
same invention what will the European Patent Office decide? A check
on novelty will be
required. All parts which are covered already by Mr.
Petersen's application shall be
declared as dominated (please insert)
by .................... right according to
the "whole contents approach". All parts
described in the first application of Mr. Petersen cannot
be claimed
anymore in the second application of Mr. Brady.
Thank you for reading and answering all questions.
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