As part of the Single Market Act, the European Commission presented today a package of proposals for unitary patent protection within the EU. Commission figures show that the proposed system will reduce the cost of patents in Europe by up to 80%. These are very significant savings, particularly for small [...]
Editorial published at EUObserver. Contrary to what one might think, the idea of an EU patent is not the latest fashion. Negotiations started in the glorious 1970s, when we all wore flare jeans and platform shoes; the EU was still called the EEC and agreements were possible with only nine [...]
The European Parliament gave its consent on Tuesday for a common EU patent system using a seldom-used political procedure called enhanced cooperation to break 40 years of deadlock on the issue. Last December, twelve member states made a request to launch such a procedure after it was concluded that all [...]
The AP just published a news story from Brussels featuring Dutch ACT member, Remi Caron, and president, Jonathan Zuck, discussing the importance of innovation in the European economy. Many in Europe are impressed by the President Obama's acknowledgment of a "sputnik moment" in the U.S. economy and his determination to [...]
The Association for Competitive Technology (ACT) applauds the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition and the Internet, and its Chairman Bob Goodlatte, for holding its very first hearing on how an improved Patent and Trademark Office can create jobs. Innovation is the lifeblood of the American economy and a [...]