Category: European Union

Unified Patent Court judges concerned over UK court order threatening them with imprisonment — but could it also become risky for UK judges to visit the EU?

November 15, 2025

The antisuit injunction Amazon obtained last month against InterDigital’s efforts to defend its enforcement actions against foreign interference could be interpreted as a direct threat against UPC and German judges.
U.S. deputy antitrust chief: EU Commission’s comfort letter to Licensing Negotiation Group “concerning and unusual”, irreconcilable with competition law principles

October 10, 2025

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay gave strong and clear answers to questions from the audience, including ip fray, at a hybrid SEP conference today.
UPC shake-up: renowned German judge Dr. Georg Werner appointed to Munich LD as new third panel of Court of Appeal launched

October 10, 2025

Dr. George Werner, of the Munich I Regional Court, has been newly appointed as a judge at the Unified Patent Court’s Munich Local Division, while a new third panel of the UPC’s Court of Appeal – presided over by Ms. Ulrike Voss (“Voß” in German) – will launch in January 2026.
European Commission’s competition watchdogs present patent pool-related market power theory that makes zero sense

October 4, 2025

DG COMP’s market power theory concerning SEP pools has no support in logic, reason, fact or the case law of the European Court of Justice.
Samsung, Headwater settle wireless patent dispute

September 15, 2025

Samsung and Headwater Research have settled a two-year patent infringement dispute.
Pharma and Biotech Patent Litigation Summit Europe returns in 2026: rebranded event features tech industry track, UPC litigation forum

September 11, 2025

Kisaco Research’s annual Pharma and Biotech Patent Litigation Summit Europe will take place from January 19 to January 21 in the Beurs van Berlage, Amsterdam, with ip fray as an official media partner.
An interview with Bayer’s outgoing head of IP Dr. Jörg Thomaier, new head Dorian Immler

August 4, 2025

Following three decades at Bayer, Dr. Jörg Thomaier is retiring as head of IP, super confident that his replacement Dorian Immler will have the energy and drive to make the changes that the department needs to keep prospering.
IP Europe, Nokia welcome definitive withdrawal of EU SEP Regulation

July 31, 2025

Apparently the formal withdrawal of the proposed EU regulation on standard-essential patents already happened weeks ago, and its publication is now imminent.
EU Commission issues comfort letter to Automotive Licensing Negotiation Group: officially policy-driven competition (non)-enforcement

July 9, 2025

Context: About a year ago, the Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartel Office (FCO) of Germany) granted what we called an unprecedented cartel clearance to an Automotive Licensing Negotiation Group (ALNG) for standard-essential patents (SEPs) consisting mainly of the three major German automotive groups (June 10, 2024 ip fray article). Pool administrators and SEP holders doubt that an…
Podcast: interview with ETSI director-general Jan Ellsberger on focus beyond telecoms, including AI, quantum

June 30, 2025

The European Telecommunication Standards Institute (ETSI) is an independent not-for-profit body dedicated to ICT standardization that addresses market needs expressed by more than 900 ETSI members located in well over 60 countries around the world, while at the same time developing standards in support of the EU legislation. On the occasion of the recording of…