The Patent Office offers a level-playing field for challenging patents before their grant. This mechanism of a Pre-grant Opposition is a legal and cost-effective option, allowing companies to avoid expensive and time consuming infringement suits being brought against them. It also provides a good way to expand business opportunities, and companies have used pre-grant opposition to effectively challenge some of the biggest drugs in history such as Glivec, Forteo, Cialis, Diovan, Iressa, Viread, Caduet, Prezista, Nexium, Hepsera, Tamiflu, etc. The Seminar will study pre-grant opposition as an option, and the Agenda for the day includes:
- General introduction on pre-grant opposition
- The mechanics of drafting, filing and contesting a pre-grant opposition
- Pre-grant opposition and the aftermath: What to do when the matter goes beyond the Patent Office
- Survey of pre-grant opposition cases decided by the Patent Office since 2005 to 2010
- Specific case studies to study the trends in pre-grant opposition
Venue: Academy of Intellectual Property Studies, Mumbai
