Harry Bedford

At the European Practice Conference hosted by the IP Owners Association in Paris, one fireside chat stood out for its insight and urgency: “IP Trends and Developments in AI.”

The session was led by two highly respected experts: Jean-François Adam, who covers all things European and currently serves as in-house counsel at Infineon Technologies, and Jonathan Osha, founding partner of Osha Bergman Watanabe & Burton LLP, who brought the US perspective. OBWB, a long-time thought leader in cross-border IP, was also the hosting sponsor of this year’s event, held at the elegant Hôtel le Marois in central Paris. 

Together, Jean-François and Jonathan offered a compelling look into the evolving challenges of patenting artificial intelligence-based inventions – and why practitioners on both sides of the Atlantic are grappling with inconsistent, outdated frameworks that do not sufficiently reflect the reality of modern innovation implementing AI.

The Enlarged Board of Appeal issued its decision in G1/23 on July 2, 2025, addressing whether products put on the market before a patent filing date form part of the prior art when their composition or internal structure cannot be reproduced by the skilled person.

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The Enlarged Board of Appeal issued its decision in case G 1/24 on 18 June 2025, concluding that "The description and drawings shall always be consulted to interpret the claims when assessing the patentability of an invention under Articles 52 to 57 EPC, and not only if the person skilled in the art finds a claim to be unclear or ambiguous when read in isolation."

Learn how to avoid 8 common mistakes companies make when filing a patent application. This article highlights critical pitfalls that can jeopardize your IP protection and offers practical tips and tools.

The European Patent Office (EPO) has announced a pilot project to implement artificial intelligence tools to assist in the preparation of minutes during oral proceedings conducted by videoconference. This development represents a notable evolution in the EPO's approach to procedural documentation, but aligns with the recent trend of increasing AI adoption by the EPO generally.

AI patent drafting software is transforming intellectual property protection by significantly accelerating the drafting process, improving consistency, and freeing up attorneys to focus on strategic aspects like claim coverage. These tools can generate high-quality initial drafts in minutes, ensure uniform language across documents, and reduce human error. While AI boosts efficiency, expert review remains essential to ensure technical accuracy and strategic alignment, and strong confidentiality protocols are key when integrating AI into legal workflows.