Phone Wars - The Empire Strikes Back?

Europe's patent landscape has shifted fast, and Chinese companies are now at the centre of it. In this episode of EIP Talks, host Xiaofan Chen, a Chinese patent attorney and head of EIP's China desk, is joined by patent litigator Sebastian Fuchs to unpack what's really happening in European patent litigation, and what it means for Chinese businesses. They cover the rise of Chinese companies as both claimants and defendants at the Unified Patent Court (UPC); how the UPC, German national courts and the UK courts each play a different strategic role, and the practical realities businesses often miss — service of process delays, security for costs, long-arm jurisdiction, and the patent risks that come with exhibiting at European trade fairs.

In this episode of EIP Talks, our panel features four experienced paralegals: Lucie Jones (Head of Client Services at EIP), Lisa Dawn Gentry, Sarah Devereux, and Sofia Jernberg. Together, they bring decades of experience from the UK, US, and Sweden, and share their diverse journeys into the world of intellectual property. The discussion centres on the evolving role of the paralegal in patent portfolio management. The team explores how the profession has shifted from being primarily attorney-directed to paralegals taking a more proactive, client-facing, and autonomous role. They discuss the impact of new certifications, such as the European Patent Administrator Certification (EPAC), and how these qualifications have boosted confidence, knowledge, and client trust.

In this episode of EIP Talks, Mark Lubbock and Ellen Keenan O'Malley, solicitors at EIP, explore the full lifecycle of intellectual property, from the initial spark of innovation to the commercialisation of ideas. They share practical insights into how EIP supports clients through the challenges of protecting, developing and monetising IP. The conversation covers how clients typically engage with EIP, the importance of identifying and securing various forms of IP, and the legal strategies needed to navigate collaborations, ownership, and licensing. It also highlights the significance of well-drafted contracts, website compliance and investor readiness. Whether you're launching a new product, entering a partnership, or preparing for investment, this episode offers valuable guidance on building a strong IP foundation and turning innovation into commercial success.

Hosted by Joshua Rozenberg, we bring you the inside story from the team behind the landmark Optis v Apple judgment—now the highest-value court-determined SEP license on record. Hear directly from Gary Moss, Chairman at EIP, Andy Sharples, Head of Litigation at EIP, and Arty Rajendra, Head of IP Disputes at Osborne Clarke, as they walk us through the issues which the case presented, the challenges, and the significance of the Court of Appeal’s decision to increase Apple’s license fee from $63.7 to over $700 million. We explore what this means for FRAND litigation, the future of SEP enforcement in the UK and how this ruling could impact global licensing dynamics.

EIP Career Talks is a special edition of EIP Talks where Chris Ball, Head of Talent Acquisition at EIP, speaks to a panel of EIPers about what it's like to build a career in the IP sector. In this episode, Chris talks to Emily Owen, Trainee Patent Attorney at EIP, about her experience during her internship with the firm.

11th February is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To bring more awareness to the gender gap that still exists in STEM but also to some positive developments towards equality, we invited two of our Patent Attorneys to talk about their experience. Listen to Natalie Falls, Senior Associate at EIP, and Rosie McDowell, Associate at EIP, talk about their journey in science and legal.

We all know that the Unitary Patent and the Unified Patent Court (UPC) is big news in the patent world. Beyond the legal updates, businesses need to know how the UPC affects them practically. How can the UPC add value, and how to manage the risks? The UPC will need a collaborative approach between litigators and prosecutors. Listen to Matthew Blaseby, European/UK patent prosecutor, and Christof Höhne, German patent litigator, work through a simple, fictional, scenario to demonstrate some of the practical considerations for the UPC.

Matthew Blaseby, European/UK patent attorney and partner at EIP, and Derk Visser, 30 year author of the well-known textbook on the EPC and 2020 winner of Managing IP’s Lifetime Achievement Award, discuss the EPC and its changes over the years. Listen to Derk’s thoughts on the following questions: “is the European Patent Office too strict?”, “how has my understanding of inventive step changed?”, and “I wish I’d understood this sooner in my study of the law” and more!

We are diverting from our usual topics for International Women’s Day. This episode of EIP Talks focuses on breaking bias, a topic that affects us all, not just women, in our everyday working life. Listen to Monika Rai, Partner at EIP, Kathleen Fox Murphy, Partner at EIP, and Arti Shah, Actress and Motivational Speaker, discuss the impact of bias in the workplace and how we can all overcome bias.

They’re back! Gary Moss, Head of Litigation at EIP, and Joshua Rozenberg, Legal Commentator, discuss the government’s open consultation on the Standard Essential Patent framework. Listen now to hear Gary’s thoughts on what really underlies this and his hopes and fears as to where this might lead.