Changes in intellectual property rights in the UK after Brexit

 

Changes following UK withdrawal from EU,

On January 31, 2020 local time, the British Parliament officially declared withdrawal from the European Union (EU), which has been in progress since 2016. After that, the EU and the UK agreed to make the transition period until December 31 this year, to maintain the relationship and to negotiate future relations such as trade agreements. From next year when the agreement ends, changes are expected in many areas, as well as in the economy and trade.

▲ pixabay.com

Patents not affected by Brexit,

The European Patent Office (EPO) was created under the European Patent Convention, which entered into force in 1977. The EU, which started in 1994, tried to establish an integrated patent management agency under the EPO, but it didn’t make it in the end because the UK delayed the final decision. For this reason, EPO as an independent organization regardless the EU, has been examining and registering European patents to date. Therefore, even if the UK leaves the EU, there is no change in patent applications or registrations.

▲ epo.org

Changing trademark system,

Unlike patents, trademark designs in Europe are managed by the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), an EU-affiliated organization. For this reason, there will be changes in the trademark system after Brexit. First of all, if not exceptions, trademarks that have been applied to the EUIPO by September of this year or have already been registered will be transferred to the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO). Rights transferred up to and including that period are recognized both in the EUIPO and in the UK, and'UK009' is added before the UK registration number. Also, for pending trademarks, if you do not want to register in the UK, you must apply for an exception to the UKIPO. Trademarks filed after the transferring period can only be obtained by separately re-application to UKIPO. In addition, even if it is a registered trademark, if it is released next year, it must also be re-filed to the UKIPO. Trademarks expiring this year can be renewed at EUIPO, but rights expiring from January next year can only be renewed at UKIPO.

▲ euipo.europa.eu

From next year, trademarks filed in the UK will follow British law, not European law. If you are planning to file, you should understand and prepare for this point.

Smartphone evolving into flexible display

 

Converting to flexible display,

Smartphone manufacturers have continued research and development to develop display types. In particular, it is trying to change from a general flat display to a flexible display that can fold or roll the screen. This is because flexible displays have a smaller volume than general displays, and are made of special plastics instead of glass, which improves durability. In 2013, Samsung introduced the world's first Galaxy Round with a curved display. Since then, it has begun to market continuously developed products, such as releasing edge smartphones equipped with flexible displays that are curved at the corners of smartphones.

🔺 samsung.com

Foldable smartphone,

Six years after entering the flexible smartphone market with the Galaxy Round, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy Fold, a folding smartphone. Fold was sold out worldwide, drawing attention from around the world. Flip and Fold 2, which were released in succession, also succeeded, solidifying their position in the foldable smartphone market. Since then, many foreign media have wondered what the next smartphone will be like. Samsung's next smartphone was indirectly found through Samsung's patent, which was released at the USPTO on the 19th. The published patent name is ‘Multi-Foldable electronic device’. The Folds and Flips released so far have been folded inward, but in this patent, they are folded both inside and outside. If the product is released in a form that can be folded several times as shown below, it is expected that the smartphone can be used like a tablet PC.

🔺 wipsglobal.com
< US 2020-0366770 >

Rollable display,

LG was the first to stand out in the rollable display market. In April 2019, LG filed a patent for a roll-slide mobile terminal, a smartphone-related patent with a rollable display. Consumers showed a lot of interest, such as giving the nickname ‘Rumor Phone’ by the predicted image created with the patent design. LG's rollable smartphone, which had only been rumored, was officially released in September of this year. On the last 12/2, an emulator containing the rollable smartphone specification was released on the Android developer site, and the product is expected to be released soon.

🔺 wipsglobal.com
< KR 2020-0117741 >

Future form of a smartphone?

Stretchable displays are drawing attention for the next generation display after rollable. Because it stretches like a rubber band and can be transformed freely, its application range and potential are endless.

🔺 wipsglobal.com
< KR 2019-0087886 >

The government has also determined that stretchable displays are a key driver for future growth, and has designated it as a national project to focus on research and development. I am curious to see what form the smartphone will appear next time, which is constantly changing.

Patent filed for wireless charger

 

Wireless charging technology appearing,

The development of wireless charging technology began about 100 years ago by Nikola Tesla. The project, which started with the goal of supplying electricity to everyone through the electric tower's wireless network, was unsuccessful, and even when completed, it lost too much energy to use, so did not attract much attention. The forgotten wireless charging technology has been developed in earnest with the recent commercialization of smartphones. This is because users requested a more convenient way to charge than wired charging.

▲ pixabay.com

What kind of methods are there for the wireless charging?

The wireless charging method is divided into frequency, infrared, ultrasonic, and magnetic fields. The frequency has a long transmission distance and enables accurate tracking of the charging target, but has a disadvantage in that it may adversely affect the user's health if a person is exposed to the frequency for a long time. Although the infrared can transmit a large amount of electricity, it cannot penetrate obstacles, and it is difficult to induce infrared rays to the device to be charged. The ultrasonic is harmless because it reflects when it touches the human skin, but its efficiency is low and the electricity is wasted severely. The magnetic field has high electrical transmission efficiency, there is a problem in utilization due to a short transmission distance.

▲ pixabay.com

Samsung's new patent on wireless charging method,

Recently, a patent for “Wearable wireless charger and method for generating the electric energy using the same” applied by Samsung was disclosed. According to the patent, a ring-shaped charger with a built-in magnet generates electricity through human body temperature. The generated electricity is transferred to the device through a magnetic field. This charger solves the transmission distance, which was a disadvantage of the magnetic field method, by wearing it on the finger. In addition to the ring shape shown in the patent drawing, it is thought that it can be applied in the form of an accessory that can closely contact the human body.

▲ wipsglobal.com
< KR patent, 10-2020-0135140 A >

Samsung's efforts for new wireless charging technology,

Since Samsung first unveiled its wireless charger at CES2014, they’ve consistently applied for patents for related technologies. According to a market report, 583 patents related to wireless charging technology applied by Samsung Electronics in the last 10 years were ranked first in the global rankings. We are looking forward to seeing what products Samsung will surprise us with.