I am confused: it’s the mid-August already. Not so long ago I wrote about using IP’s as tools, while it was still winter and promised myself that I would continue on the subject in the spring, but it seems Mother Nature decided to skip spring and summer in Finland this year. Nevertheless, here goes.
15.8.2017
Small Steps for a Company – A Giant Leap Towards IP Strategy
Related services
Tags
Embrace the world. As in life in general, changes happen every day in the business world and at an accelerating pace. A deal is closed, CEO fired and a new one hired and a new co-operation is launched. There are always numerous decisions to be made that have implications for the overall business strategy and even IP strategy, the work is ongoing. Still, there are some fundamental elements of IP strategy to consider, and actions to be taken, that do not change whether a company is a digital age start-up singing in the choir of disruption or a multimillion-euro company producing familiar old-stand-by types of products.
There are few small steps every company should and can take in order to get closer to receiving the benefits of a well-structured IP strategy. A word of warning, though: this does not require superpowers, digitalization, IoT, disruption or lots of money, but only a clear business strategy and some hard work.
Is it a personal branding scheme? No, although that has been a hot topic lately. This is a to-do-list to get you closer to having something you can call an IP strategy. The beauty of intangible rights is that you have to document them to make them visible. My list is harshly oversimplifying it, but still, the core does not change even though it would be fleshed out in practice with consulting terms and more detailed instructions.
Now, I will not promise to write more on this subject when the snow comes, because it just might do that any given day! You can always rely on the short and cold Finnish summer. Luckily, you can take on the above list despite of the weather!
Latest insights
Article published 13.3.2024 – Intellectual Property
Changed rules on green claims – does your marketing contain claims about environmental objectives or emissions compensation?
Article published 7.12.2023 – Data & Technology
Agreements define data sharing and re-use
Article published 8.11.2023 – Data & Technology
Prepare for the new wave of digital regulation
Article published 30.10.2023 – Intellectual Property
Consumer Protection Act has been reformed – what should online stores know about it?
Hilma-Karoliina Rozell & Karla Kallela
Kim Parviainen, Eija Warma-Lehtinen & Sakari Salonen
Piia Raappana
Latest references
Piippo – Sale of bale netwrap and baler twine machines and certain trademarks
We are acting as legal advisor to Piippo Plc in the sale of their bale netwrap and baler twine machines, related assets, and trademarks used in Piippo’s business to Portuguese Cotesi S.A. The sale of assets will be carried out in two phases and the final completion of the transaction is expected to occur during the first quarter of 2026. Piippo Oyj’s core business is baling nets and twine and it is one of the leading suppliers in the industry globally. The company’s global distribution network covers more than 40 countries. The company’s shares are listed on the First North Growth Market Finland operated by Nasdaq Helsinki Oy. Founded in 1967, Cotesi is one of the world’s leading producers of synthetic and natural twines, nets and ropes, with operations in Europe, North America and South America and its main production plant in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal.
Case published 17.4.2025
Valio – Acquisition of the Härkis® and Beanit® fava bean brands
We advised Valio Oy in its acquisition of Raisio Oyj’s plant protein business, related fixed assets and the Härkis® and Beanit® fava bean brands. The fixed assets include, among other things, the production equipment of the factory that makes plant protein products in Kauhava. The transaction supports Valio’s strategy to grow from a dairy company to a food company. This business acquisition will make us an even more significant developer and producer of plant-based protein products. The demand for these products will grow in the long term, and a great deal of growth potential still remains. In 2022, we acquired the Gold&Green® business and, since then, we have been carrying out strong product development and renewed the brand. Following successful product launches, sales in the last quarter of 2024 increased by about 50% from the previous quarter. With this acquisition, we are building our own production capacity. The production equipment of the Kauhava factory is just right for our needs and situation. says Kimmo Luoma, Valio’s Senior Vice President. Valio is a Finnish dairy and food company founded in 1905 and owned by Finnish dairy cooperatives. Valio has subsidiaries in Sweden, Estonia, the United States and China. In 2023, the Group had a turnover of EUR 2 278 million and more than 4 000 employees.
Case published 14.2.2025
Arctic Biomaterials – Patent litigation over bioactive biomaterials for orthopedic implants
We successfully represented Arctic Biomaterials Oy before the Finnish Market Court in an extensive dispute concerning alleged patent infringement and invalidity of the patent-in-suit. Our client has invented next-generation bioabsorbable composites that are engineered with Arctic Biomaterials’ X3 bioactive natural mineral fibers, offering robust, bioactive reinforcement for orthopedic implants. These advanced composites empower customers to create high-strength bioabsorbable solutions for the most demanding applications. Back in 2019, Purac Biochem B.V. alleged, among other things, that our client’s Evolvecomp product had infringed Purac Biochem B.V.’s European patent validated in Finland protecting a biocompatible composite and its use. Purac Biochem B.V. filed a preliminary injunction against our client under the Act on Securing the Provision of Evidence in Civil Cases Concerning Industrial Property Rights and Copyright (344/2000). The Finnish Market Court issued an ex-parte injunction against our client on 2 April 2019 (MAO:150/19) and a final injunction on 19 February 2020 (MAO:59/20). Our client had disputed Purac Biochem B.V.’s patent infringement claim from the beginning and claimed that the patent-in-suit was invalid. After five years of litigation, the Finnish Market Court handed down a ruling in the joined invalidity and infringement cases on 10 October 2024 (MAO:560/2024 and MAO:561/2024) declaring Purac Biochem B.V.’s patent invalid and dismissing Purac’s infringement action against Arctic Biomaterials. Also, the preliminary injunction based on an alleged patent infringement imposed against Arctic Biomaterials was cancelled. The Market Court declared Purac Biochem B.V.’s patent invalid due to a lack of inventive step. The Market Court applied the could-would method for determining whether the patent-in-suit is inventive or not. The could-would method is based on determining whether a person skilled in the art would (not simply could, but would) have made a specific improvement to prior solutions, based on the available prior art. The Market Court ruled that it would have been obvious to a person skilled in the art to solve the objective technical problem of the patent-in-suit in the manner presented in claim 1, using as a starting point the closest prior art (prior patent publication) and combining it with the teaching of another prior art publication. The decision is final.
Case published 29.1.2025
Pernod Ricard – Sale of local Nordic beverage brands to Hartwall
We acted as Finnish counsel to Pernod Ricard in the sale of a portfolio of local Nordic brands to Oy Hartwall Ab, an affiliate of the Danish group Royal Unibrew. Pernod Ricard is a worldwide leader in the spirits and wine industry. The local portfolio of brands includes spirits, liqueurs and Finnish wine brands, the best-known being the liqueur Minttu, along with their related production assets based in Turku, Finland.
Case published 21.10.2024