Another year is coming to an end, and so it is time to look back at some of the moments that defined 2023 at Plougmann Vingtoft. There have been many exciting highlights throughout the year, and we have selected a few that we think have helped shape this year.
2023 was, among other things, the year the Unified Patent Court and the Unitary Patent entered into force. We awarded IP Matters to as many as five innovative startups, and our employees received several great recognitions, as well as the entire company was honored with the award as this year’s “Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year” at the Global IP Awards.
Take a closer look at the many highlights below:
1. The UPC and the Unitary Patent are finally a reality
It has been a long time coming, but on 1 June 2023 the new Unified Patent Court entered into force together with the Unitary Patent. The Unitary Patent is a European patent granted by the European Patent Office (EPO) and has a unitary effect in the European countries participating at the time the patent is granted. In this way, the Unitary Patent system differs from the classic system, where a European patent becomes a “bundle” of national patents after grant that must be validated in each of the countries where it should have an effect. Thus, the Unitary Patent is an additional option for European patent applicants and exists alongside the “classic” European patents. Several of our experts are qualified to represent clients in the new system, and at the same time, Senior patent advisor Claus Elmeros has been appointed technically qualified judge within Mechanical Engineering in the Unified Patent Court.
You can read more about the UPC and the Unitary Patent here, where you will also find a list of our experts.
2. Visiting business partners around the world
This year our experts have taken several trips abroad to places like USA, Japan, South Korea, Chicago, Berlin, and Beijing to visit business partners, colleagues, and clients. The UPC and the Unitary Patent have been ‘talk of the town’ among our foreign partners, and interest remains high.
Likewise, our Head of Trademarks Ellen Breddam and Trademark Attorney Dagmar Bugge Isaksen had the pleasure of participating in this year’s international trademark congress INTA in Singapore, where over 8,000 IP experts gathered.
3. Five startups received the annual IP Matters donation
In 2019, we awarded the startup donation “IP Matters” for the first time. With this donation we support some of the ideas and startups that make a sustainable difference in the world. The donation consists of IP consultancy worth DKK 50,000. Since then, seven startups have received IP Matters, and in 2023 the donation was awarded for the fifth time to five innovative startups. Thus, we have already achieved our goal of having helped 12 startups before 2030.
The five startups are all working on solutions/ideas which, in their own way, can contribute to sustainable development: Yngvik, Meat Tomorrow, Sylvia Health, Rheia Medical and VPCIR Biosciences.
4. An increase in the number of cases concerning re-establishment of rights
Throughout the year, we have experienced an increase in the number of cases concerning re-establishment of rights at the EPO and the Danish Patent and Trademark Office. In these cases, the authorities ask for additional information to decide on whether an applicant or proprietor of a patent should have the opportunity to have their rights re-established in accordance with current conditions and legislation. Normally we handle 2-3 cases of this type annually, but this year we have experienced a significant increase of three times as many. In these circumstances we often get referrals from business partners and clients who know us from previously working with us.
5. Plougmann Vingtoft won an award at the Global IP Awards
Every year, two of the IPR industry’s most well-established ranking institutions, WTR (World Trademark Review) and IAM Patent 1000 hold an annual award ceremony, the Global IP Awards, where they pay tribute to the world’s leading IPR experts and companies that have excelled over the past year.
This year, three experts from Plougmann Vingtoft, Else Lawrence, Charlotte Søsted and Michael Friis Sørensen, could bring home the prestigious award as “Patent Prosecution Firm of the Year – Denmark” from London.
It is the second time that Plougmann Vingtoft has won the award. The first time was in 2020. A big thank you must go to all our clients, business partners and colleagues as well as the industry for this great recognition.
6. International recognition of our employees
2023 was also a year in which Plougmann Vingtoft’s expertise was recognized and several of our experts received great honors:
- Once again, Plougmann Vingtoft is among the world’s leading IP consulting companies. Namely in the gold category at IAM Patent 1000 and in Tier 1 at the ranking magazine Managing IP.
- Likewise, four of Plougmann Vingtoft’s experts were named IP Stars by Managing IP. These are Ellen Breddam, Peter Sørensen, Katja Sørensen, and Michael Friis Sørensen. Jakob Schwalbe Lohmann, Ida Rømer Johannesen and Kristoffer Vandborg Bro were named Rising Stars.
- Nine of our patent practitioners were recognized as “recommended individuals” by IAM Patent. These are Claus Elmeros, Per Jørgen Nygreen, Christian Christiansen, Jakob Schwalbe Lohmann, Jan Mondrup Pedersen, Peter Sørensen and Matteo Biancardo, as well as Katja Sørensen and Michael Friis Sørensen, who both received great recognition as “highly recommended individuals”.
- Both Katja Sørensen and Michael Friis Sørensen were also named Global Leaders 2024 by IAM.
- World Trademark Review (WTR) also recognized both Plougmann Vingtoft as a company and our Head of Trademarks Ellen Breddam when they published their list of the world’s leading trademark experts.
- Both Ellen Breddam and Michael Friis Sørensen were named Global IP Leaders by WIPR – World IP Review in the Leaders 2023 Directory.
- And once again, Plougmann Vingtoft is on the Financial Times list of ”Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2023”.
Thank you for reading along. Happy New Year and see you in 2024.
