About our Course
Ensuring that you have freedom to operate (FTO) or freedom to practise is an essential step in bringing your new product or service to market. Whether you are a research scientist investigating a new technology area or a downstream process/product development specialist, third party 'blocking' patents can pose significant challenges. This course will show you how to identify and deal with troublesome third party chemical, biological and device patents in the chem/bio industries such as the Life Sciences and Pharmaceutical industries.
Who Should Attend?
R&D and process/product development scientists & engineers, business development managers, technology transfer and licensing professionals working in the chemical and biological industries such as Life Sciences/Biotech or the Pharmaceutical sectors.
Topics and group exercises include
Outline of Course
DAY 1 - 3 Hours​
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IP Rights in the Chemical and Biological Industries (e.g., patents, copyright, designs and trade secrets)
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Protecting chemical and biological inventions (e.g. compounds, synthetic processes, antibodies, proteins)
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The European Patent with Unitary Effect ('Unitary Patent')
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The Patent Lifecycle (e;g. from priority filing, national and international/ PCT applications, to patent grant)
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Patent Term and Patent Term Extension (e..g, Supplementary Protection Certificates)
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Regulatory Data Protection
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How to read a Patent and Interpret Claims
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Ownership of IP rights
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DAY 2 - 3 Hours​
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Patent & Database Searching: (e,g,, for FTO, validity; regulatory data, and patent status assessments
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Patent Infringement and exceptions to infringement (e.g. Bolar provisions)
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Enforcement of Patents in the UK and before the Unitary Patent Court
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Challenging Patents in the UK, USA, the Unitary Patent Court or before the European Patent Office
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Freedom to Operate - how to identify and deal with troublesome Third Party Patents
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Case Studies (e.g. CRISPR)
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FTO Group Exercises
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