Archive

Season's greetings

May your heart be light and your days be merry this holiday season. From all of us at Hepp Wenger Ryffel, warmest wishes for a joyful holiday season!

iam Patent 1000

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2023 edition of iam patent 1000:

“An excellent firm, Hepp Wenger Ryffel is home to some of the best patent attorneys in Switzerland.” Capitalising on technically diverse practitioners, the group is an asset to those seeking detail- and solutions-oriented assistance, especially with local and foreign grant procedures, as well as infringement and invalidity matters. “A pleasure to collaborate with, Christoph Müller has great mechanical engineering know-how.” Serving as a part-time judge at the Swiss Federal Patent Court, he is called on by those in the medical technology, information technology and electrical engineering sectors. A coordinator of choice for multi-jurisdictional litigation assignments, Müller has collaborated with colleagues in Germany, France, Great Britain and the United States. Also on deck is mechanical engineer Susanna Ruder, who demonstrates vast experience in various prosecution services. She is regularly enlisted by those in the transportation, optical, construction and medical consumer goods industries. Ruder has been representing a leading Swiss railway company in a series of oppositions before the European Patent Office (EPO). “Seasoned patent attorney Andreas Welch has an immensely meticulous approach to each and every case.” Combining over two decades of experience in patents and time at a major pharmaceuticals company, Welch supports chemical and pharmaceutical clients. Most notably, he has provided litigation support as a local representative to Mepha, a member of Teva Group, in a multinational infringement dispute. Martin Wilming’s expertise covers a spectrum of fields, from food technology to mechanical engineering. His guidance is sought out for various opposition proceedings before the EPO and during infringement disputes. “He utilises his in-depth knowledge to publish a blog, which is widely deemed to be a bible for those interested in up-to-the-minute information on Swiss Federal Patent Court case law.” 

New visiting address

We have moved our reception and meeting rooms and are now welcoming our guests at Löwenstrasse 4. Parking spaces for visitors are available directly in front of the building.

We are looking forward to your next visit!

Our postal address (Friedtalweg 5) remains unchanged.

iam Patent 1000

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2022 edition of iam patent 1000:

“Unanimously hailed by the market as the 'top patent prosecution firm in the country', Hepp Wenger Ryffel is in hot demand for its services, with SMEs, multinational corporations and law firms turning to it for robust support across the industry spectrum. The group recently grew in size too, with the acquisition of Dr. Graf & Partner, which not only added further depth to its bench, but expanded its client roster too. In the life sciences Martin Wilming is a total stand-out. 'He is an exceptional attorney', rhapsodises one peer. 'Martin is incredibly active, super experienced and extremely hard-working. His knowledge base is broad, but deep, and his keen analyses of court judgments, which he presents on his blog, are of great value to everyone on the market.' In the medical technology field, Christoph Müller is one of the best. He has a knack for explaining complex technical arguments in a way that is easy to understand, and his experience handling cases in Switzerland, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the United States is an added bonus. For chemical and pharmaceutical companies, Andreas Welch is the dream patent attorney; he holds extensive in-house experience, a PhD in organic chemistry and is hard to compete with in terms of technical ability. Bringing her expertise in mechanical engineering to the table is Susanna Ruder, whose time working for a Swiss industrial company brings an added dimension to her practice. She is appreciated by industry heavyweights for her no-nonsense yet friendly approach."

Season's greetings

Whatever is beautiful. Whatever is meaningful. Whatever brings you happiness. May it be yours this holiday season and throughout the coming year.

iam Patent 1000

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2021 edition of iam Patent 1000:

“Hands down the best patent attorney firm in Switzerland”, Hepp Wenger Ryffel is home to some of the most distinguished practitioners in the country: “They are reliable, precise and follow every legal development, both at home and across Europe, which means you can bounce ideas off them; the collaboration is exceptional.” A stand-out for his work in the medical technology field, Christoph Müller “has an incredibly sharp understanding of the technical issues, thinks strategically and never loses sight of the bigger picture. He communicates complex technical issues in a way that is easy to understand, even for those unfamiliar with the field”. With an affinity for biochemistry and the life sciences, Martin Wilming is “quick, responsive and a creative thinker, with an outstanding feel for clients’ commercial interests. He is also an influential member of the community – his IP blog is highly regarded by everyone you meet”. He and Andreas Welch recently coordinated the worldwide patent applications for a listed biotechnology company. “Highly skilled, efficient and a great team player, Andreas is also my first choice for litigation support,” enthuses one peer. The praise continues to flow in for mechanical engineering ace Susanna Ruder: “She impresses with her legal skills and provides excellent services when drafting and filing vital applications. Her empathy, professionalism and attention to detail make her a fantastic asset. She is not only a nice person, but also a reliable, down-to-earth attorney.”

