Strategies of IP Protection in RU & Eurasia: LES Asia Conference

1. Strategies of IP Protection in RU & Eurasia: LES Asia Conference Hangzhou October 17, 2013 Gorodissky & Partners Sergey Dorofeev

2. Ways of IP Protection in Russia RU • Filing Russian Patent Application? • Filing Russian Utility Model Application? • Filing Eurasian Patent Application? • Filing Russian Patent (Utility Model) Application(s) and Eurasian Patent Application? EA & EA RU

3. Eurasian Patent System EurasianPatent Office Patent Search, Examination «Validation» Application forEurasian Patent . . . . . . 8Member States

4. Same Force of RU and EA patent Article 13 of the Eurasian Patent Convention provides that: “2. Each Contracting State shall provide for infringement of Eurasian patent same responsibility as for infringement of national patent.”

5. Claims: Scope Determining Approach RU EA Article 10 of Convention Scope of protection shall be determined by claims Specification and drawings shall serve only to interpret claims • Article 1354, Clause 2 of Civil Code • Protection is granted in the scope determined by claims • Specification and drawings may be used for construing claims

6. Considered When Selecting • Geographic Coverage • Scope of Protection Available • Duration of Patent Rights • Patent Obtaining Cost & Time • Legislative and Procedural Advantages = EA RU

7. Minimal Filing Requirements EA RU The filing date shall be assigned to a patent application containing: 1) cover page with information on inventors, assignee(s) etc. 2) specification of invention • claims 3) necessary drawings and other materials • abstract Can be submitted later

8. Language of Filing EA RU Russian (mandatory) Cover page Specification Claims Drawings Abstract Translation into Russian Any language !

9. Lost in Translation? Filing Scheme 1 RU National English Russian EA Mistakes in translation Scheme 2 National English Russian Filing Translation EA RU

10. Preferable Policy EA RU • First application should be filed in the national language, if possible • English, French, German language version(s) should be used only as an intermediate material for translation

11. General Scheme EA Request for Conducting Substantive Examination Substantive Examination Formal Examination Search RU Request for Conducting Substantive Examination

12. ProtectableSubject-Matters RU Russian Civil Code Article1350. «As invention is protected a technical solution in any field, related toa product (…) ormethod (…).» Article1351. «As utility model is protected a technical solution, related to an apparatus». EA EAPO Patent Rules Par.1.1: «Subject-matters of inventionscan be subjectsorprocesses created or transformed by a human…»

13. Excluded from Protection • Discoveries, scientific theories and mathematical methods • Aesthetic creations relating to external appearance of articles • Rules and methods of games, intellectual or business activities • Computer programs and algorithms • Presentation of information • Animal breeds and plant varieties • Topographies of integrated circuits • Projects and schemes of constructions, buildings and area layouts • Solutions contrary to public interests, humanistic principles and morality Eurasian Convention Application for above matter shall be rejected if it relates to such matter only

14. Mostly Frequent Claim Objection RU Multiple dependent claim can not depend on multiple dependent claim. If not, multiple dependent claim is permitted and is not a subject to additional fees

15. Set of claims with not alloweddependency RU Claim 1. Apparatus for …Claim 2. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein …Claim 3. Apparatus of any of claim 1-2, wherein …Claim 4. Apparatus of any of claim 1-3, wherein …Claim 5. Apparatus of any of claim 1-4, wherein … Set of claims with proper dependency Claim 1. Apparatus for …Claim 2. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein …Claim 3. Apparatus of any of claim 1-2, wherein …Claim 4. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein …Claim 5. Apparatus of any of claims 1-2, 4, wherein …

16. Preferable Policy RU • Multiple dependency may be avoided when filing applications with RU PTO • It gives not much benefit • Claims for US PTO are acceptable • Timely Responses to our recommendation letters will allow to avoid issuing formal examination OA

17. Legal Meaning of Dependent Claims Infringement features of dependent claim may be used for construing independent claim RU + EA Invalidation  partial invalidation, restricting scope RU Preferable policy: Keep only reasonable number of Commercially valuable embodiments in dependent claims

18. Invalidation Example RU Claim 1. Apparatus for ………. Claim 3. Apparatus of any ofclaim 1,2,wherein Claim 4. Apparatus of any ofclaim 1-3, wherein … Claim 1. Apparatus for ………… Claim 3. Apparatus of any of claim 1,2, wherein Claim 4. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein … Restricted Claim 1  Claim 1 + Claim 3 + Claim 4

19. Invalidation Example Eurasian Patent in the Russian PTO Claim 1. Cigarette filter for … ……..Claim 3. Filter of any of claim 1,2, wherein …  may be allowable Claim 4. Filter of any of claim 1-3, wherein … may be allowableClaim 5. Cigarette comprisingcigarette filter of any of claims 1-4  allowable Claim 1. Cigarette filter for….. ……………. Claim 3. Cigarette filter…….allowable Claim 4. Cigarette filter….. .. allowable Claim 5. Cigarette comprising cigarette filter ….. features of claim claims 1+2+3+4 allowable Preferable policy: For EA application please use US claims with several independent claims for the same subject-matter

20. Protectable Utility Model RU • More narrow scope of protectable subject matters comparing to invention: “Article 1351. As utility model is protected a technical solution relating to an apparatus”. “Article 1350. As invention is protected a technical solution relating to a product (in particular apparatus, substance, microorganism strain, plant or animal cell culture)…”. The Civil Code considers “apparatus” to be narrower than “product” and other than “substance”:

