Blog
Greetings from San Diego - What is the INTA Annual Meeting?
Every May, over 10,000 trademark enthusiasts like me gather to discuss trademarks and other IP issues. It's four exhilarating days filled with...
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EU design reform – a new era for design protection
Many professionals working in design still rely on copyright protection for new designs. Unfortunately, this is often not enough, as copyright...
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Sweet victory for Panda – important decision for brand owners
Can an almost identical name be registered as a trademark just because it has no dictionary meaning? This was put to the test when the well-known...
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Patenting computer-implemented inventions, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing at the European Patent Office
In the rapidly evolving landscape of technology, the European Patent Office (EPO) plays a crucial role in determining the patentability of...
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Canadian Intellectual Property Office pilot project: requests for proof of use issued against some trademark registrations in early 2025
In early 2025, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) launched a pilot project to monitor the actual use of nationally registered...
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IPR and contracts for early-stage companies – what you need to know?
As your company grows, protecting your innovations, brand, and business becomes essential. How can you ensure that your inventions, goodwill and...
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Sustainability and consumer protection as part of corporate brand identity and trademark selection – avoid greenwashing pitfalls and earn customer trust
Sustainability, climate issues, and the circular economy are gaining momentum among both consumers and businesses. Companies are actively striving to...
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Vahterus Oy secures pan-European permanent injunction against Euro Heat doo before Unified Patent Court (UPC)
Berggren represented Vahterus Oy, a developer and manufacturer of plate and shell heat exchangers, in its successful pan-European patent infringement...
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The Impact of Unitary Patents on Freedom to Operate Risks in Finland
The introduction of the Unitary Patent (UP) system in Europe has brought significant changes to the patent landscape, particularly in terms of...
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We looked at DeepSeek and its public patents – this is what we found
DeepSeek and its R1 model have been the talk of the town when it comes to generative AI. According to – admittedly sparse – public information, the...
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Berggren and our experts Recognized in 2025 WTR (World Trademark Review) 1000 Survey
Berggren has once again been recognized by the prestigious WTR 1000 survey, which annually evaluates the world's leading trademark professionals. The...
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UK: Look-alike cider packaging infringes trademark
The Court of Appeal of England and Wales delivered a highly anticipated ruling on Monday, January 21, 2025, concerning registered trademark...
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How will the EU’s new data regulation probably affect your life and business?
The Data Act, which entered into force in January 2024, will affect the operations and processes of nearly all businesses collecting data. Its...
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Check list for key aspects of the new design system
Are you ready for the extensive changes to the European design system that will shape the future of design protection? Significant changes are...
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EU data protection authorities give first substantive opinion on generative AI
The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) has on 17th of December 2024 adopted its first substantive Opinion 28/2024 on data processing in the...
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A journey in the world of intellectual property
When I started my studies, I was intrigued by the complexity of legal issues, but I didn’t yet know exactly which direction would be mine. It wasn’t...
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Future Forum 2024 believed in creating the future, not waiting for it
The fourth Berggren Future Forum invited business leaders, lawyers and IPR professionals to Kulttuurikasarmi on the 9th of October to get inspired,...
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Distinctiveness as the key to building a strong brand
Standing out in the market can sometimes be challenging, even though there are ways to succeed in it. Almost every company strives to find that one...
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The Difficulty of Proving Trademark Use - McDonald's Lost (One) Big Mac Registration for Chicken Burgers
McDonald's lost its BIG MAC registration for chicken burgers after the General Court ruled that McDonald's had not provided sufficient proof of use...
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IP Diagnosis: Is my medical invention patentable? Part 7 - Treatment by therapy
At a glance: In the present blog series a guide on patenting medical inventions is provided. Part 7 deals with treatments by therapy or therapeutic...
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To be or not to be (obvious), that is the question
Overview With the decision BGH X ZR 19/21 – „Staubsauger“, of 31/01/2023, the Federal Court of Justice (FCJ) is moving closer to the EPO by...
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German Federal Court of Justice inches closer to EPO approach to novelty and applies EPO’s standard on priority claims from G1/22 and G2/22
In the landmark case "Sorafenib-Tosylat" decided 28 November 2023 (X ZR 83/21), the German Federal Court of Justice (FCJ) concurred with decisions...
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Electronic and Digital Signatures on Assignments and Declarations to be Accepted by the EPO from 1 April 2024
Introduction Electronic and digital signatures have generally not been accepted on agreements or declarations for recording assignments or licences...
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Get More Bang for the Buck Using the European Union as a Basis for Global Design Strategies
In today's competitive landscape, securing a wide range of IP rights is a key part of a company´s overall business strategy. In this article we...
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EU AI Act is on its way!
The AI Act is almost ready At the tail end of a long, multi-stage legislative process, the Artificial Intelligence Act (AI Act) of the European Union...
