Once you decide to file a patent, you must determine what it will cover. Obviously, you need to protect your invention, but to reduce the risk of others designing around your patent in the future, you need to ensure that your patent captures the entire inventive space and not just your specific activity.

To ensure your patent catches potential infringements in the future, you must plan carefully and pay close attention to patent drafting. How is the patent's scope defined? Does the level of protection differ across jurisdictions?

On June 16 2020, members of our global intellectual property team hosted a webinar to explore the scope of patent protection across jurisdictions and learn how to draft patents with an eye to the future. Over the course of the webinar, our leading panel members highlighted key issues in patent scope that arise from the Doctrine of Equivalents. They discussed how the doctrine applies across jurisdictions and offered tips on how to use the doctrine to your advantage.

Some of the questions covered in the webinar include:

  • What are the rules for the Doctrine of Equivalents in your country? Are there any rules specific to the life sciences sector?
  • Is there anything unique about the DoE in your country?
  • Give an example of a case where the Court found infringement by reliance on the DoE.
  • What is the impact of DoE on how you approach patent drafting?

Our IP resources provide additional commentary on this webinar and easy access to knowledge you need to compete in today's global market.