Patents

Overview

Rapid advances in new technologies have led to a host of unique and unprecedented challenges to protecting your innovations. To stake a claim and mitigate long-term risk, you need a highly-skilled team of legal problem-solvers with extensive patent law experience and an established track record of successfully protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights worldwide.

The Gowling WLG patents team enjoys an unrivalled international reputation for industry insight and effective representation on all aspects of patent work.

From startup innovators, universities and research institutes to multi-national corporations, our patent team works to file, commercialise and enforce patents and industrial designs in a wide range of areas. With this experience, we can help you deal with any complex issue - in a language you'll understand.

We provide a full suite of prosecution-related services in Canada, China and the UAE, and contentious and transactional services in Canada, Europe, China and the UAE. In addition, we co-ordinate with our established and extensive network of associate firms to give you a truly global reach.

Responsive, dedicated, results-driven, and always client-focused, we serve as trusted advisers to the most sophisticated and exacting innovators in the world - providing protection and strategies to help you achieve success.

Our patents team covers:

  • Prosecution of patents and industrial designs
  • Litigation, arbitration and mediation
  • Competition
  • Licensing and transactional
  • Patent listing
  • Plant breeders' rights
  • Tax
  • Technology
  • Trade secrets and confidential information
  • Translations (China)
  • Utility models (China)

By engaging Gowling WLG, you'll be working with an award-winning group of lawyers and patent agents that has earned a reputation as the go-to team for innovators seeking iron-clad protection and enforcement/defence of their rights.

Our patent services are backed by experience covering all technology areas, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, consumer products and energy. This also includes the latest technologies, including cloud computing, wearables and nanotechnologies.

Our geographic reach enables us to co-ordinate your work through our global offices to advise on complex issues, including managing foreign filing, multi-jurisdictional litigation, licenses and other technology export requirements, sanctions, and all other compliance issues. Through our network of international associates, we also co-ordinate and direct the prosecution of patent and design applications worldwide.

Your intellectual property rights are invaluable, and Gowling WLG is the team that can protect, enforce and defend them, thereby maximising their value. To learn more about how we can help you do so, please contact us.

Canada

Rapid advances in new technologies have led to a host of unique and unprecedented challenges to protecting innovation. To confidently stake a claim and mitigate long-term risk, organizations need a highly skilled team of legal problem-solvers with extensive patent law experience and a history of successfully protecting and enforcing intellectual property rights.

Featured Insights

hand filling application Articles
Recent changes to the Canadian Patent Rules and considerations for applicants

The new Patent Rules have now come into force, and will apply to all applications for which a request for examination was made on or after October 3, 2022.

Gowling WLG's award-winning group of patent agents and patent lawyers have earned a reputation as the go-to team for those seeking ironclad protection for their most valuable innovations.

Working with domestic and international companies, universities, and research institutes, our Canadian team provides expert counsel and effective representation to successfully file, commercialize and enforce patents and industrial designs. In conducting this work, we're committed to being conscientious, responsive, results-driven and, above all, client-focused.

From startups to multinational organizations, our team has an unrivalled reputation for industry insight. Many of our legal professionals hold advanced scientific, medical and engineering degrees, which enables us to provide you with tailored, effective solutions across a broad spectrum of complex technologies.

Through our extensive network of international associates, we regularly co-ordinate and direct the prosecution of patent applications worldwide, and frequently represent leading national and global technology companies before the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO).

Our patent expertise covers:

Prosecution

  • Drafting and filing patent applications
  • Customized strategies for national and international patent prosecution
  • Patent portfolio management
  • Patent audits

Patent litigation/enforcement (contentious)

  • Opinions and counselling (validity, infringement, FTO/market clearance)
  • Competition law issues (patent misuse)
  • Arbitration and mediation
  • Alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
  • Patent disputes

Licensing and transactional

  • Patent portfolio management and monetization
  • Due diligence
  • Patent mining and mapping (landscaping)
  • Open source
  • Standard essential patents and FRAND
  • Licensing and other commercialization strategies
  • Negotiating and preparing licenses and agreements
  • M&A, purchase/sale, financing and other transactions involving IP assets

Industrial designs

Trade secrets and confidential information (NDAs)

Related patent expertise

Gowling WLG offers the right level of experience and expertise to help you realize the full value of your IP. In addition to prosecution and litigation, we can also assist you with strategies for commercialization, portfolio management and more. Our related services include:

  • Providing assistance in acquiring, developing, financing, and commercializing innovative technologies
  • Advising on tax issues that relate to acquiring or developing a patent
  • Strategic patent portfolio management: adjusting the emphasis and expense of portfolio management to match changing priorities within an innovative and evolving organization
  • Recognizing strengths and weaknesses in a portfolio, and anticipating threats and opportunities - for example, in the context of corporate mergers and acquisitions

Learn more

Your intellectual property rights are invaluable, and Gowling WLG has the right team to protect, enforce and defend them. To learn more about how we can help you do so, please contact any member of our team.

Related Insights & Resources

Chess pieces on a board On-demand webinar
05 April 2023 Lifecycle of a smart idea | Remedies for patent infringement around the world CLE/CPD:Up to 1 hour of substantive CPD credits with the LSO, the LSBC and the Barreau du Québec.

France

Our team in France has a broad range of legal experience in all fields of intellectual property (IP). We work across a wide range of sectors including technology, luxury goods and retail, health and pharmaceuticals, automotive, and manufacturing.

Appearing regularly before the French courts, we have a reputation for excellence, speed, and determination. With deep knowledge of French patent litigation procedures, we are recognised as a major player in the French market for patents and handling complex pan-European litigation and disputes, particularly those concerning the internet.

