IP Collective Virtual Roundtables

Navigating New and Emerging Legislative Changes

As the volume and velocity of patent filings continue to increase and the landscape evolves with new technologies, regulatory and supervisory bodies are working to support innovation and competitiveness by ensuring the industry remains secure and fair.

With the Unitary Patent and the UPC coming into play in 2023, the Supplementary Protection Certificate (SPC) manufacturing waiver becoming operational this year, important case laws such as G 2/21 progressing and the new US Inflation Reduction Act shifting up the pharmaceutical markets in the US, legislative changes are complex and ever-evolving.

While keeping on top of the legislative developments is a time-consuming process, it is a priority for all organisations to ensure they’re playing by the rules and not missing out on exciting, and potentially valuable, opportunities.

Unpacking the Intersection Between Digitalisation and IP

As the world becomes ever more digitalised, spurned on by the pandemic, new technologies are affecting IP functions both internally and more widely in the industry.

Many organisations are waking up to how digital technology can increase the efficiency of the IP department without compromising protection, with analytics and AI methods to improve patent information and tools that can help with patent counsel work.

On the other side of things, advanced technology is being used to create new opportunities technology in areas such as drug discovery, medical diagnosis, precision medicine, patient monitoring.

Although these innovative ideas are helping to push the industry forward, they create new and complex discussions around IP protection for novel innovations produced by the use of disruptive technologies, whether within R&D or in emerging areas such as digital health.

Building awareness around the value of IP as a strategic asset

As IP gradually climbs the corporate agenda, IP leaders face the task of engaging the wider in the value of IP as an important business tool. They must hone their knowledge and skills beyond IP law, immersing themselves in the broader context of the business strategy, to gain a 360 degree view of how to get the most out of their IP assets to support commercial decision-making and growth.

Over the last years of significant uncertainty with Brexit followed by the pandemic and now the war in Ukraine, it has become essential to create adaptable strategies to continue to deliver value, even with constrained budgets.

Now more than ever, organisations have to be able to adjust to new circumstances in line with their business strategy and consider different approaches to protecting while still mitigating risk.