Advice

Our Patent Section is primarily responsible to advise our clients on their patent needs in our region. The scope of advice which we render in this respect varies from assessing the patentability of a particular invention, indicating the filing requirements in each given jurisdiction, up to explaining the extent of protection available and recommending the appropriate course of action in the event of an infringement of a patent right.

The Patent Section is also responsible to advise the firm’s clients of the latest developments in the patent law and practice in this part of the world. The objective behind this is to help our clients update themselves of the status of patent laws in the countries where we operate and assist them in ascertaining the economic and legal visibility of expanding their business propositions to those countries.

Maintenance

Our Patent Annuity Unit, which operates closely with the Patent Section, is responsible to pay annuities for patent applications and registrations in the various countries. The Unit is charged with the duty to remind our patent clients well in advance of the dates their annuity payments are due. The Unit further ensures that all annuities are paid in time and that unnecessary fines for late payment of annuities are totally avoided.

Progress Reporting

One of the basic duties of our Patent Section and the Annuity Unit is to keep our clients informed in a timely manner of the status and progress of their patent matters. If a patent application of any of our clients encounters an Office Action, the attorney in charge of the case is responsible to carefully explain the grounds on which the Office Action was based, provide the necessary advice to overcome the same and assess the chance of success in the recommended course of action.

Patent Search

The Patent Section is also ready and capable to conduct patent searches in the jurisdictions where such searches are possible. In addition to obtaining the search result and reporting it to the client in the shortest possible time, our Patent Section can also evaluate the availability of a particular patent in any given jurisdiction.