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IPRs need team work - Unicorns are a team effort
Unicorns are a team effort. Studies say that 18% of startups fail because of team problems and 14% of startups fail because they haven’t built the...
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New Procedure For Accelerating EPO Oppositions Provides Early Legal Certainty When There Is Ongoing Parallel UPC or National Litigation
Introduction The European Patent Office (EPO) offers a post-grant procedure for challenging the validity of a European patent, known as opposition....
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UPC Court of Appeal Reverses Preliminary Injunction in Harvard, 10x Genomics vs. NanoString, Reaffirms Low Standard of Proof for Validity When Granting a PI
Introduction: The Groundbreaking Preliminary Injunction The Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court has overturned the first instance decision to...
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IP Diagnosis: Is my medical invention patentable? Part 6 - Avoiding exclusion re surgical step
At a glance: In the present blog series a guide on patenting medical inventions is provided. Part 6 deals with avoiding exclusion from patentability...
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EPO Supports Startups and Sole Inventors with New Official Fee Reductions
From 1 April 2024, the EPO will introduce new official fee reductions for micro-entities and natural persons to “support small and medium-sized...
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Berggren Recognized in 2024 WTR (World Trademark Review) 1000 Survey
Berggren has again been recognized by the WTR 1000 survey which each year evaluates the world's leading trademark professionals. The firm is...
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Prosecution History Estoppel in Europe at the Unified Patent Court
At the end of 2023 the UPC Munich Local Division (MUC LD) handed down its decision in UPC_CFI_292/2023 as an early holiday gift for IP enthusiasts....
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Mika Toikka has been appointed as Berggren's new CEO
Mika Toikka as the new CEO of Berggren Berggren's board is pleased to announce the appointment of Mika Toikka as the new CEO of Berggren Oy,...
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IP Diagnosis: Is my medical invention patentable? Part 5 – Treatment by surgery
At a glance: In the present blog series a guide on patenting medical inventions is provided. Part 5 deals with treatments by surgery or surgical...
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Consumer Ombudsman tightens evaluation of environmental claims
Environmental regulation is currently undergoing significant change, as the EU Commission issued a directive proposal on March 22, 2023, concerning...
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IP Diagnosis: Is my medical invention patentable? Part 4 – Surgical or therapeutic method?
At a glance: In the present blog series a guide on patenting medical inventions is provided. Part 4 deals with the distinction between surgical and...
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Artificial intelligence: the new era's competitor and accelerator of innovations
Artificial intelligence has rapidly become one of the most central subjects in modern business. It not only challenges traditional operational...
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IP Diagnosis: Is my medical invention patentable? Part 3 – Surgical/therapeutic or diagnostic method?
At a glance: In the present blog series a guide on patenting medical inventions is provided. Part 3 deals with the distinction between...
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IP Diagnosis: Ist meine medizinische Erfindung patentierbar? Teil 2 – Am menschlichen oder tierischen Körper?
Auf einen Blick: In der vorliegenden Blog-Serie wird ein Leitfaden bezüglich der Patentierung von medizinischen Erfindungen bereitgestellt. Teil 2...
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IP Diagnosis: Ist meine medizinische Erfindung patentierbar? Teil 1 – Produkt oder Verfahren?
Auf einen Blick: In der vorliegenden Blog-Serie wird ein Leitfaden bezüglich der Patentierung von medizinischen Erfindungen bereitgestellt. Teil 1...
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IP Diagnosis: Is my medical invention patentable? Part 2 - Practised on the human or animal body?
At a glance: In the present blog series a guide on patenting medical inventions is provided. Part 2 deals with the question whether the method is...
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IP Diagnosis: Is my medical invention patentable? Part 1 – Product or method?
At a glance: In the present blog series a guide on patenting medical inventions is provided. Part 1 deals with the difference between medical methods...
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First Decision of the Helsinki Local Division: Prior National Proceedings Cause Ineffective Withdrawal of Opt-Out
The Helsinki local division of the Unified Patent Court has now rendered its first decision since the Unified Patent Court started operating in June...
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EPO Shifts to a Softer Approach for Formal Priority Assessment
The Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office’s latest decision in joint cases G1/22 and G2/22 leads to a serious softening in the EPO's...
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First Pan-European Preliminary Injunction Granted by the Unified Patent Court
The first inter partes preliminary injunction for a European Patent with unitary effect (“Unitary Patent”) was granted by the Unified Patent Court...
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Why is design protection important for consumers?
Many people wonder why a company should protect the design of its products with design protection. Design protection is an essential part of building...
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UP/UPC – what can be concluded from the statistics?
As the Unified Patent Court (UPC) has been in operation for a few months, we can look at the first statistics and evaluate how the new system will...
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¿Por qué es importante la protección del diseño para los consumidores?
Muchos se preguntan por qué una empresa debería proteger el diseño de sus productos. La protección del diseño es una pieza esencial en el conjunto...