21. General Scheme For Utility Models RU Not conducted Formal Examination Patentability Examination Patent Grant Under special request Search for State of Art

22. Application Proceedings Timeline EA RU Hypothetic Application t t Formal Examination – approx. 2 months

23. Application Proceedings Timeline RU Hypothetic Application t t Utility Model decision on grant – approx. 4 months

24. Preferable Policy EA RU Use Utility Model protection - when fast obtaining of rights for apparatuses is necessary - combining Utility Model applications with invention RU and EA applications Remember – criteria of patentability are different for Invention and Utility Model UM perspectives: Substantive Examination; One Independent Claim; No Doctrine of Equivalents

25. Substantive Examination RU EA Examination Request Applicant 6 months from Search Report publishing date Usually SR is published simultaneously with application ISR substitutes EA Search Report Abandonment 12 month reinstatement term (excusive circumstances) • Examination Request • Applicant • Any third party • 3 years from (international) filing date • 2 month extension term • Abandonment • 12 month reinstatement term (excusive circumstances)

26. Grace period RU EA Vs. Substantial difference • Under the Russian Patent Law grace period is calculated back from the RU application filing date • Under Eurasian Patent Regulations grace period is calculated back from EA application filing or priority date

27. Substantive Examination • Action – Response manner • No limiting number of Office Actions to be issued • Term for response to Office Action is 2 months from receiving this Office action and can be extended • Additional extensions available for up to 10 months • Amendments are voluntary and may be filed any time before Decision • Term for response to Office Action is 4 months from issuing this Office action and can be extended • No limiting number of extension to be requested • Amendments are voluntary and may be filed any time before Decision RU EA

28. Checking up Patentability RU + EA Industrial Applicability Novelty Inventive Level Office Action Response Final Decision Decision of Grant Decision of Rejection

29. Checking up Patentability RU EA Decision of Grant Notification of Readiness to Grant Patent Claims Examiner is ready to allow It is possible to further amend claims Decision of Rejection Conclusion on Patentability Reasons of possible Rejection It is possible to further amend claims • Decision of Grant • Decision of Rejection • Notification of Patentability Check Results • Reasons of possible Rejection • It is possible to further amend claims

30. Application Proceedings Timeline EA RU Examination Request EA t 4-6 months RU t 10-12 months First Office Action to be issued (approximately)

31. Final Rejection RU EA May be appealed within 3 months in the EAPO Decision of Board of Examiners (at least 2 new Examiners) appointed by President may be appealed with President Decision approved by President is final and binding Divisional application may be filed before or simultaneously with appealing with President • May be appealed within 6 months in the Chamber of Patent Disputes of the Russian PTO • Chamber Decision may be appealed with court • Divisional application may be filed before or simultaneously with appealing with CPD

32. Final Rejection RU Filing Date Decision of Rejection Lack of Inventive level Deadline for Appeal Utility Model Divisional Decision of Grant

33. Final Rejection in EAGoing Russian Way Confirmation of Rejection by President EA Filing Date Decision of Rejection 6 months RU Filing Date 3 + 1 years

34. Laid-open Publication & File History RU & EA Formal examination completed Application is pending Laid- open Publication Patent Publication Provisional Protection File History: Application form Specification Drawings Claims Amendments Patent Protection File History: Application form Specification Drawings Claims Amendments All Correspondence (Official Actions, responses etc.) Only in RU

35. Third Party Observation No stipulations in the legislation RU EA Examination request may be filed only by Applicant No third Party Observation No way out: just monitor examination results • Third party may file: • 1. Examination request + patentability bar references • Applicant will be informed • No obligation for Examiner to inform third party on course and results of examination • 2. Request for search + patentability bar references • Search report will be sent to third party after laid-open publication • Preferable policy: submit and monitor examination results

36. After Grant Amendments RU + EA • Evident and technical errors • Not stipulated • Scope changing amendments • Reissue & Reexamination • Way out: Filing Appeal against your own Patent • Strongly not recommended in RU • Not possible in EA

37. Right of Post-Reinstatement Use EA RU Right of Post-reinstatement Use t Early termination date Patent reinstatement date Date of Patent Grant Patent Validity Term

38. Right of Post-Reinstatement Use Right of Post-Reinstatement Use – is provided for those persons and entities which after early termination of a patent but before its reinstatement • used invention protected by this patent, or • made necessary arrangements for such use • Entity enjoying Right of Post-reinstatement use • May use invention without remuneration to assignee • Without enlarging scope of such use • Only on the territory of the Contracting State where such prior use took place and which law allows it RU EA EA

39. Patent validity terms EA RU • Inventions Patent is granted for 20 years but the term can be extended for maximum 5 years for medicals, pesticides, agrochemicals • Utility models Patent is granted for 10 years with possible extension for extra 3 years RU

40. Trends RU EA US & EP Examination Results are often used Amicable & swift ? Indefinite feature  lack of Industrial Applicability Sometimes “new matter” features are proposed by Examiners • US & EP Examination Results are often used • > 50%  First Official Action is Decision of Grant • Litigation matters increase in near future

41. Filings

42. Thank you Sergey Dorofeev Patent Attorney Partner Gorodissky & Partners BolshayaSpasskaya str., 25, stroenie 3 Moscow 129090 Russia phone: +7(495) 937 1156 fax: +7(495) 937 6104/6123 e-mail: dorofeevS@gorodissky.ru http://www.gorodissky.com