By Selena Travaglio.- To strengthen the voice of our members before the major stakeholders in plant intellectual property matters, CIOPORA has expanded its cooperation network with IP Offices, launching a new collaboration with the European Patent Office (EPO).
EPO has indeed welcomed CIOPORA´s expression of interest in getting involved in stakeholder discussions and activities organized by the Office.
The beginning of this cooperation is particularly significant and engaging considering the upcoming startup of the new system based on the Unitary Patent (UP) and the Unified Patent Court (UPC), after the German ratification of the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court (UPCA).
For more info, please visit the EPO website at https://www.epo.org/applying/european/unitary.html.
In this context, CIOPORA has been invited to join the EPO's newly created Observatory on Patents and Technology forum, which will delve deeper into biotechnology and plant patenting topics.
The EPO Observatory is expected to start running in the second half of 2023 and more details about its functioning are expected shortly. Its activity will be structured along three streams: technology intelligence, legal and innovation policies, and diversity and transformation.
In view of its entry into operation, a public consultation has been opened. Please visit the EPO dedicated page at https://www.epo.org/law-practice/consultation/ongoing.html. If you have any related comments, you can submit them directly to the Office through the relevant page; or, if the deadline for public consultation has expired, feel free to reach out our Legal Counsel, Selena Travaglio at selena.travaglio@ciopora.org.
CIOPORA thereby enhances its support to protect and strengthen innovation in the plant sector, being happy and proud to grant you the additional opportunity to be more updated on the latest patent-related developments and make your voice directly heard before the European Patent Office. Hence, should you have any EPO-related complaints, remarks, or suggestions for improvement, please, feel free to reach us.