News and Publications

Making the fictional skilled person real: the first oral examination of expert witnesses at the Unified Patent Court

Patent disputes often hinge on the "skilled person," a fictional representation of someone working in the relevant technical field. While most European courts typically rely on documentary...

HOFFMANN EITLE Quarterly Newsletter 03/25

Dear Colleagues and Friends, We are excited to present the first issue of the Hoffmann Eitle Quarterly of 2025, highlighting key developments shaping European IP law. In our first article, we offer...

Product seizure at Frankfurt Trade Fair Ambiente 2025

Pilot Corporation, a globally recognized Japanese pen manufacturer, is best known for its innovative FRIXION® series. These pens utilize thermochromic ink that can be erased through friction-genera...

EPO Board confirms public prior use based on confidential analysis

In T1324/21, the EPO Boards of Appeal addressed the role of internal evidence in proving public prior use. The case related to claims to a pharmaceutical composition containing specific polymorphi...

HOFFMANN EITLE Ranked in the Chambers and Partners Global Guide 2025

The Chambers Global Guide is one of the most prestigious legal directories, providing rankings based on extensive independent research, client feedback, and peer reviews. It evaluates law firms and...

EPO Appeal case establishes that requests to delete dependent claims late in the proceedings can be inadmissible

The EPO Boards of Appeal are well known to take a strict approach to admissibility of new requests filed late in the appeal proceedings, but generally permit deletion of invalid dependent claims....

EPO Board of Appeal holds that synergy is not sufficient to establish inventive step

At the EPO, the presence of a synergistic technical effect is normally indicative of an inventive step. But following the advocacy of Hoffmann Eitle’s James Ogle and Joachim Renken, the EPO Board...

FCJ holds that the technical problem for a medical use claim is not simply providing a new medical use of the known drug

Many cases turn on the exact formulation of the technical problem to be solved when assessing inventive step. In X ZR 92/23, Hoffmann Eitle attorneys Peter Klusmann, Jan Carl Zillies, Dirk Schüßler...

WTR 1000 Rankings 2025

WTR 1000, the leading global guide to trademark firms and professionals, has released its 2025 rankings, and we’re pleased to share that HOFFMANN EITLE has been recognized as a Bronze firm for the...

EPO appeal case T 943/22 clarifies procedural limitations in EPO Appeals following opponent withdrawal

In T943/22, the EPO Boards of Appeal has clarified the scope of appeal review in cases where all opponents withdraw their oppositions during proceedings. This is an interesting case in which HOFFMA...