Patent Information Users Group, Inc.

The following online patent information and related events are offered Mon-Thu..Oct. 18-21, 2021 See also below information about other upcoming training events (Oct. 25- 28, 2021),  and conferences.

Note: Free Registration is open for EPO Knowledge week, Nov.  2-5, 2021 (replaces EPO annual  patent information conference) and for EPO conference "Emerging technologies in the health sector"  Oct. 28, 2021 (Registration. by 10/25/2021, 6 pm ET, free)

Monday, Oct.18, 2021
12:00 PM -1:00 PM ET | 6:00 - 7:00 PM CET
 Kilburn & Strode Get your designs in shape - a practical guide to the UK and EU registered design systems (Registration)
Speakers: Robin Lloyd, Partner, Gail Taylor, Associate andKathryn Sayer, Trainee Patent Attorney (Kilburn & Strode)For 45 minutes we will take a deep dive into the key topics of UK and EU registered design systems. Followed by a 15 minute Q&A.
We will discuss: An overview and comparison of EU and UK designs; Deciding what to protect ; Filing process and requirements for design representations; ​Examination process and avoiding common pitfalls  


Tuesday, Oct.19, 2021
4:00 -5:00 AM ET | 10:00 - 11:00 AM CET
Clarivate: How to Think Like A Professional Patent Searcher (Registration)
...In this session, you will learn how to deconstruct a search topic into concepts, how to develop keyword and classification strategies for each concept for maximum comprehensiveness, and how to combine those strategies for maximum relevancy.

4:30 -5:30 AM ET | 10:30 - 11:30 AM CET
Minesoft : 3 ways to enhance company success through the strategic management of IP (Registration; contact Minesoft for a fee ticket by 10/18/2021)

• protecting an entire technology area or product area for market advantage
• trade, licensing and/or mergers & acquisitions that contribute directly to the financial bottom line
• embedding IP awareness throughout an organisation to support innovation cycles at all levels of the business

Spearker: Caitlin O’Neill, Minesoft/ Hosted by Richmond Chamber of Commerce (UK)

8:00 -10:00 AM ET | 2:00 - 4:00 PM CET
AIPPI World Congress. Plenary Session 2: Q278 - Industrial Designs and the Role of Prior Art (Congress Registration, fee)
This Study Question  (SQ) concerns the role of prior art with respect to industrial designs (“designs”). …. Around the world, there are varying definitions of novelty in view of applicable prior art and varying applications of such applicable prior art…..The following areas were studied…: a) the role of prior art in assessing requirements for protection of a design during prosecution; b) the role of prior art in assessing requirements for protection such as validity of a design during enforcement; c) the definition of the type(s) of disclosure that renders art as “prior art”, including which material can serve as prior art and what disclosure (level, time, place) is necessary so that the material can serve as prior art; d) the exceptions or defenses available that prevent disclosure of art from rendering it as prior art, such as a confidentiality agreement, limited access, experimental use, exhibition, related inventorship, grace period; and e) the influence of prior art in assessing infringement/scope of protection of a design, for instance, where there is a crowded field, i.e., numerous prior art, vs. an empty field, i.e., very few prior art.
See also: Study Guidelines Q278-SGL-2021: Q278 - Industrial Designs and the Role of Prior Art, January 2021, 20 p. ( A Resolution on Q278 to be adopted (and then  published) based on the discussion at 2021 AIPPI World Congress)

8:00 -9:30 AM ET | 2:00 - 3:30 PM CET
EPO/EU IP Helpdesk  From Lab to Market - Successful Technology Transfer Journeys (Registration)
The event presents EPO`s two of technology transfer case studies (see website ).
OXEON [Sweden]. Textiles for the extreme (EPO Technology Transfer Case Study).  2021. 8 p.; Podcast (Jul. 20, 2021, 21:29) (Spread tow reinforcements for different application areas)
Dermis Pharma [Turkey]. Healing wounds. (EPO Technology Transfer Case Study). 2021. 7 p. [Method to produce web-like structure for wound treatment that is both biocompatible and biodegradable ](…The EPO's IPscore tool makes it possible to assess, qualitatively analyse, graphically visualise and document the pros and cons of technologies and research projects.)

