karo IP Blog
Learn more about [Patents and Utility models | Trademarks and Designs | Digital Technologies | IP-Strategy]. More IP News in our [News section].
Up-to-date: As of June 1, 2023, when the UPC agreement enters into force, unitary patents can be applied for or registered at the European Patent Office (EPO). We have summarized information on the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court in the section Expertise: UPC.
Artificial Intelligence and patent law
Justus Kreuels - 19. May 2023
Artificial Intelligence is one of the key technologies in the field of digitalization. We take the progressive further developments in this field and the discussions about the software tool ChatGPT as an opportunity to take up aspects of copyright and patent law (patenting of AI).
Metaverse: Trademark applications for virtual goods
Matthias Rößler - 1. March 2023
Some companies have started to extend their trademark protection explicitly for digital products. According to the EUIPO, trademark offices are seeing an increasing number of trademark applications for virtual products and NFTs. IP owners should also focus on the metaverse as part of their trademark strategy, e.g., to be able to stop potential trademark infringements in the metaverse.
Opposition against the grant of a patent
Justus Kreuels - 26. January 2023
After a patent has been granted, third parties have the opportunity to file an opposition against a German patent or a European patent within nine months. Continuous monitoring of IP grants is recommended in order to identify, among other things, patents against which an opposition should be filed in good time.
Product piracy in online trade
Matthias Rößler - 14. December 2022
With the continuing boom in online trading, there is also an increasing number of counterfeit products and goods being sold via virtual marketplaces. Monitoring offers on online marketplaces therefore plays an important role for brand owners.
IP Due Diligence
Justus Kreuels - 3. November 2022
An IP due diligence is a targeted analysis and evaluation of a company's IP portfolio.
It is carried out in preparation for a transaction (e.g. merger, sale and purchase of a company, investment, spin-off, licensing deal) in order to know the value of the IP portfolio, as well as possible legal risks, at an early stage.
The monitoring of registered trademarks
Matthias Rößler - 26. September 2022
Trademarks and trademark applications that are similar or identical to your own trademark can be identified through continuous trademark monitoring at an early stage. Trademark searches protect your own trademark from losing distinctiveness and from the threat of trademark dilution due to the existence of similar or identical trademarks.