We are growing!

Hepp Wenger Ryffel AG is taking over Dr. Graf & Partner AG.

Learn more here.

Season's greetings

A very challenging year is coming to an end. May the next year be a better one for all of us. Our best wishes for 2021. We hope you have a good start to the New Year.

iam Patent 1000

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2020 edition of iam Patent 1000:

“One of the elite patent attorney groups in Switzerland and internationally, Hepp Wenger Ryffel is an obvious choice for prosecution and technical support in the most challenging cases. They are wonderfully responsive, incredibly skilled across all areas and combine it all into a cost-effective package.” Christoph Müller is a key player in the medical technology field and a repository of trust for the likes of Abbott Laboratories. “Christoph provides in-depth analyses of complicated issues very quickly – he is able to explain complex engineering points well and can respond to counterarguments on the spot.” Colleague Martin Wilming never misses a legal development and “performs outstandingly in court, where he can rebut any argument that is thrown at him. He is a great partner to have – he is efficient, on time and finds creative paths that lead to a successful outcome”. He recently linked up with Andreas Welch to assist Polymetrix in US proceedings. “A go-to for pharmaceutical matters”, Welch brings valuable industry insight and a keen sense for managing global litigation to the table. IAM Patent 1000 newcomer Susanna Ruder “leaves peers in awe of her mechanical engineering and legal skillset. She always looks out for clients’ best interests and is a pleasure to collaborate with.”

Covid-19 outbreak

The novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is spreading pandemically, and disruptions to public life are omnipresent.

We have taken suitable measures to protect our employees and slow down the pandemic in general, incl. work from home to the extent possible. We have suspended meetings in person until further notice and use webconferencing systems instead. You can reach us as usual by e-mail, telephone and fax.

Managing IP Awards 2020

The festive season goes on. It is not only that IAM recognized our firm as Swiss Prosecution Firm of the Year in January, Managing IP did the very same now at the Managing IP Awards 2020 of March 5, 2020 in London:

Global IP Awards 2020

We feel honored to be recognised as Switzerland's Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year 2020, the second time in a row.

The Global IP Awards were hosted by the IP and Data Division of Law Business Research, which publishes IAM and World Trademark Review (WTR), the world’s leading intellectual property intelligence, analysis and data platforms. They recognise outstanding achievement in IP litigation, prosecution and transactional work during 2019. 

We say 'Thank you' and will surely continue to give our best to contribute to our client's business success. Their success is our success!

IAM Global Leaders 2020

The brand-new IAM Global Leaders 2020 publication of IAM is out now.

We are honored that Christoph Müller and Martin Wilming have qualified for inclusion in this exclusive list, and we are grateful for all the kind words with which clients and peers have apparently acknowledged our work in the IAM interviews.

Martin has contributed a Q&A about hot IP topics in Switzerland; see here.

Season's greetings

Our best wishes for 2020. We hope you have a good start to the New Year.

iam Patent 1000

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2019 edition of iam Patent 1000:

