Welcome to MaxVal’s IP Five in 5, your quick roundup of the top five IP news stories in under five minutes. In this edition, we cover Romania’s entry into the Unitary Patent System, the reversal of Pfizer’s $107.5M award against AstraZeneca, and more.
Patent Spotlight
Romania Joins the Unitary Patent System on 1 September 2024
Romania joined the Unitary Patent System on 1 September 2024, following its ratification on 31 May 2024. This addition brings the total participating EU Member States to 18, expanding coverage to another 19 million people.
Source: EPO
US Court Overturns Pfizer’s $107.5M Award against AstraZeneca
A Delaware judge has overturned a $107.5 million jury award to Pfizer, invalidating the patents involved in the case. The ruling came less than three months after the initial verdict, citing inadequate patent descriptions. The case concerned AstraZeneca’s Tagrisso lung cancer treatment.
Source: Fierce Pharma
Philips and Thales Resolve Global Patent Disputes
Philips and Thales have settled their global patent dispute, dismissing all claims and counterclaims. The resolution ends related cases in the US and France, with Thales having sold the disputed business to Telit in 2022.
Source: Juve Patent
Trademark Spotlight
Chanel Pushes for Major Sanctions Against WGACA as Trademark Battle Nears Verdict
On August 30, 2024, Chanel and What Goes Around Comes Around (WGACA) filed post-bench trial briefs in their ongoing lawsuit. Chanel initially sued WGACA in 2018 for trademark infringement, claiming the reseller falsely implied an affiliation with Chanel to boost sales of pre-owned Chanel items. In the latest filings, Chanel emphasized its request for WGACA to disgorge profits and cease any claims regarding the authenticity of Chanel goods, while WGACA defended its practices, arguing that Chanel’s demands were excessive
Source: The Fashion Law
Copyright Spotlight
Authors File Copyright Infringement Lawsuit against Anthropic for AI Training
Anthropic faces a class-action lawsuit from three authors alleging misuse of their books and others to train its AI chatbot, Claude. The lawsuit filed on 19th August 2024 claims Anthropic used pirated versions of their works.
Source: The Print
