European Patent Oppositions & Appeals

More and more frequently, the validity of a European patent is being settled in opposition proceedings before the European Patent Office (EPO) rather than in the national courts of European Patent Convention member states. EPO opposition proceedings allow the validity of a European patent to be ruled upon for all the designated European states with a single action, thereby reducing the likelihood of costly country-by-country litigation.

 As well being prepared for possible opposition to your European patents, it is equally important to be fully aware of the activities of your competitors at the EPO. By monitoring your competitors’ patent applications we can provide you with a cost-effective way of reviewing the prosecution of those applications and, where deemed necessary, build an opposition case for you well within the time limits set following the grant of the competitor’s European patent.

Consequently, preparing for potential opposition proceedings at the EPO is an important element of any European patent strategy. If the proceedings are well prepared and conducted promptly, the chances of success increase, while a substantial amount of time and money can be saved. Undoubtedly, proper management of the process offers you a competitive advantage, and here at Murgitroyd and Company our team of qualified European patent attorneys has a wealth of experience in managing European patent oppositions and appeals on behalf of both patent proprietors and opponents. Click here to meet the European opposition and appeals team.

Our team of attorneys is headed by Graham Murnane, a Director of Murgitroyd Group PLC and a former EPO examiner who took part in opposition proceedings as a member of the Opposition Division during his time at the EPO, and has represented clients in numerous opposition and appeal proceedings at Murgitroyd.  For more information on effective preparation and management of European patent oppositions, please contact Graham by telephone on +44 (0)141 307 8400 or by e-mail at graham.murnane@murgitroyd.com.  

Graham Murnane

Director, Professional Practice