SONN Patentanwälte – IP Attorneys

EPO case law: In opposition appeal proceedings, the principle of production of evidence applies

The publication date of a citation prior to the priority date may permissibly be contested by the patent proprietor if there are contradictory indications of the publication date (in the specific case in relation to a thesis which is dated considerably prior to the priority date but bears a library...

EPO case law: Delayed in-house searches

If the opponent asserts a public prior use in the opposition proceedings at a late stage, there are good reasons not to differentiate in the admission decision between whether the opponent has conceded deliberately holding back this piece of prior art or whether he claims not to have searched...

State of the Art and Bifurcation

According to German Patent Law the courts are bound by the grant of a patent by the respective Patent Office. In consequence thereof they cannot hold a patent as null and void: an action for declaration of non-infringement cannot be based on the lack of patentability of the patent. However, a...