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Modernized Greip® 10 has been developed to strengthen companies' ability to leverage intangible assets in their business
Greip IP Solutions Oy, which is a member of the Berggren Group, has launched its new, next-generation Greip® solution. This revised version brings...
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Berggren upgrades their platform for electronic services
The platform for electronic services, Greip® Express, which is a part of Berggren’s service package, will be upgraded. Going forward, you will have...
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First Preliminary Injunction Order Issued by UPC: Are Protective Letters Not So Useful After All?
Now that the first European Unified Patent Court (UPC) orders are being issued, we can start to see some of the theory that has been so widely...
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Protective Letters and the UPC: Mitigating Risks and Safeguarding Business Interests in the New European Patent System
The introduction of the new unitary patent and Unified Patent Court will significantly affect the freedom to operate of many doing business in...
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Berggren’s Unified Patent Court litigation services
As entry into force of the Unified Patent Court Agreement on 1 June 2023 draws near, Berggren is fully prepared to begin handling litigation before...
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Career story - Many ways to become a Patent Attorney
Berggren Oy is a full-service intellectual property (IP) law firm. It offers clients expertise in all matters in the field of IP ranging from patents...
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Weshalb Konsistenz zwischen Beispielen und Ansprüchen zur Robustheit eines europäisches Patents gegen Angriffe beitragen kann
inwieweit kann eine Regel, die im Kontext eines Vergleichs zwischen Patent und Stand der Technik entwickelt wurde, auf einen Binnenvergleich zwischen...
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Practice Tips at the EPO Relating to Numerical Ranges in Examples and Claims
To what extent can a rule developed in the context of comparing numerical values of a patent claim and the numerical values of prior art be...
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Berggren offers a new digital service solution to manage the renewals of design rights
Berggren has developed a secure digital tool as part of its eBerggren ecosystem for clients to manage design right renewals and annual fees. This new...
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Increased Complexity in European Post-Grant Procedures Under the New Unitary Patent System: What You Need to Know
According to the European Patent Office’s Unitary Patent Guide, one of the main advantages of the unitary patent is that it reduces complexity: “The...
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Berggren Recognized in 2023 WTR (World Trademark Review) 1000 Survey
Berggren has again been recognized in the WTR 1000 survey which each year evaluates the world's leading trademark professionals. The firm is...
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Ferrari v. Mansory Design, CJEU Judgment in C-123/20: Publication of whole product can be sufficient for unregistered Community design protection of parts of that product
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) on 28 October 2021 ruled that designers are not required to separately publish each part of a...
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Santa’s special gift for the person in charge of trademarks at the company
As the person in charge of trademarks at our company, I was pleasantly surprised when Santa stopped by my office with a special gift for me. He said...
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People of IP: Paula de Andrés Gómez
A Finnish magazine IPRinfo publishes a series of articles introducing the field of IP rights in Finland including its people. In the articles the...
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Employee inventions in Finland – claims and disputes concerning employee inventions
Employee inventions are subject to the Act on the Right in Employee Inventions(1) (the Act) in Finland. The Act is partly compulsory and governs:...
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Is a handbag a handbag in the metaverse as well?
Virtual worlds, virtual goods, NFTs, Web 3.0, and blockchain technology have been increasingly covered in the media in recent years. As an impulse to...
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Employee inventions in Finland – employers' rights and obligations -part 2
Employee inventions are subject to the Act on the Right in Employee Inventions¹ in Finland. The Act is partly compulsory and governs: rights to an...
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The new unitary patent system makes it more important than ever for Finnish companies to actively engage with patent system
The new unitary patent system will have serious consequences for Finnish companies' freedom to operate both in Finland and abroad. As the unitary...
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Employee inventions in Finland – invention remuneration
Employee inventions are subject to the Act on the Right in Employee Inventions(1) in Finland. The Act is partly compulsory and governs: rights to an...
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Employee inventions in Finland: ensuring proper transfer and assignment of IP rights to employers
Employee inventions are subject to the Act on the Right in Employee Inventions¹ in Finland. The Act governs the principles relating to when and under...
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Employee inventions in Finland – inventors’ rights and obligations
Employee inventions are subject to the Act on the Right in Employee Inventions (656/1967) in Finland (the “Act” or the “Employee Inventions Act”)....
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DEPP v HEARD: THOUGHTS ON DEFAMATION LAW IN THE UNITED STATES, THE UNITED KINGDOM, AND THE NORDICS
The weeks-long civil trial between Hollywood actor Johnny Depp and actress Amber Heard recently concluded, resulting in an American jury reaching a...
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Monitor your exclusive right to a trademark
Congratulations, you are an owner of a registered trademark! However, the registration of a trademark alone does not guarantee a “shortcut to...
