China Applies for Patent to Treat Coronavirus

The Wuhan Institute of Virology has recently filed a patent application for the drug remdesivir to treat coronavirus. The patent was filed jointly with the Military Medicine Institute of the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Science. The Chinese believe that remdesivir and chloroquine (an anti-malarial drug) are effective at combating the virus. Chloroquine is an eight year old drug and China is free to manufacture it but remdesivir has been patented by Gilead Sciences Inc. Any production or use of this drug would require sublicensing or approval by Gilead.

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EU Says Inventors Must Be Human

The European Union (EU) recently rejected two patents applications where the invention was created by artificial intelligence (AI). These inventions were created by a “creativity machine” comprised of a system of multiple artificial neural networks. These networks generate new ideas, analyze their performance, and assess distinctions between existing inventions and the newly generated idea. The EU Patent office found both AI inventions to be new and industrially applicable; however, the patents were refused because the invention was not created by a human.

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Do the Scots own BURNS NIGHT?

The Scotch Whisky Association recently filed an opposition to the mark BURNS NIGHT filed by an Atlanta distiller of American malt whiskey. The Association claims that BURNS NIGHT is “highly evocative of Scotland when used on a whisky product,” and is likely to cause a consumer to believe that the spirit being purchased is a Scotch as opposed to an American whiskey.

The mark would not seem to be a simple geographic indicator so can an annual celebration of the Scottish poet Robert Burns prevent registration of the mark? It is an interesting question as Robbie Burns Night is acknowledged in many other parts of the world as well, particularly Canada and the US.

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