Author Archive IP Partners Switzerland

ByIP Partners Switzerland

Covid-19 update

The current situation has caused a number of exceptional measures in most countries, including Switzerland. All our IPPartners experts are used to work remotely and we keep on supporting our customers as usual. All national patent offices as well as the WIPO are operating normally, except for a few specific arrangements regarding oral proceedings and oppositions at the European patent office and some extra delays allowed in very specific cases in some jurisdictions. We remain at your disposal shall you have any questions regarding your patent portfolio management, as well as to discuss any inventions which may emerge from those of you who will respond with a burst of creativity and innovation to those challenging times.

In the meanwhile we wish you and your dear ones as strong an immune system as possible. Stay safe!

ByIP Partners Switzerland

Qualified Patent Infomation Professional (QPIP) certification

Our partner Dr. Corinne Le Buhan received the QPIP certification in 2019 from the ISBQPIP, the international standards board  in charge with certifying the patent information professional knowledge and, as initially required for the first series of 2019 certified senior experts, a minimum of 10 years experience in searching and analyzing worldwide patent information.

Patent information analytics are a less known, yet essential, element of a well thought IP strategy execution plan. Finding your way in the ocean of mass patent information in your market targets as well as around your technology developments may seem overwhelming at first sight, but we have the professional tools and experience to guide you through this key process.

Taking into account third party patent information as early as possible in developing your own IP assets can help you:

– build a stronger patent portfolio

– decrease the subsequent costs of patent offices examination

– acquire deep knowledge on your direct competitors technical choices and R&D investment priorities that you will find nowhere else with as many details

– mitigate legal risks for your investors.

If you would like to learn more, contact us today

 

 

ByIP Partners Switzerland

Swiss Tax Reform will introduce a Patent Box by 2020

Switzerland citizens voted for the Federal Act on Tax Reform and AHV Financing (TRAF) in the referendum of 19 May 2019. In compliance with OECD recommendations for international taxation, the new tax system, to be implemented by the cantons as early as in 2020, will develop new tax-related special arrangements to promote research and development (R&D), and in particular the patent box mechanism that will allow a portion of the profits from inventions to be taxed at a reduced rate.

Companies as well as independent developers holding patent rights issued from Switzerland R&D (according to the OECD rules) will be eligible to the tax reduction.

Which rights qualify for the patent box?

Domestic and foreign patents and similar rights should qualify for the Swiss patent box. The term “similar rights” includes, in particular, supplementary protection certificates, protected research results and the corresponding foreign rights. Software which is part of an invention can also be patented in Switzerland (“computer-implemented invention”). This is the case when it serves a technical application, e.g. when it controls industrial processes as part of a device, technologically improves data transfer or data storage, increases a computer system’s security or makes a computer system easier to use (human-machine interface). These patents likewise qualify for the patent box.

Source: Federal Department of Finance Q&A, May 2019

Our IP Partners experts are available for a quick, cost-effective audit of your assets (incl. machinery, software, processes…) to help you determine your individual patent-box opportunities in partnership with your fiduciary, so that you are ready for the tax changes as early as in 2020-2021, in particular in cantons where the patent box will be subject to a significant reduction rate – this is particularly applicable to companies and independents with original products which are commercially registered with R&D staff operating in Fribourg (subject to the June 30 cantonal votation), Valais, and/or possibly Vaud (still to be determined as the time of writing this note). Depending on the international export opportunities as well as national licensing and divestment strategies for your innovations, a number of patenting options are available at a reasonable cost and time-to-grant. Do not hesitate to contact us for more information!