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

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

The CJEU has concluded that factors in addition to the graphic representation of a sign could be relevant to the assessment of whether a sign consisted exclusively of the shape of goods which was necessary to get a technical result. Further, the fact that a sign was protected by other intellectual property rights, such as … 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

The Order establishes a number of special measures for medical devices listed in the annex to the Order, surgical facemasks and surgical gowns: Permit.  A prior operating permit for facilities (as established in article 9 of Royal Decree 1591/2009, of 16 October, which regulates medical devices) will still be required to manufacture medical devices necessary … Read more

As COVID-19 infiltrates every aspect of our daily lives and the world races to respond and to address the pandemic, there is a consistent theme which offers all of us hope. Collaboration. To combat the outbreak, we have seen the emergence of large numbers of companies joining to pool their resources and to cross-share their valuable know-how. Read more

New regulations have been published in Spain to address the health crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. We will analyse below the most significant impacts that the new measures will have, essentially included in Royal Decree-law 11/2020, of 31 March, which adopts additional urgent social and economic measures to tackle COVID-19 (“RDL 11/2020”), as well … Read more