CJEU rules that providing free samples of non-prescription drugs to pharmacists is permitted On 11 June, the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU“) ruled on the question of whether free samples to pharmacists of medicines may be supplied by pharmaceutical companies to pharmacists. The German Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof) had referred questions regarding … Read more
CJEU follows Cofemel in allowing copyright protection where designs are not exclusively dictated by technical function The CJEU has decided in the Brompton Bicycle case C-833/18 (11 June 2020) that to qualify for copyright, a design must be original – that is, the subject matter must reflect the personality of its author (the creator or designer), as an … Read more
In this article we review the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the procedure of, and approach taken by the judiciary in, the patent courts of England & Wales, Germany, France, Italy, and at the EPO. Read more
In this webinar we will focus on some of the practical guidance issued by the courts as to how to approach FRAND negotiations, focussing on Germany, France and the UK. What should prospective licensors and licensees do differently this time for forthcoming licensing negotiations on new standards? Are we in a better position now to avoid some of the previous challenges, such as patent hold-up and hold-out?Read more
Key recent developments in the United Kingdom and Europe relating to patents and the pharmaceutical sector In this update we welcome our new IP partner in Germany. We have a number of interesting updates from the UK Court of Appeal, including a decision on Arrow declarations, a competition decision, an appeal relating to the lapse of an … Read more
Two important pieces of medicines and medical devices regulation are currently pending in the UK and the European Union: in the UK, the Medicines and Medical Devices Bill (the UK Bill), and in the EU, the Medical Devices Regulation (the EU Regulation on Medical Devices). COVID-19 has also had an impact, with the EU Regulation … Read more
The CJEU held that the hiring out of motor vehicles equipped with radio receivers did not constitute a “communication to the public” within the meaning of Art 3(1) of the Directive 2001/29/EC (the “InfoSoc Directive“). The decision in Föreningen Svenska Tonsättares Internationella Musikbyrå u.p.a. (Stim) and Svenska artisters och musikers intresseorganisation ek. för. (SAMI) v … Read more
Herbert Smith Freehills has published a new global guide on supply chain difficulties arising from the COVID-19 pandemic and associated restrictions and solutions. Supply chain difficulties are at the heart of the pressures facing businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. In our latest guide we look at supply chain pressure points and what is being and … Read more
IP Minister Amanda Solloway has written to the House of Lords in response to their letter formally requesting confirmation that the UK would not be participating in the UPC. This request by the House of Lords followed a response given by the Government in February to a parliamentary question (recorded on Hansard) which said this … Read more