A gilt-edged adviser on matters of all hues, Hepp Wenger Ryffel is 'one of the best firms in Switzerland, for both contentious and non-contentious work. Enormously experienced, impressively responsive and with excellent knowledge in all technical areas, it is the obvious choice for many.' With clients of the calibre of Teva trusting the firm with Swiss infringement matters, Hepp Wenger Ryffel can claim to possess one of the very best courtroom offerings in the country. Meanwhile, the technically versatile outfit’s prosecution patrons traverse a range of fields, including food processing, medical devices, railways, dentistry and polymer manufacturing. All-sector European patent attorney Martin Wilming is widely admired by the market for his 'technical understanding', 'deep insight' and 'hands-on nature'. He also writes a blog on IP litigation which is spoken of by many peers as 'an absolute must-read, the best blog of its kind in Switzerland'. Of counsel René Wenger is a European and Swiss patent attorney with an outstanding aptitude for drafting, opposition and appeal proceedings and litigation support across a broad spectrum of mechanical engineering areas. Christoph Müller also manoeuvres around the mechanical and electrical engineering landscape, with a special emphasis on medical technology. 'He is easy to work with, responsive and has a natural feel for international case coordination. Christoph is brilliant. He is incredibly knowledgeable, gives clear-cut and hands-on advice, has excellent strategic skills and possesses the ability to phrase arguments perfectly under severe time pressure.' Organic chemist Andreas Welch cut his teeth at a major pharmaceutical player before joining Hepp Wenger Ryffel; he is described as being 'excellent in the life sciences arena – very thorough, and a premier choice for pharmaceutical cases'.

Global IP Awards 2019

We feel honored to be recognised as Switzerland's Patent Attorney Firm of the Year 2019.

The Global IP Awards recognise outstanding achievement of "a truly outstanding line-up of elite law and attorney firms", said Joff Wild, editor in chief of the IP Media Group:

“The work they do can often make the difference between clients’ business success and failure, so we believe it is only right that those who consistently make the right calls at the right time are recognised for their professionalism and expertise." 

We say 'Thank you' and will surely continue to give our best to contribute to our client's business success!

Season's greetings

Our best wishes for 2019. We hope you have a good start to the New Year.

[not available in English language]

Wir möchten mit Ihnen anstossen.

Am 5. Februar 2019 laden wir unsere Mandanten herzlich zum Apéro ein, um unsere neuen, zusätzlichen Räumlichkeiten an der Löwenstrasse 4 (neben dem bisherigen Standort) einzuweihen.

Davor begrüssen wir Sie gerne im Hof zu Wil zu unserem Mandanten-Seminar «Patente: Chancen und Risiken» 

Nähere Informationen und ein Anmeldeformular finden Sie hier.

Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Anmeldung. 

Looking for people who fit in

Job posting only available in German language

Sie sind schon jemand …

Als eine der grösseren Patentanwaltskanzleien der Schweiz bieten wir ein sehr interessantes Arbeitsumfeld mit attraktiven Fällen und einem jungen, dynamischen Team. Unser Slogan ist «Business-driven IP» – und das meinen wir ernst!

Wir halten stets Ausschau nach Verstärkung, die zu uns passt. Sind Sie das? 

Patentanwältin / Patentanwalt

Sie sind zur Vertretung vor dem Europäischen Patentamt zugelassen (oder stehen kurz davor) und pflegen einen kunden- und lösungsorientierten Beratungsansatz. Unnötiges Akademisieren ist Ihnen zuwider? Uns auch. 

Ausbildung zur Patentanwältin / zum Patentanwalt

Sie sind Hochschulabsolvent(in) in einer technischen Fachrichtung und bringen Einsatzbereitschaft, Wissensdurst, Kreativität sowie Freude am Umgang mit Sprache und Menschen mit. Vielleicht haben Sie ja sogar Vorkenntnisse im Patentbereich?

… und bei uns können Sie noch was werden!

An spannender Arbeit mit viel Mandantenkontakt mangelt es nicht. Wenn Sie das nicht abschreckt, sondern es als Chance begreifen, dann haben wir etwas gemeinsam!

Wollen Sie mit uns weiter wachsen?

Dann sollten wir uns kennenlernen! 

Bitte senden Sie uns Ihre Bewerbungsunterlagen oder rufen Sie uns an.

Ihr Ansprechpartner: Christoph Müller

Tel.: 071 / 913 9555
recruiting@hepp.ch

Diese Stellenausschreibung ist auch als PDF verfügbar.

iam Patent 1000

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2018 edition of iam Patent 1000:

