Patents & Intellectual Property in the Life Sciences and ...€¦ · Nespresso – brief history 1976: Nespresso system patent filed. 1982: Focus on restaurant and office market

Patents Trademarks Designs Patents Trademarks Designs

Patents & Intellectual Property in

the Life Sciences and Food sector

Workshop, 13 October 2015

Patents Trademarks Designs

Roelie Kingma, PhD

Mark Jolink, PhD

• European and Dutch patent attorneys

• Advisors in IP/patent matters

Food & Life Sciences office of EP&C in Utrecht

[email protected] [email protected]


Agenda

• Patents in the news

• How patents can work for you

• How to decide on patenting your idea

• How to recognize new inventions

• Questions at any point!


In the news

Wereldwijd proberen grote zaadbedrijven de macht over onze groente te krijgen. Zo zegt

Monsanto, een Amerikaanse multinational, dat ze een broccoli hebben uitgevonden die

makkelijker te oogsten is. Monsanto, producent van bestrijdingsmiddelen, genetisch

gemodificeerde gewassen en 's werelds grootste zaadbedrijf wil de rechten van deze

broccoli exclusief claimen, oftewel patenteren. Deze methode is omstreden,

wetenschappers en politici maken zich zorgen. Wat betekent het voor onze

voedselzekerheid als multinationals de baas worden over onze groente? Zembla

onderzoekt de Monsanto methode.

De Monsanto Methode


De Monsanto methode


New crops often made by

crossing with CWR

Solanum habrochaites

Tomato wild relative Solanum

habrochaites is an example of a

species containing useful genetic

diversity that is not visible to the eye.

This species, whose fruits do not turn

red with ripeness, unexpectedly

provided new genes for significantly

improving fruit color in cultivated

varieties. Also hidden within its genes

were traits for improving total yield and

the soluble solids content of tomatoes.


Crop improvements

- Disease resistance

- Pest resistance

- Yield

- Tolerance to abiotic stress (drought, heat, salt, wind,…)

- Moisture content

- Easy to harvest …..


Patentability of plants

EPO (Art. 53(b)):

“European patents shall not be granted in

respect of:

plant or animal varieties or essentially biological

processes for the production of plants or

animals...”

Are plants obtainable by crossing and selection

patentable?


EPO G2/12 and G2/13

The exclusion of essentially biological processes

for the production of plants in Art. 53(b) does not

have a negative effect on the patentability of plants

per se.


US/AU developments

• Patenting natural products and diagnostic

methods very difficult in US (and also AU?)

– Genes

– Proteins

– Chemical compounds isolated from plants

– Pharmaceutical formulation comprising isolated

protein/compound

– Antibodies?

– Diagnostic methods


How patents can work for you

Patenting contributes to higher profit margins in

both large firms as in SMEs

(Andries and Faems; 2013 Journal of Product

Innovation Management)



Prevent competitors from copying your invention

Protect your knowledge in collaborations/co-

opetition



Add value to the company / attract investors

Create a source of royalty income

Use “patent pending” as a marketing tool

http://tacticalip.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/patent_pending.png


Examples of food inventions

Products Packaging

Additives Processes

(molecule preventing fat absorption)

http://www.redorbit.com/media/uploads/2004/10/0_9168357bc0390d658579541ec3fce087.jpg



• A patent is the right to stop others from using

an invention

For a fixed period (20 years), and per country

• The goal of the patent system is to stimulate

innovation and improvement of technology


Existing basic patent

Composition with A

However…

• Patents are not an authorization to exploit the

invention yourself!

Your specific patent

Composition with A + B

You need permission to use A

Owner of the basic patent

needs your permission

to use A + B


Patents can be extremely useful in a

differentiation business strategy

“We want to develop unique products for different

consumer segments”

Examples:

- Becel pro-activ

- Bolletje “beschuit” with indentation

- Nespresso


The Nespresso case – how to maintain

sustainable competitive advantage


Nespresso – brief history

1976: Nespresso system patent filed.

1982: Focus on restaurant and office market.

1986: Separate Nespresso SA company formed.

1988: New CEO overhauls marketing strategy.

1991: Nespresso launched internationally.

1997: First advertising campaigns started.

1998: Focus on ecommerce with web site redesign.

2006: George Clooney retained as spokesperson.

2008: Sales 2000-8 average 35% yearly and attain $1.9

billion.

2012: Extend market with cheaper coffeemakers.

2013: 30% of the world's 2,400 Michelin-starred

restaurants use Nespresso.


Nespresso business strategy:

differentiation

• Luxury single-serve coffee machine for wealthy

households

• Nespresso machines sold for between EUR

100-600

• Coffee pods exclusively sold in selected stores

(non-supermarket) and online through the

Nespresso website

• Price of pods 7-8 times the price of Columbian

ground coffee in a French supermarket. Pods

cost about EUR 0,35-0,39 apiece for espresso.


Nespresso core competencies

Importance of innovation and R&D is highlighted!


Nespresso patenting strategies

• Over 100 patent families protect (parts of) machines and associated

capsules/pods

• Capsule already described in patent published in ‘70s

• European patent (filed in 2004) claimed:

• Sale of capsule for insertion into a device for extraction falling within

the ambit of claim 1 was contributory infringement? According to

Nespresso: YES.

• Legal actions in many jurisdictions including UK, NL, DE against

parties marketing coffee capsules marketed as being compatible

with Nespresso machines


Nespresso - conclusion

• Combination of clever business model and

patenting delivered sustainable competitive

advantage for many years

• Nespresso meanwhile has built a loyal customer

base

• Sales have been growing at an average of 30

percent per year over the past 10 years

Strategy has been highly successful


How to decide on patenting your

idea

Case-specific considerations

Patentability (discuss with patent attorney)

Product margins vs. patent costs

Long product life cycle

Relatively easy to determine infringement

No (or few) feasible alternatives for the invention


How to decide on patenting your

idea

Timing!

• Before publishing about the invention!

• When a proof of concept is ready

DO: obtain proof of concept of your idea!


How to recognize your

inventions

Inventions you are not aware of….

• Inventions are technical solutions to problems

DO: consider which problems you solved!


Example case Your company is the first to find that a known bio-

degradable polymer X can be made transparent by using

production technology Y.

Further, it is believed that the addition of the known

additive Z will also allow production of products with very

sharp edges. This property may be used to enhance the

performance of polymer knives and forks.

What is/are the possible inventions here?

What would be your patent filing strategy?


Example case Possible inventions:

Transparant biodegradable biopolymer X obtainable by

Y

Use of additive Z for making biodegradable biopolymer

suitable to result in products with sharper edges; and

composition comprising the polymer and additive Z.

Patent filing strategy?

Transparant polymer: immediately!

Use of additive Z: after proof of concept!

Always consult an IP expert for advice!


Please contact us with any questions:

[email protected]

[email protected]

or take a tour on www.epc.nl

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.epc.nl/


Extra slide: Inventions but not

patentable Europe:

• Methods for treatment of human or animal by surgery or

therapy

• Diagnostic method practiced on human or animal

• Inventions against ‘ordre public’ or morality

• Plant or animal varieties or essentially biological

processes for the production of plants or animals

USA:

• Genes / natural materials

• Certain diagnostic methods

Documents

Patents & Intellectual Property in the Life Sciences and ...€¦ · Nespresso – brief history 1976: Nespresso system patent filed. 1982: Focus on restaurant and office market