Search for patents on your mobile

You can now conduct a patent search in the EPO's databases - the world's largest free collection of technical information - on the move, using your smartphone, as the EPO has added mobile beta versions of Espacenet and the European Patent Register to its small-screen optimised website, m.epo.org.

Launched in 2014, the mobile website concentrates on the services and information that users told us they would need on the move.

The inclusion of patent search fulfils a key user requirement. In a recent online survey almost 70% of users said they would like a mobile version of Espacenet and nearly 60% said they would like the European Patent Register added to the mobile website.

We've made the search experience as similar as possible to the desktop versions, but the mobile version is leaner and more streamlined. We provide basic searches, which work like "Smart search", and advanced searches, where you can combine criteria.

There are some limits. Currently, we can display no more than 100 search results, but we do let you know that there are more so that you can refine your query to find those that are most relevant.

In terms of data, since we use Open Patent Services (OPS) in the background, the collection is large, but not quite as large as in Espacenet. However, all the data available in the desktop European Patent Register is also available via the mobile search. The amount of data you can download daily is subject to the same limits as in the desktop versions.-EPO

Singapore ready as ASEAN's first International Authority in patent search and examination

From 1 September 2015, local and global businesses and inventors may fast track their applications for patent protection in multiple markets via Singapore, as the nation begins operations as ASEAN’s first International Patent Search and Examination Authority under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

2.       Administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the treaty enables innovators and businesses to seek patent protection in 148 countries through a single international patent application. Singapore is the fifth in Asia (after China, India, Japan and Korea) and joins a select group of 19 IP offices worldwide that have been appointed as International Authorities for the PCT.

3.       Patent applicants to Vietnam, Mexico, Brunei, Japan and Laos will be the first to gain access to Singapore’s new service offerings as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) in the coming months. These arrangements were set out under bilateral agreements signed this week at Asia's premier intellectual property event, IP Week @ SG 2015.

4.       Singapore is positioned to be a choice PCT application destination due to its responsiveness, with a first office action turnaround time of around 60 days for most cases. This compares with two to three years of waiting time for similar responses from other IP offices. Patent applicants could also enjoy rebates of up to 75% when making a PCT application through IPOS. Singaporean businesses and inventors, in particular, will benefit from the ease and cost-effectiveness of filing locally to enter the PCT system. This arrangement is expected to immediately benefit some 1,000 PCT applications originating in Singapore yearly that were previously  filed through other IP offices. These applications may now be filed through IPOS. 

5.       Mr Ng Kok Wan, Executive Director of IPOS-International, said, “Singapore has made steady progress since our appointment as an International Authority in patent search and examination last year. Working with IP offices across the world and WIPO, we are able to offer businesses and inventors quicker and more affordable access to the global patent system. This is yet another step towards building a creative and innovative Singapore with IP.”- IPOS

TPP and Its effect on Intellectual Property - based on preliminary report

The Trans-Pacific Partnership was concluded on Monday in USA by 12 pacific countries including Malaysia. The pact aims to create the world largest trade pact which signifies 40% of world trade. According to Wall Street Journal and New Zealand Herald, these are the effect of TPP:

Copyright Term for Copyright Work and Authors Right
Malaysia's existing term for copyright work of 50 years, in line with World Intellectual Property Organization's Berne Convention, need to be extended to 70 years. Currently, USA and many developed countries provide 70 years of copyright protection. Hence, copyright work involving movies and sound recording may enjoy 70 years or protection. Authors may enjoy authors right up to 70 years after the death of author.

Patent Term for Medicine
Existing term for patent of 20 years can be extended if the approval process is taking too long. Biologic drugs can enjoy 5 years extension according to New Zealand Herald. Wall Street Journal reported that biologic drugs can enjoy 8 years extension.

These provisions are based on preliminary report and do not take immediate effect. Each member states can comply with TPP after a certain time frame. Note that Malaysia which needs to accede to Madrid Protocol this year have not change its national trademark law.

