Section
About the event
Examination Matters has become the meeting place for patent attorneys dealing with the EPO in the patent granting procedure. Examiners and practitioners provide insight into the mind of the examiner and the day-to-day work performed.
Examination Matters Reloaded took place on 17-19 May 2021 and included five specialised, advanced-level presentations given by senior examiners. In addition, there was a roundtable on strengthening diversity and inclusion in the patent world.
In the sections below, you can:
- watch the recordings of the plenary roundtable and workshops.
- access and download the presentations of the event.
Click here to see the programme of Examination Matters Reloaded.
Day 1 (17 May 2021)
Panel discussion: Strengthening diversity and inclusion in the patent world
Moderator:
Jeremy Scott, Director, Talent Management, PD People, EPOPanelists:
Andrea Brewster, Founder and Lead Executive Officer of IP Inclusive, UK
Amadou Kamara, Examiner/Team Manager, Mobility and Mechatronics, EPO
Cyra Nargolwalla, Managing Partner, Plasseraud IP
Heli Pihlajamaa, Director, Patent Law, Legal Affairs, EPO
Evangelia Spyropoulou, Director, Operations, Mobility and Mechatronics, EPOWorkshop: Biomaterials - How does medical use affect examination?
See the workshop content here.
Heidi Van den Bulcke, Examiner, EPO
Marjorie Chopinaud, Examiner/Team Manager, EPO
Download presentation (PDF, 2.2 MB)
Day 2 (18 May 2021)
Workshop: Borderline cases in cosmetics
See the workshop content here.
Ilknur Durand-Oral, Examiner, EPO
Inma Estañol, Examiner, EPO
Download presentation (PDF, 1.4 MB)Workshop: Sufficiency of disclosure and enablement in pharmaceutica
See the workshop content here.
Shiri Burema, Examiner, EPO
Miren Langer, Examiner, EPO
Download presentation (PDF, 1.6 MB)
Day 3 (19 May 2021)
Workshop: Product-by-process claims in additive manufacturing: pitfalls and remedies
See the workshop content here.
Nathalie Pierre, Examiner/Team Manager
Valentina Morra, Examiner, EPO
Download presentation (PDF, 2.4 MB)Workshop: Post-filing of experimental data and the burden of proof
See the workshop content here.
Eveline Lançon, Examiner, EPO
Karin Marchand, Examiner, EPO
Download presentation (PDF, 2.4 MB)
Speakers
Andrea Brewster, UK, Chartered Patent Attorney and European patent attorney. Former President of the Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys (CIPA). Until recently she served on the Institute’s governing Council and several of its committees, including the Education Committee. Before her retirement in 2015 she was a partner in a small UK patent and trade mark practice, Greaves Brewster LLP, of which she had been a co-founder. Now leads the IP Inclusive initiative, which she established in 2015 to promote equality, diversity, inclusion and wellbeing throughout the UK’s IP professions.
Shiri Burema, NL, examiner, Team Targeted Drugs and Small Peptides, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry, EPO The Hague. Studied chemistry at the Vrije Universiteit of Amsterdam (summa cum laude) and obtained a PhD with honours in chemistry from the École Normale Supérieure de Lyon. Prior to joining the EPO, she worked for almost six years as a Dutch and European Patent Attorney at a top-tier patent attorney firm, mostly dealing with EPO oppositions/appeals relating to second medical use. She was also active for the Netherlands Institute of Patent Attorneys. She is an EPO examiner in the field of targeted drugs since 2019 and a computer-implemented inventions expert for her directorate since 2020. Experience acting as second member in opposition proceedings. Passed the EQE in 2017. Passed the Dutch patent attorney qualification exams in 2017.
Marjorie Chopinaud, FR, examiner/team manager, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry, EPO Munich. Graduated in mechanical engineering in France, Germany, the USA and Switzerland. Joined the EPO in 2002 and works as a patent examiner in the field of medical technology. Teaches and gives presentations on IP protection and the EPO patent granting process at companies, national patent offices and universities. Actively involved in the European Inventor Award.
Ilknur Durand-Oral, TR/FR, examiner, Team Cosmetics C, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry, EPO Munich. Studied food engineering at the Middle East Technical University, Ankara. Master's degree in organic chemistry from the Université de Haute Alsace, Mulhouse. Worked at an anti-infective research company in Basel before joining the EPO in 2008. Completed a Praktika Extern internship in 2018, with a focus on borderline cases in cosmetics for medical use indications. Instructor at the EPO Talent Academy.
Inma Estañol, ES, examiner, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry and Opposition Directorate, EPO Munich. Pharmacologist, master's in food engineering and PhD in pharmacy/microbiology. Worked in R&D and as a director of quality and marketing in the food industry before joining the EPO in 1991. Active in working groups and as a CKT lecturer for harmonising the practice in borderline cases regarding second medical use in cosmetics, medical devices and food. Coach for examiners from national patent offices, national judges, patent attorneys as part of the Praktika Intern programme and newcomers to the EPO. IP expert representing the EPO in symposia and events related to the patentability of medical indications, post-granting procedures, the protection of traditional knowledge and the worldwide harmonisation of patent prosecution practices.
