From USB to 5G: the power of standards

Standards are the invisible protocols that ensure our devices and services work together seamlessly. But how do they relate to patents? And what does this mean for innovation and competition?  

 Uncover how the interplay between standards and patents shapes technological progress. This discussion dives into how the Unified Patent Court and the Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre aim to streamline patent litigation and enhance legal coherence across Europe.  

 Finally, we introduce the European Patent Office's new dataset: the Patent Standards Explorer. By linking patent applications to standards documents, it offers a valuable resource for better understanding the innovation journey.  

More information:  

Standards and the European patent system, May 2025: full study 

Patent Standards Explorer dataset 

"Patents, standards and innovation: securing Europe’s competitive edge" event recording 

 Narrator: Victor Arribas Martinez, Stream Leader, EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology 

 Guest: Pere Arque Castells, Stream Leader, EPO Observatory on Patents and Technology 

 Featuring insights from speakers at the EPO Observatory’s "Patents, standards and innovation: securing Europe’s competitive edge" event: 

• Gabriele Mohsler, Vice President Patent Creation Management, Ericsson 

• Kirti Gupta, Vice President and Chief Economist of Global Technology, Cornerstone Research 

• Bowman Heiden, Director of the Center for Intellectual Property (CIP), University of Gothenburg 

• Justus Baron, Director of BRELA and Research Director, Northwestern University Center on Law, Business and Economics 

• Aleš Zalar, Director, Patent Mediation and Arbitration Centre, Unified Patent Court 

• Rian Kalden, Presiding judge of the 2nd panel of the Court of Appeal, Unified Patent Court 

• Alexander Haertel, Cluster Lead Patents, Deutsche Telekom 

• Sophie Pasquier, Principal Licensing Counsel, Philips