Intellectual property as new source of wealth

Malaysia must work harder to make intellectual property its new source of wealth, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

“We must double our efforts to boost the non-traditional economic activities. As a high income nation, we need to ensure our economy remains competitive and, to do so, we must look at growth that is based on intangible assets,” said Najib.

Having this in mind would encourage people to explore their own ingenuity and creativity to churn out creations of high commercial value, he said at the National Intellectual Property 2015 award presentation at the Putra World Trade Centre.

This, he said, was also in line with the Government’s aspiration to ensure Malaysia continued to be com­petitive and, in order to do so, intellectual property could be used as the country’s new wealth creation.

The Prime Minister said Malay­sians should emulate countries which had successfully created new wealth through innovative creations, citing South Korea as an example of a nation which had successfully done this.

He said South Korea’s success was not only limited to intellectual property related to technology and telecommunications but also in the creative industry through films and the phenomenal K-pop.

The Prime Minister said that as a diverse nation, Malaysia too should further boost its export on arts, culture and creative works. - The Star

Google's look, evolved

Google has changed a lot over the past 17 years—from the range of our products to the evolution of their look and feel. And today we’re changing things up once again:

 So why are we doing this now? Once upon a time, Google was one destination that you reached from one device: a desktop PC. These days, people interact with Google products across many different platforms, apps and devices—sometimes all in a single day. You expect Google to help you whenever and wherever you need it, whether it’s on your mobile phone, TV, watch, the dashboard in your car, and yes, even a desktop!

Today we’re introducing a new logo and identity family that reflects this reality and shows you when the Google magic is working for you, even on the tiniest screens. As you’ll see, we’ve taken the Google logo and branding, which were originally built for a single desktop browser page, and updated them for a world of seamless computing across an endless number of devices and different kinds of inputs (such as tap, type and talk). - Google

LES Asia Pacific Regional Conference 2015

6th LES Asia Pacific regional conference 2015- all the latest advances in the commercialisation of Intellectual Property under one roof!

September 30- October 2, 2015
Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel

Licensing Executives Society of Malaysia (LESM) is honoured to be the host for this year’s LES Asia Pacific Regional Conference 2015. LES Asia Pacific Regional Conference 2015 is always an opportunity to network, exchange ideas and build international contacts.

The Conference Program

Game-changers see something that others don’t. They adopt a different strategy and compete by changing the rules of the game in the industry. Expert keynote speakers and industry players will explore different dimensions of what it takes to be a game-changer, how to implement a successful licensing strategy, with dedicated panel sessions and workshops focusing on the survival of a brand, the powering of innovation through patent protection and licensing strategies and the maximisation of the business of intellectual property across different jurisdictions. We look forward to your participation in this exciting event in one or more of the following roles: conference sponsor, exhibitor and/or participant.

For any inquiry about the conference, please visit http://www.lesm.org.my/
or contact us at secretariat@lesm.org.my

KPDNKK Needs To Be Caring Ministry - Hamzah Zainuddin

The Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism Ministry (KPDNKK) needs to be a caring ministry to regain public confidence and trust in the ministry, says its new minister Datuk Hamzah Zainudin.

He said the ministry's personnel must ensure that the goal could be achieved by making all the 30 million consumers in the country as stakeholders.

"Ensure that these consumers benefit from everything determined by the ministry in the interest of all levels of society," he said after the handing-over of duty to him by his predecessor Datuk Seri Hasan Malek, here, today.

He said the biggest challenge to be tackled by the ministry was the public's negative perception of the ministry, especially by the social media.

Hamzah said he was also reminded of this by this predecessor Hasan before handing over the duty of helming the ministry to him.

"Whatever we do, even good, is not being highlighted by them. They only harp on negatives," he said.

Hamzah said Hasan was committed to his work and was still reminding him on certain issues that had not been resolved yet by the ministry although the latter was no longer heading the ministry. - Bernama

Mosti Approves RM3.82 Million For Research, Development And Commercialisation Projects

TRONOH -- The Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovations has approved 6,278 research, development and commercialisation projects with an allocation of RM3.82 million under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) and the Tenth Malaysia Plan (10MP), as of June 30.

