Claim interpretation and Essential features with EPO

Aquaculture is an important industry in Norway and in this workshop we will present patent statistics and landscapes within various fields of aquaculture. We will also use cases from aquaculture as a backdrop for presenting and discussing interpretation of claims and essential features in patent applications. 

In order for the clarity requirement to be met, independent claims must define all the essential features of the invention. Essential features being those features which are necessary for achieving a technical effect underlying the solution of the technical problem with which the application is concerned. However, in practical examination it can sometimes be challenging to reason what constitutes the essential features of an invention. In a concluding session, EPO and NIPO examiners will share their experiences with such reasoning, including experiences as to how objections related to lack of essential features may be successfully addressed, and which pitfalls to avoid.