12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET | 6:00 - 7:00 PM CET
Lexology/HTS LLC Through Silicon Vias (TSV) - A Patent Landscape Case Study in Business Intelligence (Recording, 45:41)
Speaker: Kevin J. Hess, Ph.D., Patent Analyst and Program Manager, HTS LLC
...a case study is presented based on the IP of through-silicon vias TSV’s and their applications [for 3D integration of multiple semiconductor chips ]. A hierarchical taxonomy for TSV technology is developed. The assignee information extracted from key invention clusters, or nodes, of the taxonomy is used to identify key patent holders in the field. Citation analysis, including backward/forward cites and rejections, is used in conjunction with other comparative metrics to identify potential licensing and acquisition candidates, as well as possible defensive situations. Review of the priority dates of patents in a node relative to the maturation of the subject technology, called S-curve analysis, is used to determine whether assets are fundamental to the field or incremental, where earlier filings may be of interest for prior art arguments or for acquisition. Taken together, the assignee, citation, and S-curve analyses provide an informative view of the IP landscape or taxonomy.
Note: Kevin has been a speaker at 2021 PIUG Annual Conference (“Finding Needles in the Haystack: Identifying Valuable Assets Using Citation Analyses”)

2:00 – 3:30 PM ET | 8:00 – 8:30 PM ET
USPTO Trademark Basics Boot Camp, Module 3 Searching (Registration)
In this third module of our eight-part virtual Trademark Basics Boot Camp, we'll focus on important principles related to trademark searching and effective use of the USPTO’s Trademark Electronic Search System (TESS).…we will cover the following topics: Trademark basics; Likelihood of confusion, Searching in TESS...
See recording (video, 1:28:13) of the previous  Module 3  webinars of June 22, 2021 by Jason Lott, Attorney Advisor, Trademark Customer Outreach, USPTO.

7:30 - 8:30 PM ET | 1:30 - 2:30 AM CET
American Patent Agency webinar series@MIT Patentability Requirements III: 102 (Novelty) Part 1) (#6)  (Registration)
Instructor: Stephen Hou, Patent prosecution advisor at American Patent Agency LC.Hosted by MIT Graduate Student Council.
…This session discusses the patentability requirements from 35 USC 102 (novelty). Goals: – Identify potential prior art events that would disqualify an invention from patent protection. – Understand the appropriate steps inventors must take to maintain the novelty of their invention. – Determine a suitable timeframe to apply for patents..
 Note: This is the sixth of 14 lectures of Patent Strategy for Entrepreneurs: Fall 2021 Webinar Series @ MIT. The webinars held every Tuesdays 7:30 PM (1 hour plus Q&A) until  December 14, 2021. See description of the course, recording of the previous lectures at the course website.


Wednesday, Oct.20, 2021
4:30  -6:00 AM ET |10:30AM -12:00 PM CET
European IP Helpdesk: IP Commercialisation and Licensing (Registration)
Speaker: Dr Christian Hackl
The webinar will provide an overview of key aspects in the field of intellectual property licensing, including negotiation tips and legal traps.
Topics: What is a license agreement and when should it be used? What are the main differences between a license agreement and other contracts? (assignment and distribution agreement). What are the options for the patent owner to take advantage of a patent? Are there more options for an SME than to build a product (based on IP) and sell it? When does licensing make sense?
Best practice case studies in technology licensing


4:00 – 4: 45 AM ET | 10:00 – 10:45 AM CET (Registration)
10:00 - 10:45 AM ET |  4:00 - 4:45 PM CET (Registration)  
4:00 – 4: 45 PM ET | 10:00 – 10:45 PM CET (Registration)
CAS SciFinderⁿ Materials Science Information              
In this webinar, you’ll learn about:
CAS SciFinderⁿ coverage of journal and patent literature for materials science, including battery and semiconductor materials;
Refining search result sets using CAS concepts, including engineering topics and retrieving property-related studies.
Cf.  STN Presentations:
Brown, Jim  (FIZ Karlsruhe) Engineering & Material Science Searching on STN . STN International., 56 p. September 2017 & video, 42 min)
Locating Information on Materials on STN (50 p.December 2010, Jim Brown, Ursula Klemm & Martine Michel) (see Jim Brown’s PIUG-wiki post, Dec. 10, 2010)


1:30 – 2:30 PM ET | 7:30 – 8:30 PM ET
USPTO TXRO Meet the Patent Experts: Class Four   (Registration)
Class Four covers the components of nonprovisional applications and includes a discussion on claim interpretation and common pitfalls.