Deputy minister Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah said of that, 1,712 projects were approved through the 10MP with funds worth RM924.06 million while 4,566 projects were approved in the 9MP with funds of RM2,896.75 million.

"A total of 3,906 projects were completed under the 9MP while 495 projects under the 10MP so far.

"During the 10MP from 2011 until June 30 this year, 474 intellectual properties were produced with RM602.53 million in sales, while 63 projects were commercialized," he said.

He was speaking to Bernama after officiating the closing ceremony of the 35th Science and Engineering Design Exhibition (SEDEX35) at the Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP) Chancellor Complex here Thursday.

The competition comprised five categories - the Open Innovation Challenge, Postgraduate Research, Engineering Team Project, Final Year Project and Young Inventors Challenge.

Project director Lye Kelvin said the competition was aimed at discovering new talent especially among students in science and innovation sector, to resolve global issues in the future.

A total of 175 groups comprising UTP students, schoolchildren and the public participated in the competition which was held yesterday and today. - BERNAMA

Ford Opens Portfolio of Patented Technologies to Competitors

* In 2014, Ford filed for 400-plus electrified vehicle patents – more than 20 percent of the total patents the company applied for last year


DEARBORN, Mich., May 28, 2015 – Ford Motor Company is offering competitors access to its electrified vehicle technology patents – a move to help accelerate industry-wide research and development of electrified vehicles.

In 2014, Ford filed more than 400 patents dedicated to electrified vehicle technologies. This is more than 20 percent of the patents the company filed – totaling more than 2,000 applications.

“Innovation is our goal,” said Kevin Layden, director, Ford Electrification Programs. “The way to provide the best technology is through constant development and progress. By sharing our research with other companies, we will accelerate the growth of electrified vehicle technology and deliver even better products to customers.”

Ford Motor Company is a leader in this area – offering six hybrid or fully electrified vehicles including Ford Focus Electric, Ford Fusion Hybrid, Ford Fusion Energi plug-in hybrid, Ford C-MAX Hybrid, Ford C-MAX Energi plug-in hybrid and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid. In total, Ford has more than 650 electrified vehicle patents and approximately 1,000 pending patent applications on electrified vehicle technologies.

Ford’s innovations have resulted in acclaimed electrified vehicles on the road today, but the company believes sharing its patented technologies will promote faster development of future inventions as all automakers look toward greater opportunities.

“As an industry, we need to collaborate while we continue to challenge each other,” said Layden. “By sharing ideas, companies can solve bigger challenges and help improve the industry.”

To access Ford’s patents and published patent applications, interested parties can contact the company’s technology commercialization and licensing office, or work through AutoHarvest – an automaker collaborative innovation and licensing marketplace. AutoHarvest allows members to showcase capabilities and technologies, then privately connect with fellow inventors to explore technology and business development opportunities of mutual interest. The patents would be available for a fee.

“Ford helped launch AutoHarvest as a founding member to enable efficient and transparent technology licensing across the automotive industry and beyond,” said Bill Coughlin, president and CEO, Ford Global Technologies, which manages intellectual property for Ford.

As part of Ford’s increased focus on new and innovative technologies, the automaker is set to hire an additional 200 electrified vehicle engineers this year as the team moves into a newly dedicated facility – Ford Engineering Laboratories – home to Henry Ford’s first labs in Dearborn.

Available Ford electrified vehicle patents

Here are some of Ford’s electrified vehicle patents available for competitors to purchase:

* Method and Apparatus for Battery Charge Balancing, patent No. US5764027: The patent covers passive cell balancing: discharging a cell through a resistor to lower the state of charge to match other cells. This innovation extends battery run time and overall life. This is the first invention to enable battery balancing at any time, instead of only while charging, and it enables the use of lithium-ion batteries in electrified vehicles. It was invented long before lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles became commonplace – truly ahead of its time.

* Temperature Dependent Regenerative Brake System for Electric Vehicle, patent No. US6275763: The technology works to maximize the amount of energy recaptured in a hybrid vehicle through regenerative braking. By improving the interplay between normal friction brakes and regenerative braking during stopping at certain air temperatures, a driver is able to recapture more energy than previously possible, helping the motorist drive farther on a charge.

