Cliënt X (anonymous)

Hydrogenation of styrene containing block copolymers

Contesting new patent

Hydrogenated styrene containing block copolymers are highly stable. They are in popular demand for the manufacture of, for instance, soft, strong connections for handles and grips, the elasticated parts of nappies and medical or ICT oil gels. In a recently approved European patent, an approach for the hydrogenation of these block copolymers was claimed which, according to our client, was not new or innovative. Consequently, and also because there were no clear instructions, our client asked us to contest it.

Always clear and concise

The lack of clear instructions tends to be a difficult argument to use in oppositions. The EP&C patent attorneys were, however, able to use this to their advantage in this case. The new patent was denied on the basis of our strong arguments, even before its newness or innovative nature were discussed. This case illustrates how important it is to ensure that a patent application is drawn up clearly and concisely, without ambiguities. This is why we always ensure that the claims made by our clients offer sufficient scope for comprehensive patent protection.