Thursday, October 21, 2021
5:00 -6:00 AM ET |11:00AM -12:00 PM CET
EPO Advanced lecture series on food technology. Lecture 3: IP commercialization
This advanced lecture series will provide participants with insights into the innovations shaping the food industry of the future, and reveal how IP strategy can lead to success.  This lecture: Innovation is at the heart of food technology, one of the world’s leading industries. Global food businesses evolve in response to changing consumer needs and utilise IP in order to protect and foster investment in differentiating technology as well as to enable collaboration.
Expert: Danny Keenan, Vice-President Patents, Foods and Refreshment, Unilever Patent Group, United Kingdom
Note: Level of expertise - Intermediate. Recommended preparatory European Patent Academy’s self-paced e-courses: From idea to patent (Basic, 8h);; The art of reading patent documentation (Basic, 6h); Introduction to the European patent system  (Entry, 8h); Think patents: the value of patent documentation for innovation and research (Basic, 4h).
(Previous lectures Lecture 1: Patenting in the food industry – challenges from an examiner perspective (Oct. 7, 2021, Dominika Baráč and Doris Krajewski, Examiners, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry, EPO,  video (1:05:15), presentation, 40 p.); Lecture 2: Developing an IP strategy: practical and post-grant aspects of food patents,  14 October 2021 (Kim Wagner, European patent attorney, Plougmann Vingtoft, honorary court-appointed expert at the Maritime and Commercial High Court (Sø-og Handelsretten), Copenhagen, Denmark) (video, 1:03:59, presentation, 27 p.). Lecture 4: Meet an inventor from the food technology industry (Oatly AB and Aventure AB)  is scheduled for Oct. 28, 2021, registration)


9:00 -10:00 AM ET |5:00 -6:00 PM CET
European IP Helpdesk/CIOPORA Growers’ Guide to Intellectual Property Protection for Plants (Registration)
...In particular, the webinar will touch upon the principles of Plant Variety Rights and the awareness of IP liability...
Cf. CPVO webinar: Introduction to EU Plant Variety Rights  (video, 1:22:33, Orsola Lamberti, Legal Advisor at the CPVO)
CIOPORA is the International Community of Breeders of Asexually Reproduced Horticultural Plants. 
Related publications:
D Young & Co. (UK) Introduction to Plant Variety Rights
Mewburn Ellis. (UK) Plant Variety Rights and Patents for Plant-Related Inventions.
Baker McKenzie.Plant Variety Rights Summary [worldwide]. May 2020, 174 p..
Knauss, D. J., Veitenheimer, E. E., & Pomeranz, M. (Cooley). Protecting Plant Inventions. Landslide, Vol. 11, No. 6, July/August 2019
J A Kemp Webinar. IP for Plants and Plant Protection Products in Europe and UK. November 2., 2021


10:00 -11:00 AM ET |4:00 -5:00 PM CET
WIPO. Overview of WIPO and its Activities – with an Introduction to the WIPO Development Agenda (Registration)
For previous webinars,  see for example a recording (1:14:24) of a recent Sep. 30, 2021 webinar Overview of WIPO and its Activities – with an introduction to Geographical Indications

