Prominent IP Updates on Jan 06, 2015

Italy Introduces Patent Box

A “patent box” preferential tax regime has been introduced with effect from January 1, 2015, at the same time as a restructuring of the country’s research and development (R&D) tax credit system.

Toyota kickstarting fuel cell future with patent release

In an effort to get other automakers building fuel cell-powered cars and help fuel suppliers open new hydrogen-fueling stations, Toyota announced today it would make 5,680 of its patents available for use on a royalty-free basis.

OpenPeak Issued 15 Patents in 2014 for Secure App Management on Mobile Devices

OpenPeak Inc., a leading enterprise mobility management solutions provider, announced today that it was awarded 15 key patents in 2014. The patents, which cover a wide range of management needs from secure app creation to policy compliance, extend the company’s U.S. and international patent portfolio to over 150 patents, placing OpenPeak firmly at the forefront of enterprise-level device and application governance.

USA patent protection granted for new technology diagnosing cancer

A new diagnostic technology may significantly improve early detection and treatment of cancer and other diseases. Via a simple blood test the method can potentially diagnose diseases such as cancer at an early stage, enable screening of healthy individuals at risk of developing cancer, and help plan an individual course of treatment. Aarhus University has just received a patent for the technology in the USA.

Apple wins extensive patent for foldable, flexible iPhone with force gesture controls

Apple on Tuesday was granted a U.S. patent for a portable device made almost exclusively from flexible components, allowing for force-based gesture input and perhaps larger displays that fold up like a trifold wallet.

Acacia Unit Signs Settlement And Patent License Agreement With ConforMIS

Patent licensing firm Acacia Research Corp. announced that its Bonutti Skeletal Innovations LLC subsidiary has entered into a settlement and patent license agreement with ConforMIS, Inc. The agreement resolves all aspects of the litigation for the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware and the U.S District Court for the District of Massachusetts.

Avigilon Acquires Entire ObjectVideo Patent Portfolio For US$80.3 Million

Avigilon Corporation (“Avigilon”), today announced that it has completed the acquisition of the entire patent portfolio and the patent licensing program of ObjectVideo, Inc. (“ObjectVideo”) for cash consideration of US$80.3 million (the “Acquisition”).

Mophie Suffers Stunning Litigation Setback

In a stunning setback in a lawsuit it initiated, mophie, Inc., the market leader for Smartphone battery cases, finds itself faced with a court decision invalidating its key patent and a jury verdict finding two of its claimed trademarks not viable, and its signature “juice pack” family of marks not sufficiently strong to qualify as “famous.”

Pluristem Granted Patent for Foundational Cell Harvesting Technology in South Africa

Pluristem Therapeutics Inc., a leading developer of placenta-based cell therapy products, announced today that it has been issued Patent No. 2013/07160, titled “Methods and Systems for Harvesting Adherent Stromal Cells”, in South Africa. This patent addresses Pluristem’s methods for using vibration to harvest cells grown on three-dimensional scaffolds, the harvested cells themselves, and devices developed for this process

Patent Granted For Apparatus And Method For Providing Relay Link Zone Information In A Multi-Hop Relay Broadband Wireless Access Communication System

A communication method for a Base Station (BS) in a wireless communication system, the method comprising: performing a network entry procedure with a Relay Station (RS) during an initial access of the RS to the BS; generating a message including relay link zone information regarding a relay link zone in which the BS communicates with the RS; and processing the message in a physical layer and transmitting the processed message to the RS

RestorGenex Announces Issuance of European Patent for its Dermatology Program

RestorGenex Corporation, a specialty biopharmaceutical company focused on developing products for ophthalmology, oncology and dermatology, today announced that the European Patent Office has issued to RestorGenex European Patent No. 2364700 entitled “Compositions and Methods to Treat Skin Diseases Characterized by Cellular Proliferation and Angiogenesis.

Google Asked to Remove 345 Million “Pirate” Links in 2014

Copyright holders asked Google to remove more than 345,000,000 allegedly infringing links from its search engine in 2014. The staggering number is an increase of 75% compared to the year before. While Google has taken some steps to downrank pirate sites, the rate at which takedown notices are sent continues to rise.

Amphion wins key judgment in patent infringement appeal

Shares in AIM-listed Amphion were flying on Tuesday after the technology business won a key patent decision in the US courts.

National collection of Portugal now available in PATENTSCOPE

The national patent collection of Portugal is now available in WIPO’s global patent search system PATENTSCOPE. It includes about 100,000 bibliographic data records. Searchable full-text in Portuguese is planned to be included in 2015.