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EU QUALITY SCHEMES SYSTEM REFORM – INCREASED PROTECTION FOR GEAOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS
The European Commission adopted a legislative proposal for the revision of the regulations concerning European Union geographical indications for...
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Changes to Biotech Inventions and Morality Issues: Berggren Series on 2022 EPO Guideline Revisions
In this sixth article of Berggren´s 2022 weekly series addressing updates to the European Patent Office’s (EPO) Guidelines for Examination, we review...
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Meet our team of experts specialized in patent opposition and appeal proceedings
Obtaining a patent is a major undertaking and requires significant investment. The exclusionary rights associated with a granted patent can be a...
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Remaining Important Revisions to 2022 EPO Guidelines: Final Entry in Berggren´s Weekly Guidelines Update Series
In this seventh and final article of our 2022 weekly series addressing updates to the European Patent Office’s (“EPO”) Guidelines for Examination...
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The European Patent Attorney Who Cried Wolf: How To Stop the Unified Patent Court From Eating All Your Sheep
European lawyers and patent attorneys have been crying wolf over the Unitary Patent and Unified Patent Court for ten years, but don’t forget: at the...
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Google Analytics "Banned" in France - Privacy Shield 2.0
CNIL deems use of Google Analytics to be in breach of the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) The French data protection authority CNIL has...
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Oral Proceedings at the EPO: Berggren Series on 2022 EPO Guideline Revisions
In this fifth article of our 2022 weekly series addressing updates to the European Patent Office’s (EPO) Guidelines for Examination, we review...
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Enhanced protection for trademarks with a reputation in Finland - the Lidl case
The Finnish Market Court held in its recent 17 February 2022 case (MAO: H37/2022; not final), that a word trademark of Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG...
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UPC Update: Representation Rules Finalised
The newly-formed Administrative Committee of the Unified Patent Court has adopted and now published the final version of the “Rules on the European...
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Review of Simulations and Other Computer-Implemented Inventions: Berggren’s Series on 2022 EPO Guideline Revisions
In this fourth article of our 2022 weekly series addressing updates to the European Patent Office’s Guidelines for Examination, we continue last...
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Mathematical Methods and Artificial Intelligence: Berggren`s Series on 2022 EPO Guideline Revisions
This is the third article in our 2022 weekly series addressing updates to the European Patent Office’s Guidelines for Examination. This week we...
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Berggren Series on 2022 EPO Guideline Revisions: Updates on partial priority law
This is the second article in our 2022 weekly series addressing updates to the European Patent Office’s Guidelines for Examination. This week we...
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Berggren Series on 2022 EPO Guideline Revisions: Amendments to Description
In this first article in our 2022 series covering updates to the European Patent Office’s Guidelines for Examination, we look at changes made to...
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Protect and prosper abroad
Entering into international markets in any scale is always a challenge and an opportunity to your business. There are the questions related to new...
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First come, first served: EUIPO launches limited SME fund for 2022
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) based in the EU can now apply for the “Ideas Powered for business SME Fund”. The fund allows to partly...
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Fifty-year wait to end soon with the launch of the Unitary Patent
It has long been possible to protect trademarks and designs in all of the EU with European Union trademarks and Community designs. However, we still...
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United States Applicants, What Are Your Priorities? EPO Enlarged Board of Appeal Reviews Joint-Applicants Approach To Priority Claims in G1/22 & G2/22
A new referral to the European Patent Office’s Enlarged Board of Appeal has the potential to affect the validity of priority claims made in huge...
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Invention takes time, motivation and skill – but what if you come up short?
From the business point of view, intellectual property is of the utmost importance to a company. However, if they are not identified, they have zero...
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Elena Akulenko qualified to act as Eurasian (EA) design attorney
I am pleased to announce that I am now qualified to act as a Eurasian (EA) design attorney after passing the 2021 Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO)...
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Germany: Liberalization of regulations for patent attorneys enters into force in August 2022
In the past, the possibilities with regard to corporate organization for German patent attorneys were very limited: If not practicing alone, German...
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Asymmetric exhaustion continues as UK maintains regime for EEA-wide exhaustion of IP rights post-Brexit
In June 2021 the UK government launched a public consultation on the UK’s future exhaustion of intellectual property rights regime. Exhaustion is...
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The European Unified Patent Court: Coming Soon to a European Patent Near You
The Unified Patent Court is a new European Union court with jurisdiction over infringement and revocation actions for a new Unitary Patent as well as...
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Copyright law under EU DSM Directive in Finland: important lessons for everyone
EU copyright legislation consists of two regulations and 11 directives that harmonise the essential rights of authors, producers, broadcasters and...
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A cost estimate and filing plan for patents, trademarks and design rights online
Pricing IP services is not as simple as you might think. With patent applications especially, there are a lot of things to note and, for example,...