«One of the foremost Swiss IP departments», Hepp Wenger Ryffel comes highly recommended for prosecution – and is «among the best in litigation» as well, contributing its «sharp and innovative» technical counsel in «a striking number of the patent cases before the Swiss courts». From the «well-established, impressive» Wil-located office, a host of «young, fresh and up-and-coming» talent takes on a wide catalogue of drafting and portfolio management instructions from the medical device and food-processing industries and expertly executes them on the international stage. The firm undertakes contentious work primarily for the pharmaceutical industry, which values the supplementary protection expertise on offer. A panacea for all that troubles the healthcare sector, Martin Wilming is a rights guardian who bulldozes through oppositions and appeals at the European Patent Office. Peers cite the attorney (and the blog he authors) as a reference point for Swiss patent litigation. «A clever, smart and friendly professional, he gets quickly acquainted with all relevant details of a case, communicates them intelligibly and showcases his excellent legal knowledge in infringement suits.» Wilming often teams up with fellow chemistry maestro Andreas Welch to form a «highly skilled, experienced» duo that is «very easy to collaborate with», and which recently has successfully shielded both Teva and Actavis from infringement claims brought by innovative rivals. Sought after for his far-reaching scientific knowledge, Welch demonstrates a finely honed commercial capacity in his carefully crafted solutions. «Responsive and inventive», Christoph Müller is an IP polymath who elegantly crosses from contentious to non-contentious instructions at the drop of a hat. René Wenger has spent decades answering the call of construction, textile and precision engineering players, providing them with «smart, to-the-point» advice.

Time to say 'Thank you'

We are proud to be commended again: Hepp Wenger Ryffel received the prestigious award

in the category

'Switzerland Prosecution'

at the Managing IP EMEA Awards ceremony in London on March 8, 2018.

This award motivates us to keep going and earn such plaudit by our daily work together with clients and colleagues. Thank you for the trust you are placing in us.

Season's greetings

Our best wishes for 2018. We hope you have a good start to the New Year.

iam Patent 1000

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2017 edition of iam Patent 1000:

"With 10 patent attorneys registered at the IPI and authorised to appear before the European Patent Office (EPO), Hepp Wenger Ryffel has the muscle to advise companies across the technological spectrum and makes light work of its prodigious workload. Within this, pharmaceutical and medical device mandates feature prominently; the railway industry is also fast becoming a rich source of instructions. A laser commercial focus and close client care characterise its service; a high priority is placed on face-to-face contact. Martin Wilming is an influential figure on the marketplace; he runs a popular patent litigation blog which reports on Federal Patent Court case law. EPO opposition and appeal proceedings are his bread and butter. Like Wilming, Andreas Welch knows all there is to know about organic chemistry; having worked for a large pharmaceutical entity, he has invaluable in-house experience. Christoph Müller, meanwhile, excels at devising uniquely tailored strategies for medical devices start-ups. When clients in the mechanical engineering field need someone to file their applications, and to do so with painstaking attention to detail, they reach out to the meticulous René Wenger. Wider marketing knowledge and exceptional foresight make him the full package."

Boston Scientific to acquire Symetis 

Boston Scientific yesterday announced a definitive agreement to acquire Symetis SA for $435 million in up-front cash; see the press release. Symetis is a privately-held Swiss structural heart company focused on minimally-invasive transcatheter aortic valve implantation devices.

Hepp Wenger Ryffel is proud having assisted Symetis in building a strong IP position in this competitive business.

Communication by email - speedy, yet secure

Emails are speedy and extremely useful. Day-to-day business is almost unthinkable without Emails. But unprotected communication by email is less secure than sending a postcard. It is thus in your very own interest to not send us confidential information unprotected by email.

There is an alternative that is as practical as conventional email: Automatic encryption and decryption for all email traffic between your domain and our domain (@hepp.ch). Without any need to manually intervene. We are using the domain encryption service of SEPPmail towards this end.

What is your benefit?

• If you are using SEPPmail, too, you do not need to take any action at all. All email traffic between our domains is automatically protected by domain encryption.

• SEPPmail also supports domain encryption with third party products that support S/MIME or openPGP domain encryption. Please get back to us if you are interested in setting this up.

Federal Administrative Court to rule on distinctiveness of App icons

With order of April 13, 2016 the Swiss IPI had issued a definitive total refusal of the geographical extension to Switzerland of Apple's International trademark no. 1184394, for all goods claimed in class 9.

Maybe you know the sign from your smartphone. But still, it's just an 'ordinary' graphical mark.

Apple sought protection for the following goods in class 9:

"Computer software for use in searching, browsing, reviewing, sampling, playing, purchasing and downloading live and prerecorded audio and video content."

