Patenting practices and procedures in the field of food
technology
Discussion platform for exchange on patenting practices and procedures
The Intellectual Property Office of the Republic of Serbia, Belgrade, Serbia
Wednesday 1 June 2016
Moderation: Ms Mirjana Pešić, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture, University of
Belgrade
Public event: representatives of the Serbian industry, academia and patent attorneys, IP
judges, IPO and EPO examiners
08:45
Arrival and registration
09:00
Welcome speech
Mr Vladimir Marić, Acting Director of the IPO
Mr Niels Stevnsborg, Senior Content Expert, European Patent Academy, EPO
09:15
The European Patent Office
Niels Stevnsborg, Senior Content Expert, European Patent Academy, EPO
09:30
EPO Case law relevant in the field of food technology:
Dominika Baráč and François Couzy, Patent examiners, EPO
10:10
Patenting in the field of food technology: practice in Serbia
Ms Jelena Tomić Keser, Head of Chemistry and Chemical Technology Department, IPO
10:25
Coffee break
10:40
Patenting in the food technology field at the EPO: facts and figures
- Filing figures and their evolution over time
- Opposition procedures: recent figures and trends
Dominika Baráč and François Couzy, Patent examiners, EPO
11:00
Experience of a Serbian company and university in the field of food technology
Speaker: Mr Boško Pavlović, Director, Bread Line d.o.o. Zemun
Speaker: Ms Olivera Šimurina PhD, Research Associate, Institute of Food Technology,
Novi Sad
- Speaker: Mr Ivan Smailović, CTO, VP of R&D and co-founder of SG Isotech d.o.o.
Pančevo
-
11:45 Discussion with the floor on patenting activities in the field of food technology
- patenting trends in the technical field
- communicating with applicants/representatives on patentability issues
- recent decisions of the Boards of Appeal of the EPO in the technical field
12:30
Wrap-up by moderator
12:45
Closing remarks in the plenary
Ms Mirjana Jelić, Assistant Director and Head of Patent Sector, IPO
Niels Stevnsborg, Senior Content Expert, European Patent Academy, EPO
13:00 Buffet/Lunch
End of the public event
Speakers
Mr François Couzy
Examiner, Joint Cluster Industrial Chemistry, European Patent Office, Munich
After graduating in biochemistry and obtaining a PhD in nutritional sciences, François Couzy held for
twelve years a number of positions as a scientist, team leader and project leader in the R&D
department of a major food company. He joined the European Patent Office in Munich in 2000 and
since then has mainly worked in food science. He also has more than ten years of experience in
opposition proceedings, and is currently active in the department of food and detergents.
Ms Dominika Baráč
Examiner, Joint Cluster Industrial Chemistry, European Patent Office, Munich
Dominika studied "Technology and Biotechnology of Food" at TU München. Before joining the EPO
as a patent examiner in 2008, she worked as a Product and Process Development Manager of frozen
bakery products for the company CSM n.v. At the EPO she works in the field of Food Science and
Technology. Her tasks include search and examination of patent applications, classification, and
opposition procedures. She is also chairing oral proceedings in both examination and opposition.
Dominika has successfully passed the EQE in 2014.
Ms Mirjana Pešić
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Agriculture-University of Belgrade
Mirjana Pešić, doctor of biochemical sciences, assistant professor of biochemistry, teaching and
research at Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade. She graduated in the field of food
technology, followed by a master and PhD degree in Food Biochemistry. She is author and co-author
of 111 scientific papers in total (54 peer-reviewed articles, chapters and books), co-developer of new
technological process of production of soy milk and tofu and co-author of national innovation strategy
for food sector entitled “National Innovation Strategy Agro Food Serbia 2020, developed through the
CAPINFOOD Project. She has been participant in 9 national and 5 international projects concerning
food science, and innovation in the food sector. She has been involved in the organisational and
scientific Committee of two International Congresses (CEFood2012 and FoodTech2014) and in the
organisation of four training workshops for traditional food producers and food processors. Currently,
she is involved in two national (in one as coordinator of a subproject) and one FP7 project TRAFOON. She is founder and member of a Serbian Association of Food Technologists.
Mr Boško Pavlović
Director, Bread Line d.o.o. Zemun
Boško Pavlović graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade at the Department of
Food Technology and has over thirty years of experience in the food industry. He invented, patented
and commercialised a technology for the production of sprouted grain flour.
Flour produced by the patented technology is on offer at regional and at EU level and is
manufactured in the company founded and managed by Boško Pavlović.
Ms Olivera Šimurina
Research Associate, Institute of Food Technology, University in Novi Sad
Olivera Šimurina is a research associate at the Institute of Food Technology, University of Novi Sad.
She received her PhD at the Faculty of Technology in Novi Sad in the field of food-biotechnology
science. Olivera Šimurina has twenty years of experience in the development of new and functional
products based on cereals and flour, which are the results of numerous technological-development
projects and cooperation with industry. Her future activities run in the same direction as they are now
focusing on increasing application of new products in the companies. She is a participant in a number
of bilateral projects in the region with the theme of the development of products based on cereals and
flour for consumers with special requirements. Member of the expert working group for drafting
national regulations on quality and other requirements for wheat and other food grains, milling and
food products and pasta.
Mr Ivan Smajlovic
CTO, VP of R&D and co-founder of SG Isotech d.o.o. Pančevo
Ivan Smajlovic has eleven years of experience in the food industry with a focus on quality control and
the authenticity of wine, hard liquor, beer, honey and fruit juice. Mr Smajlovic is the developer of the
EIM-IRMS® (Ethanol Isotopic Measurement - Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry) method and holds a
number of patents in the field in Serbia, Russian Federation and USA. Mr Smajlovic holds an MSc in
Food Technology of Food Products from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Belgrade,
Serbia, and currently works on his doctorate.
Ms Jelena Tomić Keser
Patent examiner, Head of Chemistry and Chemical Technology Department, IPO
Jelena Tomić Keser has been working at the Intellectual Property Office since 2002. As a biochemist
she graduated from Belgrade University, Faculty of Chemistry. She is a patent examiner in the field of
biotechnology and pharmacy. Beside classification, search and examination of patent applications,
she is active in educating the public on the importance of patent rights, in particular in the chemistry
fields.
Mr Vladimir Marić
Acting Director of the IPO
Vladimir Marić graduated from Belgrade University’s Faculty of Law in 1997 and specialized further
with two LL.Ms – the first at the University of Belgrade`s Law School, and an another at the Faculty of
Law at Torino University. He has been a permanent employee in the Intellectual Property Office since
1998. He worked as an Examiner at Trademark Department, Head of the Trademark Department and
as Assistant Director in the Sector of Copyright and International Cooperation. At present, he has
been appointed as an Acting Director of the Office. He has also been teaching Intellectual Property at
the Faculty of Law of the Union University at Belgrade for the last 11 years. He published several
books and many articles from various fields of IP.