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VASTAAMO DATA BREACH: FINNISH DATA PROTECTION AUTHORITY ISSUES DECISION AND IMPOSES SUBSTANIAL FINE
The Finnish Data Protection Authority has now issued its decision in the data breach case involving Vastaamo Oy and has ordered a fine of EUR...
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Ferrari v. Mansory Design, CJEU Judgement in C-123/20
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) on 28 October 2021 ruled that designers are not required to separately publish each part of a...
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General Court: EUTM for tyres filed in bad faith to take advantage of lack of protection of competitor’s mark in Bulgaria
In Univers Agro EOOD v European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) (T‑592/20), the General Court (Ninth Chamber) has dismissed the action...
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Inappropriate Sharing of Personal Data During the COVID-19 Pandemic: 3 Short Stories from Europe
The Covid-19 pandemic has received its share of attention over the past 20+ months, and this also includes important legal issues related to data...
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License to kill (software) bugs: CJEU issues landmark decision in C‑13/20
Debugging software failures requires a significant amount of time, namely 620 developer hours a year, at a cost of approximately $61 billion,...
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COMING SOON TO AN EU COUNTRY NEAR YOU: THE NEW DEAL FOR CONSUMERS
The New Deal for Consumers initiative, adopted by the European Union (“EU”) Commission on 11 April 2018, is aimed at strengthening enforcement of EU...
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WIPO´S 2021 Global Innovation Index just released: the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on innovation ecosystems
On 20 September 2021, the World Intellectual Property Organization (“WIPO”) along with Cornell University, Portulans Institute and INSEAD, released...
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New Standard Contractual Clauses for personal data transfers – action needed by 27 Sep 2021
Under the General Data Protection Regulation, personal data cannot be transferred outside the EU/EEC area without specific legal safeguards, except...
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From invention to business
EPSE, like many other firms, began with a good idea. At first, there was only a bunch of chemical formulae and one very enthusiastic entrepreneur who...
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Breaking EPO News in G 1/21 - Video injured but apparently has not killed the in-person oral proceedings star
On Friday, 16 July 2021 the Enlarged Board of Appeal (“the EBA”) of the European Patent Office (“the EPO”) issued a decision in the greatly...
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Breaking News: German Constitutional Court Clears Path for Ratification of European Unified Patent Court Agreement
In an order published on Friday 9 July 2021, the Second Senate of the German Federal Constitutional Court rejected two applications for preliminary...
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Supreme Administrative Court finds likelihood of confusion between PUMA and RUMA despite significant conceptual differences
By a decision of 14 April 2021 (Dnro 20101/03.04.04.00.05/2020), the Supreme Administrative Court has overturned a decision of the Market Court,...
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2021 European Innovation Scoreboard Just Released: Nordic Countries Dominate Rankings Once Again
The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have long enjoyed a reputation for being among the most business-friendly...
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HOW TO AVOID OBSTACLES FOR TRADEMARK REGISTRATION?
Are you planning on protecting a new product name with a trademark or perhaps you are in the process of creating an entirely new brand? Research...
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Patenting practises of artificial intelligence are changing - but is the direction right?
Protecting artificial intelligence (AI) solutions by intellectual property rights (IPs) is often a combination of patents, agreements regarding data...
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Administrative revocation proceedings now available for unused company names
As of 1 May 2021 it is possible to seek revocation of an unused company name from the Finnish Patent and Registration Office (PRH)¹. Summary of new...
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Supreme Court refers SodaStream bottle refelling and relabelling case to CJEU
On 9 March 2021 the Finnish Supreme Court decided to stay the national proceedings and requested the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to...
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PUMA Trademark Dispute Over RUMA Turns ‘Ugly’: The Finnish Supreme Administrative Court Weighs In
On 14 April 2021 the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court (“the Supreme Court”) held that there was likelihood of confusion between an earlier mark...
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Berggren helps BSAG in caring for the Baltic Sea
What can Berggren do to help the Baltic Sea and the environment in general? This was the subject of inspiring discussions between Berggren and the...
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IP litigation and alternative dispute resolution options in Finland
In any IP dispute, the first issues to determine are the validity, strength and scope of protection of the IP right in question. In Finland, the...
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License to kill … bugs: Coming soon in CJEU decision C-13/20
Industry statistics show that there are an average of 25 errors per 1,000 lines of code (NIST report, 2016). Some of these errors may result in...
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The New Eurasian IP Bundle – Trademarks (upcoming) and Designs (now)
If you are planning on expanding the geographical scope of your services to the Eurasian area or if you are already operating there, the upcoming...
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Copyright and the Internet: CJEU Provides Clarity on Linking in Bild-Kunst Decision
On 9 March 2021 the European Court of Justice (CJEU) issued its highly anticipated decision concerning the criteria for “communication to the public”...
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The value of timely trademark availability searches – A stitch in time saves nine
Are you planning on protecting a new product name with a trademark or perhaps you are in the process of creating an entirely new brand? A trademark...