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM ET | 5:30 - 6:00 PM CET
AIPPI World Congress: Panel Session 12: Doctrine of equivalents: can the prior art infringe? (New)
Panelists: Sabine Agé, Hoyng Rokh Monegie, Agata Gabriela Sobol, Avvocati Associati Franzosi Dal Negro Setti, Trevor Cook, WilmerHale, Dr. Michael Schneider, Eisenführ Speiser
The doctrine of equivalents is a rule that is applied to determine the scope of protection of a patent. …when an allegedly infringing product falls outside the scope of the claim as normally construed, that product may nonetheless infringe if it is considered to be an equivalent of the invention. …However, once there is a divergence between the scope of protection and the scope of the claim as normally construed, it becomes possible, ...for the prior art to infringe if the prior art falls outside the scope of the claim as normally construed but nonetheless falls within the scope of protection of the patent as an equivalent. … This highlights an uneasy parallel between the tests for obviousness/inventive step and equivalents. The purpose of this panel session is to explore these tensions, and examine how courts in Europe, the US and elsewhere have addressed this complex issue…


12:00 PM – 1:00 PM ET | 6:00 - 7:00 PM CET
TechInsights/IPWatchdog Patent Litigation: Lessons in the Rearview Mirror (Registration)
Markets are changing, technology is changing, and the approach to negotiation and patent litigation is changing. Still, some things are constant; namely, competent technical information is necessary to make data-driven decisions.
Given the benefit of hindsight and reflection, what information has proven to be the most persuasive, most helpful documentation or evidence to ultimately achieve the best possible outcome?
Join Gene Quinn, President and CEO of IPWatchdog, on Thursday, October 21, at 12 PM ET, for a conversation on leveraging technical data to facilitate strategy, negotiations, and litigation planning. Joining Gene will be Joshua Harris, Senior Vice President at Burford Capital, and Ian MacLean, Senior Vice President of IP Services for TechInsights.


2:00 – 3:30 PM ET | 8:00 – 8:30 PM ET
USPTO Path to a Patent Series Part III: Patent searching (Registration)
… learn from United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) experts about preliminary searching, using the suggested Seven-Step Strategy, and more.



Other upcoming events (Oct. 25 – 28, 2021)
10/25/2021 8:15 ET IP Landscaping and Competitor Analysis @ BPIP 2021(fee)
10/26/2021 4:30 AM ET European IP Helpdesk Freedom to Operate
10/26/2021 9:00 ET BPIP 2021 Master Class : Competitor Analysis: IP Landscaping and Beyond  (Fee)
10/26/2021 9:00AM ET ACT | The App Association: The EU’s Evolving Framework for Standard-Essential Patents: Part II: Standard-essential patents valuation
10/26/2021 7:30 PM ET American Patent Agency webinar series@MIT Patentability Requirements IV: 102 (Novelty) Part 2 (#7)
10/27/2021 12:00 PM ET ML4Patents.com Webinar Series with IP Rally (Episode 5)
10/27/2021 12:00-2:45 PM ET AIPLA and USPTO Partnering in Patents (incl. New Search Tools, Legal Updates on Anticipation and Obviousness)
10/28/2021 5:00-9:00 ET EPO conference "Emerging technologies in the health sector" (Reg. by 10/25/2021, 6 pm ET)
10/28/2021 9:00 AM & 2:00 PM  ET Enriching your Multi-file Patent Searches - Additional Value by Using STN Fulltext Databases (incl. RUFULL: RU&EA patents)
10/28/202111:00 PM ET Clarivate/Dart-IP When technologies collide: predicting litigation risk using patent transactions
10/28/2021 12:00 PM ET USPTO PTAB Inventor Hour Webinar

EPO conference "Emerging technologies in the health sector"10/28/2021 13:00-17:00 CET (5:00-9:00 ET) Program includes 3 h of conference and 1 hour search workshop (Registration,  by 10/25/2021.6 PM ET, free)  (New)

EPO Patent Knowledge Week (replaces EPO annual  patent information conference), Online event, 2-5 November 2021 (replaces the EPO's annual Patent Information Conference) Main track “Patent Knowledge”, Nov. 2-4; Asia track, Nov.5,2021; Patent attorney track Nov.3, 2021, etc. (Registration, free) (New)
See other conferences in Oct. 3, 2021 PIUG-PF post .

Update: 10/18/2021 3:00 AM Information webinars 10/19  4 am and 10/21 at 5am, 9 am & 10 am has been added