Apple lodged an appeal to the Federal Administrative Court (FAC); a public hearing took place on January 10, 2017 (case no. B-3088/2016). The decision is still outstanding, and it will surely be a key decision with respect to protectability of App icons in Switzerland. So stay tuned ...

Noteworthy, the IPI had granted protection for Apple’s earlier iTunes® App icon back in 2012, for almost identical goods (only 'live and' has been added now; marked in bold above) and for a visually very similar sign.

At that time the IPI had apparently acknowledged distinctiveness. Apple argued at the hearing that the IPI’s present rejection is a change of practice. The IPI disagreed. Rather, the refusal only reflects a change of awareness of the public with respect to app icons, ie the facts of the case have changed. It has not been clarified in the hearing what this change in awareness actually is all about. The relevant app icon has essentially remained unchanged since as early as 2007; see the icon on Apple's first generation iPhone® above. Moreover, the number of smart phone users has not made big jumps over the last five years. It will be interesting to learn more about this from the decision when issued.

Reported by Thorsten Müll and Martin Wilming

Hans Eisenring AG succeeds with Hepp Wenger Ryffel in domain dispute resolution proceedings

Hans Eisenring AG had received a cease-and-desist letter from Stone Group AG back in July 2016, requesting to refrain from use of the name ST-ONE for a kitchen island with natural stone, and the respective use of the internet domain <st-one.ch>. Stone Group AG is proprietor of two figurative trademarks and alleged infringement of its trademark and company rights, as well as unfair competition.

Previous settlement discussions had been unsuccessful. Stone Group AG then lodged domain name dispute resolution proceedings at WIPO with respect to the domain, but their request has now been dismissed entirely.

See our case summary for any further detail.

Kuros to acquire Xpand 

Kuros to acquire Xpand in an all-share strategic transaction to create a leading commercial stage orthobiologics company.

We are proud to have been part of the deal team on behalf of Kuros Biosciences AG. See Kuros' press release for any further detail.

Season's greetings

Wishing you excellent prospects in 2017.

HEPTARES to acquire G7 THERAPEUTICS 

Heptares Therapeutics, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sosei Group Corporation, announced today that it has signed a share purchase agreement that will allow the acquisition of 100% in G7 Therapeutics, a privately held drug discovery and development company based in Switzerland.

We are proud to have been part of the deal team on behalf of G7 Therapeutics. See G7's press release for any further detail.

Swissness™

What’s going to change as of January 2017?

Switzerland is associated with a variety of attributes: Quality, precision, reliability, tradition, neutrality, stability, genuineness, …

Therefore, Swiss products enjoy an excellent reputation both at home and abroad. And this reputation is worth one’s salt: vendors can market their Swiss products at a premium. But higher margins attract freeloaders. The reputation of the «brand Switzerland» suffers when consumers make bad experiences with inferior products and associate them with Switzerland.

The new Swissness regulations become effective on January 01, 2017. The aim is to preserve the reputation of the «brand Switzerland».

Everyone can benefit from the Swissness value through the use of the Swiss cross or the indication «Switzerland» without elaborate approval procedures. The only prerequisite is that the legal requirements are met.

That’s not trivial — but easier than you might think.

Learn more at http://swissness.hepp.ch/en/.

Have you ever received a letter from us? If so, you will have noticed our simplistic logo: We are just punching HEPP into the paper. It was self-evident for us to do the very same with the application form for registration of a Swiss trademark: 

It took a while for this unconventional application to proceed to grant, but the trademark is now registered:

We are proud to be commended again in the 2016 edition of iam Patent 1000:

"The joint-highest number of attorneys recommended for prosecution in the IAM Patent 1000 bears testament to the depth of the bench at Hepp Wenger Ryffel. Creative yet logical patenting advice is a hallmark of the crew, which is never afraid to put itself out there and provide a gut feel to clients; many other patent attorney outfits are considered less commercial and more conservative. Christoph Müller is the resident medical technology guru, although his technical proficiency spans all facets of mechanical and electrical engineering, as well as information technology. The seasoned coordinator of international patent litigation wins plaudits for his ability to 'get to the point and present arguments in a well-ordered and easily understood way'. Having spent his career in the world of precision engineering, René Wenger applies exceptional rigour to his prosecution, litigation and licensing work. Chemistry affairs are deftly handled by Martin Wilming and Andreas Welch. Wilming blogs extensively on Federal Patent Court case law, so it is easy to see just how extensive and up to date his knowledge is. Having spent many years in-house, he knows what his clients are looking for and is skilled enough to deliver it for the most demanding of them."