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Domain Name Dispute Resolution Options: Features, Benefits and Other Considerations for Selecting Between UDRP and URS
The Uniform Domain-Name Dispute-Resolution Policy (“UDRP”) and the Uniform Rapid Suspension System (“URS”) are complimentary domain dispute...
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Berggren again named in top tier in world trademarkreview 1000 survey
Berggren was once again recognized in the World Trademark Review (WTR) 1000 survey which each year evaluates the world's leading trademark...
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Use (and Abuse) of Website Cookies under EU Privacy Law: Practical Tips for Better Compliance
Anyone with even a passing interest in EU privacy law will be familiar with an old conundrum: the international tech business thinks up ever more...
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Thank you for the year 2020!
I want to thank our wonderful clients and business partners for good cooperation and trust also in 2020. Client feedback provides guidelines for the...
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Experiences on EPO opposition oral proceedings by videoconference
The year 2020 was very exceptional in many respects. The Covid 19 situation forced us all to develop new ways of working. This was also the case with...
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Insight to IP protection of AI solutions
New products and services are increasingly utilizing AI in one way or another. Use cases for AI are diverse and although there are general guidelines...
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New fertilizer formulation by Biokasvu now patented and ready for the international market
Biokasvu has succeeded in developing and patenting a fertilizer formulation which stimulates the activity of natural soil micro-organisms so that the...
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PRACTICAL TIPS COMPANIES CAN USE FOR MANAGING EMPLOYEE INVENTIONS IN MULTINATIONAL SETTINGS
Management of employee inventions in multinational companies can be challenging. How do companies meet the requirements of various national laws and...
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END-OF-YEAR INNOVATION REVIEW: NORDIC COUNTRIES DOMINATE 2020 RANKINGS
The Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have long enjoyed a reputation for being among the most business-friendly...
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GDPR COMPLIANCE TIPS FOR HEALTHTECH INDUSTRY
The European Union General Data Protection Regulation, commonly known as GRPR, can be challenging for any company. This is even more true for...
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Linking and Copyright Law in the European Union – Where do we go from here?
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) is expected to issue a decision shortly in an important case which should provide further...
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BERGGREN RECEIVES IP STARS´ 2020 NATIONAL AWARD FOR BOTH PATENT AND TRADEMARK PROSECUTION SERVICES
For more than twenty years, Managing Intellectual Property magazine has conducted comprehensive and well-known annual surveys on quality and client...
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(S)HE´S MAKING A LIST, (S)HE´S CHECKING IT TWICE: AN IP DUE DILIGENCE CHECKLIST FOR THE HOLIDAYS - OR ANY TIME
Generally speaking, due diligence is an audit or review of a company, often conducted by a prospective buyer, with the aim of confirming assets,...
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Researchers and European Patent Office Team Up to Fight COVID-19
The COVID-19 pandemic pits mankind against a virus in a long-term struggle not seen in at least 100 years. Researchers all over the world have been...
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2020 INTA Virtual Annual Meeting & Leadership Meeting
BUSINESS AS UNUSUAL In May 2018 I wrote a Berggren blog about my four hectic days at the INTA Annual Meeting in Seattle. This year, of course, like...
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New EDPB Guidelines on Data Protection by Design and Default: What You Need to Know in Less Than 4 Minutes
The European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) recently published new guidelines for data protection by design and by default (Guidelines 4/2019 on...
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CJEU News: No Prohibition Against Submitting Copyright-Protected Works as Evidence in Court Proceedings
According to the 28 October 2020 judgement of the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) in case C‑637/19 CX, transmission of an electronic...
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A Cautionary Tale of Data Breaches and the GDPR after Hacker Steals Extremely Sensitive Data of 40.000 Psychotherapy Patients
In November 2018, a data security vulnerability in the systems of Vastaamo Oy (“Vastaamo”), a major provider of psychotherapy services in Finland,...
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NIIMAAR’S ECOGRANDE RECYCLING STATION RECOGNIZED AT THE 2021 GERMAN DESIGN AWARDS
Berggren´s client Niimaar received special mention at the German Design Awards 2021 for their Ecogrande Recycling Station in the public design and...
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Whistle(blowing) While You Work
The European Union whistleblowing directive ((EU) 2019/1937) obliges private and public sector companies, corporations and other entities to...
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CAN USE OF FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY BE COMPATIBLE WITH GDPR?
Facial recognition technology offers a range of possibilities for controlling access to certain premises or events, for example, to prevent...
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ARE YOU LATE FOR YOUR DOMAIN NAME CHECK-UP?
If you haven´t had your check-up recently, you may want to contact a domain name service provider to determine whether the domain corresponding to...
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Non-Traditional Trademarks in Europe – Put on Your (Trademark-Protected) Red Shoes and Sell
Trademark law modernization, largely enacted by EU Member States in 2019, paved the way for the acceptance of new and innovative graphically...
