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OEB Newsfeed

1. EPO’s new vice-presidents take up their posts

   They were elected by the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation in October 2018 for a five-year term.

2. First European patent application published 40 years ago

   Filed by the European Atomic Energy Community, the application related to a "thermal heat pump". The corresponding European patent, EP 000 000 1, was granted on 7 January 1981.

3. Josef Kratochvíl elected Chairman of the Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation

   The Administrative Council of the European Patent Organisation today elected Josef Kratochvíl (CZ) as its Chairman. Mr Kratochvíl succeeds Christoph Ernst (DE) who, in October, was appointed Vice-President for Directorate General Legal and International Affairs of the European Patent Office.

4. EPO’s art collection honoured with award

   The EPO has been honoured with the Corporate Art Award at an event held on 28 November in the European Parliament in Brussels in the context of the European Year of Cultural Heritage.

5. EPO holds first major conference on blockchain

   The EPO has held its first major conference on patenting blockchain. Attended by over 300 participants, the one-day event in The Hague yesterday explored the implications of blockchain for patent applicants and other stakeholders as the technology is applied to an ever-increasing variety of technical fields.

6. EPO congratulates Polish patent office on its 100th anniversary

   A delegation from the European Patent Office led by EPO President António Campinos participated to the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland organised in Warsaw this week.

7. Send us your feedback: online consultation on increased flexibility in the timing of the examination process

   The EPO has launched an online user consultation on the need for more flexibility in the timing of the examination process by giving applicants the possibility of postponing the examination of European patent applications.

8. Committed to providing quality patent information: EPO Patent Information Conference 2018

   More than 400 patent professionals from 40 countries gathered at the EPO's 28th annual Patent Information Conference on Monday in Brussels to discuss the latest tools and trends in searching and using information found in patents.

9. Sharp rise in patent applications for self-driving vehicles in Europe, new study finds

   A study published today reveals that innovation in self-driving vehicles (SDV) is accelerating fast and finds that patent protection strategies in the area of self-driving vehicle technology more closely resemble those in the information and communication (ICT) sector than those in the traditional automotive industry.

10. Supporting innovation in the plant sector: EPO and Community Plant Variety Office extend bilateral co-operation

    The EPO and the Community Plant Variety Office (CPVO) today took a further step forward in their support for innovation in the plant sector by renewing their cooperation agreement for a further three years.