One of the leading IP journals worldwide, Managing IP, has published the results of its annual IP Stars survey online, covering the top-rated firms for patent work. We are happy to note that our firm is once again in Tier 1 for patent prosecution. 

We are delighted to introduces you to our new partner, as of 1 January 2016:

Wishing you excellent prospects in 2016.

The German Federal Supreme Court (BGH) finally ruled on a trademark infringement case between Haribo and Lindt. Haribo is renowned for "Goldbären" (goldbears) made of fruit gum, while Lindt markets a chocolate bear with a golden wrapping which is called the "Lindt Teddy".

Haribo alleged an infringement of various "Goldbären" trademarks. Notably, these are word marks. The court now ruled that a conceptual similarity can only arise in such a case if the plaintiff's word mark is the sole and obvious reference by which consumers would refer to the 3D shape of defendant's product. It must not only be one of several obvious choices. Here, other options for naming Lindt's bear come readily to mind: Teddy, chocolate bear or chocolate teddy. The court held that this test has to be strict: Otherwise, owners of a word mark could monopolise product shapes in circumvention of the stricter requirements for figurative marks and 3D marks.

A further trademark claim (based on Haribo's standing bear trademark) was rejected for lack of similarity.

Since Haribo only registered the "Gold-Teddy" trademark after Lindt had started marketing the Lindt-Teddy, Haribo's claims under the law against unfair competition were also rejected. Moreover, shapes of Haribo's and Lindt's products were held to be not sufficiently similar; counterfeiting was thus ruled out.

Please revert to the fulltext of the decision for any details. A brief press release of the Supreme Court can be found here.

Case References:

Regional Court Cologne, Decision of Dec. 20, 2012 (33 O 803/11)

Higher Regional Court Cologne, Decision of April 11, 2014 (6 U 230/12)

Supreme Court, Decision of September 23, 2015 (I ZR 105/14)

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published 2015 edition of iam Patent 1000:

"This innovative prosecution boutique «interacts very well with lawyers. Its attorneys have a great understanding of procedural aspects and communicate well in court. Working with them is a breeze; they are straightforward and effective.» Try as they might, rivals find it «impossible to win clients off Hepp, particularly for pharmaceutical work.» His flair for the smooth coordination of complex cross-border litigation makes Christoph Müller a perennial favourite, in particular among a variety of medical technology enterprises. Formerly employed at a large drug company, Andreas Welch knows exactly what businesses in this sector need and how to get it; while Martin Wilming is a dab hand at EPO appeals and oppositions. Mechanical engineer and marketing authority René Wenger rounds out the set with an unerring instinct for how best to craft winning patent applications."

One of the leading IP journals worldwide, Managing IP, has published the results of its annual IP Stars survey, covering the top-rated firms and individuals for patent work. We are happy to note that our firm is once again in Tier 1 for patent prosecution. 

René Wenger, Christoph Müller and Martin Wilming have again been recognised as leading IP practitioners, based on recommendations and confirmations by peers and clients.

Orange has announced on March 31, 2015 that it will become a new company by end of April 2015. They still make a big secret of the new name. It shall be made public only on April 23, 2015.

It has been widely speculated about the new name. But is it really such a well-kept secret?

An educated guess is:

Publicly accessible databases frequently allow deep insights into what is going on. Like in this case. Find out more here about the indications pointing towards the new name (availagle in German language only).

A TV satire has been making fun of this new name already on February 28, 2015. Was this just by accident? Or a data leak? Could it be that we are indeed going to see this carrier logo as of April 23 (Source: 26 minutes)?

Or is all this only a well prepared April fool's joke? It remains exciting!

With all good wishes for the year 2015. Enjoy the prospects.