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KEY GUIDELINES FOR PERSONAL DATA PROCESSING CONSENTS IN EU
The European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) published updated guidelines for personal data processing related consents under the EU’s General Data...
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In Landmark Ruling CJEU Closes Loophole in EU Net Neutrality Regulation
On 15 September 2020 the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) issued a landmark ruling (decision in joined cases C-807/18 and C-39/19) in...
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ENSURING YOU HAVE VALID CONSENT UNDER GDPR: KEY EDPB GUIDELINES
The European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) published updated guidelines concerning consent with respect to personal data processing under the EU´s...
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KEY ASPECTS OF GDPR APPLIED BY FINNISH DPA IN TWO RECENT CASES
The Finnish Deputy Data Protection Ombudsman recently published two decisions applying GDPR in Finland involving (1) information gathered by...
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Key Features of European Community Designs and Practical Tips for Maximizing Your Protection
There are two types of Community designs: a registered Community design (“RCD”) and an unregistered Community design (“UCD”). UCDs started in 2002,...
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Proposed Changes to Law Governing Non-Compete Agreements in Finland
A committee established by the Finnish Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment has proposed that the legislation relating to non-compete...
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Key Considerations and Tools for IP Protection of Computer Programs in Europe and Beyond
Software companies often are faced with the issue of how solutions relating to software, i.e. computer programs, can be protected. This brief article...
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Similarity between Goods and Services in Different Classes in Finland and the EUIPO
The Supreme Administrative Court of Finland considered in its decision of 20 July 2020 (KHO:2020:89) that there was a risk of confusion between the...
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Key Aspects of the EDPB’s Statement and Guidance on Data Transfers Outside the EU Based on Schrems II
The European Data Protection Board (“EDPB”) adopted a Statement on the Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) Judgment in Case C-311/18...
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3 KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR GDPR COMPLIANCE WITH FACIAL RECOGNITION TECHNOLOGY
Generally, facial recognition involves identification based on the comparison of newly captured images with images stored in a database, which also...
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KEY GDPR PRACTICE TIPS RELATED TO AUTOMATED DECISION-MAKING AND PROFILING
Automated decision-making and profiling constitute personal data processing that may have a significant impact particularly on the rights of the data...
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CJEU Rules EU-US Privacy Shield Invalid – What does this mean for you?
The European Court of Justice issued a significant judgement on 16 July 2020 ruling, inter alia, that the EU-US Privacy Shield framework is invalid....
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3 Key Features of the New Investigative and Enforcement Powers of Finnish Consumer Protection Authorities
On 22 June 2020 the Finnish Parliament approved government bill HE 54/2019, alongside supplemental bill HE 10/2020, concerning broad investigative...
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Basic principles for contracts relating to data
As the saying goes, knowledge is power. Knowledge together with data also has significant financial value and this value is growing continually. As...
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Major trademark victory for Booking.com at the US Supreme Court
Booking.com, an enterprise that maintains a travel-reservation website by the same name, sought US federal registration for the mark “Booking.com”....
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Carrot Salmon, Seitan Ham and the Flesh of Fruit, Oh My!
There has been much discussion recently about the types of names that are suitable for products that serve as a replacement for food of animal...
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Intellectual Property Provisions in China´s New Civil Law Code
The first ever Civil Code of the People's Republic of China was passed on 28 May 2020 and will go into effect on 1 January 2021. The new Civil Code,...
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CJEU DECISION ON DAMAGES FOR INFRINGEMENT OF TRADEMARK LATER REVOKED FOR NON-USE
Can you be liable for damages for infringement of a trademark that was later revoked due to non-use? Yes, according to the Court of Justice of the...
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Registering a design right in the EU and related costs
As a rule, the scope of protection of a design is defined by the drawings. In order to protect the appearance of a design in the best possible way,...
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Paying attention to MDR may save your IPR
New European Union regulations on medical devices (MDR) were laid down on 26.5.2017. It is important to notice that this spring, on the 26th of May...
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DATA PROTECTION IN EUROPE AND THE USE OF MOBILE APPS IN THE FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
On April 15, 2020 the European Commission (the “Commission”), in response to a call from the European Council of 26 March, issued a Joint European...
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Focus on AI Inventorship
In the last decade, there have been many discussions about patenting inventions related to artificial intelligence, but it is only in the last couple...
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How is your .fi domain doing?
If you do not know, you may check here, whether the .fi domain corresponding to your trademark or company name is still available. Now, you may think...
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Focus on GDPR and Research
On 6 January 2020, the European Data Protection Supervisor (“EDPS”) published a Preliminary Opinion on data protection and scientific research for...
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Focus on Brexit
The United Kingdom exited from the European Union on 31 January 2020. Pursuant to the Withdrawal Agreement with the European Union, the UK entered...
