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OEB Newsfeed

1. Building bridges through cooperation: EPO and Cambodian Ministry of Industry and Handicraft host first IP conference

   This week the European Patent Office (EPO) and the Ministry of Industry and Handicraft (MIH) hosted their first joint IP conference in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

2. EPO publishes grounds for its decision to refuse two patent applications naming a machine as inventor

   The EPO has published its decision setting out the reasons for its recent refusal of two European patent applications in which an AI system was designated as the inventor.

3. New insights into the patent system: first results from the EPO Academic Research Programme published

   The EPO has published six research reports developed with funding from its Academic Research Programme. The research used patent data to investigate topics such as financing for innovation, knowledge transfer, trade, tracking inventions in the marketplace, and the growth of technologies to tackle climate change.

4. Coordinating our response to AI and emerging technologies: five largest IP offices hold first joint task force meeting

   The five largest intellectual property offices held the inaugural meeting of their joint Task Force on New Emerging Technologies and Artificial Intelligence this week in Berlin.

5. The EPO and representatives from EU Member States call for the speedy implementation of the Unitary Patent package

   António Campinos, President of the EPO, and his team met today with the Chair and members of the executive group of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) Preparatory Committee, as well as with the Chair of the Unitary Patent Select Committee, to take stock of the state of play of the preparations to implement the Unitary Patent package.

6. EPO refuses DABUS patent applications designating a machine inventor

   The EPO has refused two European patent applications in which a machine was designated as inventor.

7. EPO and ARIPO sign agreement on Reinforced Partnership

   In an effort to enhance international co-operation in order to strengthen the global patent system, the EPO has signed a Reinforced Partnership agreement with the African Regional Intellectual Property Organization (ARIPO).

8. SACEPO Working Party on Guidelines agrees on public consultation

   Members of the SACEPO Working Party on Guidelines and the EPO met on 27 November to discuss the annual revision of the Guidelines for Examination in the EPO and the Guidelines for Search and Examination at the EPO as PCT Authority.

9. EPO and INPI Brazil launch technical and strategic partnership

   The European Patent Office (EPO) and the National Institute of Industrial Property of Brazil (INPI) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding on a Reinforced Technical and Strategic Partnership to enhance co-operation between Europe and Brazil in the area of patents.

10. EPO signs reinforced partnership agreement with Indonesia

    EPO President António Campinos and the head of the Directorate General of Intellectual Property (DGIP) of Indonesia, Freddy Harris, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Reinforced Partnership between their two offices at the EPO in Munich yesterday.