Markenrechtsseminare gibt es viele. Marketingseminare auch. In einer gemeinsamen Veranstaltung mit Rembrand AG haben wir diese getrennte Betrachtung aufgebrochen:

«Marke, Marketing und die rechtlichen Vorgaben»

Es gab wertvolles Praxiswissen, das nicht nur die rechtliche Dimension, sondern auch die Marketingsicht abgedeckt hat. Denn wir wollen, dass Sie für reale Problemstellungen gerüstet sind und die rechtlichen Rahmenbedingungen kreativ nutzen.

One of the leading IP journals worldwide, Managing IP, has just published the 2014 edition of the IP Stars Patent Handbook. We are happy that outside counsel and peers have referenced René Wenger, Christoph Müller and Martin Wilming as preferred partner to work with. This means to us both commitment and incentive!

We are proud to be commended again in the freshly published iam Patent 1000, edition 2014:

"The largest boutique by headcount in the east of Switzerland, Hepp Wenger Ryffel AG is by some distance the frontrunner in the region. A forward-thinking attitude allows it to answer the questions which should be asked even before they are posed. «It has a worldwide platform and companies come away with positive impressions.» Christoph Müller «should be highlighted for his work in the mechanical field», while Andreas Welch is «singled out for his insider knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry». Intimately familiar with the workings of the EPO, Martin Wilming is gaining prominence in this area. The esteemed René Wenger is a doyen of patent prosecution."

You will also find more information in our firm's prifile in The World's Leading Patent Practitioners, iam Patent 1000, 2014.

The currently applicable EU-Regulation on technology transfer agreements (No. 772/2004) expires on April 30, 2014. Its successor shall comprise amendments pertaining to software copyright licenses; relevant market shares and hardcore restrictions in cases of passive sales. We will keep our clients informed about the details.

Each year, the magazine Managing IP conducts a well renowned and widely recognized Patent Survey. The 2014 issue has just been published.

We are happy to be listed in Tier 1 (patent prosecution) of the Swiss rankings, as one of only three firms. But you may be assured -we will not rest on our laurels! 

As of November 1, 2014 it will be easier to directly prosecute subject-matter of a PCT application at the EPO in the regional phase that i) has not been searched by the EPO acting as ISA in the PCT stage; or ii) is not the invention first mentioned in the claims (when the EPO did not act as ISA). Currently, it is frequently necessary to file divisonal applications in order to cover such subject-matter; this will become moot. See the decision of the Administrative Council of October 16, 2013.

Since April 2010, divisional applications under the EPC can only be validly filed within a certain time frame, and calculation of the time limits is complex. The regulation was frequently and heavily criticised. Finally, the time limit for filing divisional applications under the EPC will be abandoned again as of April 1, 2014; see EPO press release. We will keep our clients informed about the details.

Croatia has joined the EU on July 1, 2013. Community trademarks and designs now automatically extend also to Croatia. Exceptionally, community trademark applications filed between January 1, 2013 and June 30, 2013 can be opposed based on earlier rights in Croatia; cf. the communication No 4/12 of the President of the OHIM.

Amendments to the Patent Act are upon to be enacted in Germany. The most relevant amendments are:

• Prolongation of the term for opposition from three to nine months.

• The search report will be accompanied by a preliminary opinion on patentability.

• Oral proceedings will be conducted on request in examination proceedings.

• As a rule, oral proceedings in opposition proceedings will be public.

• Online file inspection will be availiable.

In sum, these welcomed amendments harmonize the German law with the European Patent Convention (EPC). The most relevant amendments will be enacted in spring 2014 (6 months after promulgation; the date is not yet fixed).

We are proud to be commended again:

"Prosecution boutique Hepp Wenger Ryffel AG provides a fantastic offering from its site in Wil. It is a magnet for attorneys at law seeking the assistance of patent attorneys, and many of its key relationships have spanned decades. Singled out for praise among the top-class team are Christoph Müller and René Wenger – «knowledgeable, quick thinkers with an instinctive feeling for the cases they are handling». Together, their professionalism and diligence command a «first-rate impression»."

You will also find more information in our firm’s profile in The World's Leading Patent Practitioners, iam Patent 1000, 2013.

New visiting address

We have moved our reception and meeting rooms and are now welcoming our guests at Löwenstrasse 4. Parking spaces for visitors are available directly in front of the building.

We are looking forward to your next visit!

Our postal address (Friedtalweg 5) remains unchanged.