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Focus on Priority Claims in Europe
In a highly anticipated decision, the European Patent Office (“EPO”) Board of Appeal, on 17 January 2020, upheld the decision of the EPO´s Opposition...
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Focus on European Tech Transfer
While entering into licensing agreements with companies operating in the European Union, there are certain issues to be aware of. Namely, the...
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Berggren – Named Best Nordic IP Firm 2020
During the Innovation and IP Forum and Awards in Paris (INIFA), Berggren was recognized as the Best Nordic IP Firm in a very competitive category...
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BERGGREN RECOGNIZED AS TRADEMARK PROSECUTION FIRM OF THE YEAR 2020 IN FINLAND
IAM and WTR recognizes annually the outstanding achievements of patent and trademark attorneys and law firms from over 50 countries. Berggren is...
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Thank you for the past year – let’s see what the new decade has in store for us!
Looking back on 2019, I see yet another year of fantastic encounters with our clients and different groups of stakeholders. I would like to express...
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BREXIT - THE LATEST TRADEMARK NEWS
The UK is leaving the EU. A Brexit deal has been agreed in principle with the European Union. However, the UK and the EU must both approve and sign...
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Berggren helps Biocoil in building a better future
Biocoil is a Kuhmo-based start-up aiming to build a better future for all of us. The intention with developing secondary flows from the sawmill...
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NEW Business Development Team Strengthens Berggren´s International Presence
We are strengthening our presence abroad by launching a globally operated International Business Development Team. The primary mission of the team is...
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Trademark Greetings from EUIPO*!
It was a pleasure for me to represent FICPI* and attend two interesting meetings in Alicante, Spain this week as EUIPO invited their stakeholders and...
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ACROSS THE ATLANTIC, PATENTING IS A LIVING PROCESS
European and U.S. patenting practices differ particularly in the field of chemistry and biotechnology. The U.S. legal system brings more variables...
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Patenting medical technology inventions – Introducing Berggren MedTech SIG
Inventions relating to medical technology often combine different fields of technology making the protection thereof challenging. To better serve the...
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CHINA ON THE WAY TO BECOME THE NUMBER ONE VENUE IN PATENTS - 4TH AMENDMENT BRINGS MORE POWER TO PATENT HOLDERS
China started to build a patent system as late as mid 80's and already now it is fighting to become the number one venue for IP holders to protect...
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Trends and industrial property rights in 3D printing
Ongoing development in 3D printing means faster, more accurate and more affordable 3D printing especially in industrial applications. Even through...
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New Finnish Trademarks Act – changes to classification of old Finnish trademarks
A new Finnish Trademarks Act is currently being finalised by Parliament, and is set to enter into force early in 2019. The revised Act has been...
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No Deal Brexit – what about trademarks and designs?
What happens with existing EU trademarks and Community designs or applications for the same if the UK crashes out of the EU in March 2019 without an...
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Greetings from INTA!
What is INTA? It is four crazy days of meetings, seminars, committee meetings and cocktail receptions in interesting venues. Every May over 10,000...
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IP rights in 3D printing gaining better protection through standardization
The newest roadmap for standardization in 3D printing by the American National Standards Institute, ANSI, takes a clear stance for preventing IPR...
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There is always a demand for good quality patents
In certain circumstances buying patents is a good option, especially when patents are needed fast. Building a patent protfolio based on own R&D takes...
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Blockchains and 3D printing as constituents of digital transformation – also in immaterial and contract law
Blockchain and additive manufacturing, i.e. 3D printing, have repeatedly arisen as key technological themes during the last decade. Recently there...
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Chinese patents - The most valuable patents in the world
China started to build a patent system as late as mid 80's and already now it is fighting to become the number one venue for IP holders to protect...
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Patenting in 3D printing grows strongly especially in applied industries
Patenting in 3D printing is growing strongly, especially in medical and consumer product industries. This is because of the expiration of key 3D...
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A Metal Printer for Every Home?
3D printing has taken its place as a viable production method among other manufacturing methods. In particular, it allows manufacturing complex...
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The 3D Printing Revolution Is Coming – Eventually: Introducing the Berggren 3DP SIG
3D printing has increasingly captured the interest of both the general public and technology-savvy companies in the last few years. The promise is...
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Brexit – What do we currently know about the effects of Brexit to the IP rights in EU area?
The withdrawal of the UK from the EU will have significant effects in many areas, also with regards to EU related IP rights. There are number of exit...
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"Shall we dance?" - pas de deux of trademarks and brands
In Finland, we have fabulous design, products, know-how, nature, art, and unequalled Northern magic; we should just know how to turn them into...
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Would you buy a second hand patent from this IP agent?
Exploiting intellectual property rights is often seen as utilizing your own patents, trademarks and other IP assets to support your business, or as a...
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