Amadou Kamara, DE, examiner/team manager, Mobility and Mechatronics, EPO The Hague. Graduated from the University of Technology Darmstadt (Germany) in Electrical Engineering, speciality Mechatronics. Has several years of experience in the industry as development, design and construction engineer, in particular in the automotive industry (International Development Center of Adam Opel AG in Rüsselsheim, Germany). Has been working many years at the EPO, first as an examiner and now as a team manager in the sector Mobility and Mechatronics and became last year a D&I promoter.
Eveline Lançon, FR/DE, examiner, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry, EPO Munich. Member of the Opposition Directorate. Graduated in chemistry from Ludwig Maximilian University and the Technical University of Munich and has a "mastèr espécialisé" in business strategy and industrial marketing from EM Lyon Business School. Joined the EPO in 2005. Experience in opposition procedures, an expert in Asian documentation matters and a member of the Asia Patent Expert Group. Passed the EQE.
Miren Langer, DE, examiner, Team Targeted Drugs and Small Peptides, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry, EPO The Hague. Studied pharmacy at the Philipps University of Marburg, University of Paris and University of Santiago de Compostela. Obtained a PhD in pharmacology from the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Prior to joining the EPO, she worked for three years as a project manager (medical department) in the pharmaceutical industry. She is an EPO examiner in the field of second medical use and targeted drugs since 2006. Experience chairing and acting as first member in opposition proceedings. Passed the EQE in 2012.
Karin Marchand, FR, examiner, Team Catalysis, EPO Munich. Holds engineering degrees from ESPCI Paris and the IFP School (ENSPM), with refining and chemical engineering as her major. Holds a master's in kinetics and catalysis and a PhD in in organic chemistry. Worked as a research engineer and project leader in the refining industry in France for ten years, designing new industrial catalysts and processes. Joined the EPO in 2010, obtained a CEIPI diploma (patents) in 2017 and passed the EQE in 2018.
Valentina Morra, IT, examiner, Health, Biotechnology and Chemistry, EPO The Hague. Studied chemistry at the University of Turin and completed a PhD in materials engineering at Delft University of Technology. Experience working as a researcher and project leader in the aluminium and aerospace industry. Joined the EPO in 2005 in the field of metallurgy, in particular additive manufacturing of metal objects. Chairperson in examination and opposition proceedings. Passed the EQE in 2016. Obtained the CEIPI Diploma on Patent Litigation in Europe from the University of Strasbourg in 2018.
Cyra Nargolwalla, FR, Managing Partner, Plasseraud IP, French and European patent attorney, currently Member ad personam of the SACEPO Working Party on Rules, Secretary of the French National Group of AIPPI. Specialised in the fields of biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. Has 27 years of experience as patent attorney, heavily focused on EPO opposition and appeal oral proceedings.
Nathalie Pierre, FR, examiner/team manager, Mobility and Mechatronics, EPO The Hague. Graduated in plastic processing from the École des Mines de Douai in France. Obtained a PhD in plastic processing at Claude Bernard Lyon 1 University for plastics firm Plastic Omnium. Studied IP at CEIPI, Strasbourg. Joined the EPO in 2001 and works as a patent examiner in search, examination and opposition. Involved in several reclassification projects in the field of additive manufacturing (B29C67, B33Y and B29C64).
Heli Pihlajamaa,FI, Director, Patent Law, Legal Affairs, EPO Munich. Assists in the creation of EPO policy by developing, strengthening and promoting the EPC, proposing legal changes and guaranteeing compliance of operations with patent law-related norms and case law. Advises senior EPO management on policy issues and legal amendments. Before joining the EPO, she worked in both the private and public sector in Finland.Jeremy Scott, UK, Director, Talent Management, PD People, EPO The Hague. Started at the EPO in 1989 as an examiner in pharmacology and worked for many years in training and change management. He was nominated director in 2005 and since then he has managed in Audio Video Media; Electricity and Electronics; Polymers and has headed the VP1 Office. Currently sponsor of the Continuous Knowledge Transfer group and the Asian Patent Expert Group. In 2019, Jeremy started a Diversity and Inclusion programme in his directorate and has seen over 30 events/topics covered. On 1 April 2021, he took over the role of director in Talent Acquisition and Talent Management in the Principle Directorate People.
Evangelia Spyropoulou, GR, Director, Operations, Mobility and Mechatronics, EPO Munich. Has many years of experience at the EPO, first as an examiner and now as Director Operations with particular focus on talent acquisition and development. Has been involved in a number of events on European and international co-operation. Evangelia worked at the EU Commission before joining the EPO.
Heidi Van den Bulcke, BE, examiner, Healthcare, Biotechnology and Chemistry, Team Biomaterials, EPO The Hague. Studied life, science and technology at the universities of Leiden and Delft, followed by biomolecular sciences at Utrecht University. Joined the EPO in 2007 in the field of biomaterials, focusing on the biocompatibility or therapeutic effect of medical devices, implants and bandages. Also involved in examination and opposition proceedings in the field of galenics.