Research and Industrial Property Rights

Warmly welcome to IPR University Center’s course for university researchers. This is the second part of the course and the first course focuses on copyright and research. 

This course is targeted to researchers who are currently working in Hanken School of Economics, University of Helsinki or University of Turku. 

10.00 – 10.45 Trade secrets and rights in data
How are trade secrets protected through law and contracts? Is trade secrets an alternative for patents and other industrial property rights?  What will be the meaning of the EU’s new Data and Digital Laws for research and data intensive businesses?

Tuomas Mylly, Professor, University of Turku

11.00 – 11.45 IPR Strategies  
How can I get the name of my company protected? What about the name of the product I invented, how can I prevent others from using the same name for their similar products? Is brand the same as trademark? There are multiple ways of protecting your product and brand of a company. The basic requirements for trademark protection, registering of a domain name and the name of the company will be discussed.

Taru Kallio-Nyholm, Trademark & Design Counsel ,Orion

11.45 – 12.45 Lunch

12.45 – 13.30 Introduction to the patent system and research
Have you ever made an invention in your research or are you simply interested in patents? If your answer is yes, then this lecture will be a great starting point for understanding more about the topic. In the introduction, the legislation and basic idea of patent law will be presented. You will get an insight of how and why it is possible to get exclusive rights to certain inventions and what these rights actually include. In addition to the theory of patent law, some of the practicalities of applying for a patent will be discussed such as how and when to apply for a patent. The multiple ways of utilising patent databases and the patent system will be discussed.

Jorma Lehtonen, Head of Division,  Finnish Patent and Registration Office 

13.30 – 13.45 Break

13.45 – 14.30 The Structure of a Patent Application and Practical Matters of Patenting
From the filling of a patent application to the publishing of the patent, all aspects of the process in the Finnish and foreign patent system will be dealt with. You will know how a patent application should be filled and why some of the parts in the application are especially important. Besides for the registration procedure in the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, a look will be taken to how the application process of international patents normally take place.

Jorma Lehtonen, Head of Division,  Finnish Patent and Registration Office

14.30 – 14.45 break

14.45 – 15.30 Whose rights?
Many inventions are made under employment and often, like in research, the job description is to invent and find new solutions to problems. Who owns the rights to a creation or an invention made by an employee? Can the employer automatically be the owner of the rights of such works? If the answer is negative, how can the rights be transferred from an employee to an employer and are all rights transferrable? What about if there is no contract dealing with IP rights between the parties? These questions and much more will be answered during this last part of the seminar day.

Perttu Pohjola, General Counsel, University of Helsinki