Our extensive experience in the management and enforcement of IP rights also allows us to support our clients in all aspects of non-contentious IP.

Client work

Some of our past projects include:

Awards and recognition

The French base of Gowling WLG repeatedly proves its might on knotty contentious and transactional briefs for first movers in the worlds of biotechnology, optical devices, telecommunications and blockchain. IAM Patent 1000

Céline Bey is consistently recognised in the market, with IAM Patent 1000 naming her as one of the world's leading patent professionals. The team also ranks in IAM Patent 1000 for litigation and transactions.

Contact our team in France

For further information on how we can help you with patents and IP please contact our team.

Céline Bey
Partner

Related Insights & Resources

Chess pieces on a board On-demand webinar
05 April 2023 Lifecycle of a smart idea | Remedies for patent infringement around the world CLE/CPD:Up to 1 hour of substantive CPD credits with the LSO, the LSBC and the Barreau du Québec.

Germany

Munich is a hub for the high tech and life sciences industry in Germany. Located close to the European Patent Office (EPO), the German Patent and Trademark Office (DPMA) and the Divisions of the future Unified Patent Court (UPC), international businesses can trust our Munich team when it comes to defending their patents. We represent clients' legal interests where their patent rights are infringed or where they are accused of infringing third-party patent rights. We enforce these rights in legal proceedings before the competent German and European courts.

UAE

Research and development is one of the fastest areas of commercial growth in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, as governments look to move towards knowledge economies. With this development, it means that protecting patents and innovation in the MENA region is crucial in order to obtain and maintain your commercial advantage. You need lawyers who can help you to confidently stake a claim and mitigate long-term risk. Gowling WLG is well placed to assist local and international companies who are looking to secure and commercialise innovation. Our United Arab Emirates (UAE) based intellectual property (IP) team handles patent matters throughout the MENA region, including work before the GCC Patent Office (GCCPO).

The MENA team works closely with Gowling WLG's award-winning group of patent agents and patent lawyers in Canada, China and Singapore for technical patent work, such as the drafting of patents. With the support of Gowling WLGs international patent team, we can cover all technical areas of potential interest. Across Gowling WLGs global platform, we manage tens of thousands of patent and industrial design files in over 100 countries. The global patent team combined files over 5,500 new patent applications annually.

This means Gowling WLG has rightfully earned a reputation as the go-to team for those seeking ironclad protection for their most valuable innovations in the MENA region and further afield.

Areas we cover include:

  • Patent filing and protection strategies, and IP audits
  • Patent portfolio management
  • Patent drafting
  • Industrial designs
  • Licensing and transactional
  • Patent litigation/enforcement (contentious)
  • Trade secrets and confidential information (including non-disclosure agreements (NDA))

We're a part of one of the world's most-respected IP practices. Whether you need protection in the MENA region or anywhere in the world, we work seamlessly as part of our global team, which comprises nearly 200 IP professionals.

Find out more

Protect your patents and promote your business in the UAE and wider MENA region. We're looking forward to helping you make the most of the opportunities.

UK

Rapid advances in new technologies have led to a host of unique and unprecedented challenges when protecting innovations. To stake a claim and mitigate long-term risk, you need a highly-skilled team of legal problem-solvers with extensive patent law experience and an established track record of successfully enforcing intellectual property rights worldwide.

The Gowling WLG patents team enjoys an unrivalled international reputation for industry insight and effective representation on all aspects of patent work.

From start-up innovators, universities and research institutes to multi-national corporations, our patent team works to file, commercialise and enforce patents and industrial designs in a wide range of areas. With this experience, we can help you deal with any complex issue - in a language you'll understand.

Our geographic reach enables us to co-ordinate your work through our global offices, to advise on complex, multi-jurisdictional litigation and licensing.

Our award-winning team provides contentious and transactional services in Canada, the UK, Germany, France, the United Arab Emirates, and China, and a full suite of prosecution-related services in Canada and China. In addition, we co-ordinate our established and extensive network of associate firms to give you a truly global reach.

Responsive, dedicated, results-driven, and always client-focused, we serve as trusted advisers to the most sophisticated and exacting innovators in the world - providing protection and strategies to help achieve success.

The Unified Patent Court

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is a brand new court system for owners of European Patents and Unitary Patents (UPs). With a single judgment, the court is able to determine validity and infringement of a patent across nearly all EU member states.

Gowling WLG's award winning patent litigation team draws on its extensive experience patent litigation in the UK, Germany, France and beyond to provide clients with comprehensive guidance as to the opportunities and challenges presented by this new court system.

To find out more, visit our UPC information hub.

Our UK patents team covers:

  • Litigation, arbitration and mediation
  • Licensing and transactional
  • Competition
  • Trade secrets and confidential information
  • Advice on industry standards
  • Co-ordination of and strategy for international litigation
  • Opinions on freedom to operate
  • Opinions on patentability
  • Prior art checking
  • Technology

Our patent services are backed by experience covering all technology areas, including biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, telecommunications, electronics, semiconductor manufacturing, consumer products and energy.

Your intellectual property rights are invaluable, and Gowling WLG is the team to develop your strategy for protection, protect, enforce and defend them, thereby maximising their true value. To learn more about how we can help you do so, please contact us.

Related Insights & Resources

Chess pieces on a board On-demand webinar
05 April 2023 Lifecycle of a smart idea | Remedies for patent infringement around the world CLE/CPD:Up to 1 hour of substantive CPD credits with the LSO, the LSBC and the Barreau du Québec.
On-demand webinar
04 April 2023 Managing software and AI inventions as IP