* Driving Behavior Feedback Interface, patent No. US8880290: The patent provides a system and method for monitoring driver inputs such as braking and accelerating, and vehicle parameters including energy consumption to assess driving behavior. The feedback can be used to coach future driving behavior that may translate into better long-term driving habits and improve fuel economy. This technology also has enabled drivers of non-electrified vehicles, such as a Ford Focus, to develop better driving habits.

- Ford Motor Company

Target To Commercialise 360 High Impact R&D Products (11MP)

KUALA LUMPUR - Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin is optimistic the target to commercialise 360 high impact research and development (R&D) products can be achieved by 2020.

He said the decision to expand the scope of pre-commercialisation funds under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Mosti) was timely in helping more R&D products enter the market.

"Under the 11th Malaysia Plan (11MP), the government targeted to shift to a much higher level in Science Technology Innovation (STI) dominance with more effective outcome through programmes that would focus on R&D that had the traits of a 'game changer'.

"11MP strategies, namely the Malaysian National Development, is based on people oriented economy that stresses on enhancing the people's welfare and an economy that is based on a model that focuses on achieving a high income," he said when speaking at the National Innovation Awards (AIN) 2015 presentation here tonight.

Also present were Science, Teknology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin and Education Ministry secretary-general Tan Sri Dr. Madinah Mohamad.

Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, said Mosti's move to expand the fund scope so as to finance the Mosti Social Innovation or MSI, namely developing or implementing ideas in the form of products, services or models to fulfil social requirements was very welcome.

"Hence I wish to suggest that Mosti expands AIN starting from next year to include social innovation.

"Also in taking into account the vital role of the media in empowering STI national agenda, I suggest that Mosti from next year sets up a special category under AIN to appreciate journalists or media who have also contributed to the national STI agenda," he said.

The ninth AIN is held in conjunction with the National Innovation Exhibition and Convention 2015.

At the function, Muhyiddin presented AIN in four categories - Product, Services, Grassroots and School.

He also presented the National Youth Scientist award and National Technologist award in recognition of contributions and achievements in leading Malaysia's science, technology and innovation research.

The National Youth Scientist award was won by Associate Prof Dr Sharifah Rafidah Wan Alwi from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and the National Technologist award by Adz Jamros Razali from Universiti Teknologi Petronas (UTP).

This year AIN received 709 participation compared to only 430 last year. -Bernama

New Office in TPM

Dear colleagues

We would like to inform that as of March 16, 2015 we have moved to a
new office premise in Technology Park Malaysia, Malaysia's premier
science park which facilitate the growth of innovation and technology
based companies. Kindly take note of our new address, telephone and
fax number.

Boon IP Enterprise
10-2 Resource Centre,
Technology Park Malaysia,
Bukit Jalil,
57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-8992 3191 Fax: +603-8992 3050

If you have any question, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Yours truly
Dennis

How to Identify Genuine Milo Packaging

Milo Malaysia issued the following guide on how to identify genuine Milo packaging over fake Milo packaging.

Coca-Cola Bottle Turns 100

See the Coca-Cola bottle's iconic shape lit in the darkness by a flaming red cap. Curves you’d recognize in the dark.



An epic tale about the creation of the Coca-Cola bottle, was narrated by a big brother to his younger sibling. The bottle travels through distant lands and curious settings, captivating the boy’s imagination. It is through this journey that the bottle obtains its unique features -- its iconic curves, its flutes and red ribbon - and gets filled with icy-cold Coca-Cola as it ends its ride back in the hands of the refreshed older brother.



The famous contour for Coca-Cola was created and patented in 1915 to thwart the efforts of copycats. The contour bottle is distinctive that it could be recognized in the dark or lying broken on the ground. Prior to the curve bottle, Coca-Cola bottlers used straight-sided bottles.

Note that design patent is used to protect the appearance of article in USA. Design patent is known as industrial design protection in Malaysia, South East Asia and Europe. After using the bottle and proving that the bottle is distinctive, the design is then protected as a trade mark.