Cover Story

• America’s best life sciences litigators

  

  The top 10 life science litigators in the US, as compiled by Managing IP. Read how, why and with what success each of these 10 men and women got into patent litigation, as told to Karen Bolipata and Phillip Bausk

Features

• Make pharma partnerships work in China

  Most co-marketing and co-promotion deals in developed markets fail within five years. Richard Bird and Ma Ya explain how to structure deals that will succeed in China

• Nissan’s lessons from the Middle East

  

  Riki Kishimoto gives his recommendations for trade mark enforcement in Dubai and Saudi Arabia, including working with Customs, police and local investigation agencies

• Biggest-ever meeting and a feast of sessions

  

  At the INTA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, a record number of attendees heard sea stories, arguments and polar bear paradigms. Managing IP reports

• Apple, the iPad and assignee rights

  

  A few simple steps could prevent you losing the rights to a valuable trade mark in China, say Zhu Zhigang and Paul Ranjard. They include a notarised contract, an exclusive licence and strategic discretion

• Why you need the advertising function

  

  The Specsavers v Asda case in the UK shone a spotlight on a trade mark’s advertising function under case law from the Court of Justice of the EU. Alexandra Brodie and Bonita Trimmer explain why brand owners will rely on non-origin functions a lot more in the future

• Who won the argument over plain packaging?

  

  Government and tobacco companies recently faced off in Australia’s High Court over the legality of plain packaging for cigarettes. Stephen Stern and Matthew Rimmer give their contrasting views on the arguments and implications

• The law is failing screen interfaces

  

  Recent cases demonstrate a lack of consistency in the application of copyright law in China, say Yihong Ying and Ling Jin, particularly affecting graphic user interfaces. Draft reform will only lend limited aid

• Tips on transferring PCC cases

  The first 18 months of the Patents County Court in London under its new rules demonstrate some fairly clear lessons on transferring cases. Simon Bennett and Rachel Cook survey the evidence

News Analysis

• Philippines, Mexico, Colombia to join Madrid

  

  Simon Crompton explains the impact of three countries joining or clearing the last hurdles to join the international trade mark system

• Exclusive interview: Ricardo Blancaflor, IPOPHL

• Optus TV streaming case overturned

• Taiwan pushes to improve law on trade secrets

• Sharp views at the International Patent Forum

• MIP Handbook: Leading IP firms in Americas analysed

  The Americas sections of the 2012 MIP Handbook are now available on miphandbook.com, with Europe and Asia due in subsequent weeks

IP Clinic

• How should IP improve its image?

  

  IP has an image problem, particularly among young people. Three recent campaigns have taken rather different approaches

News in Brief

• Patents: First AIA oversight hearing sparks controversy in Congress

• Trade marks: Louis Vuitton case could lead to rush at the ITC

• Copyright: Computer programs not protected in Europe

• Internet IP: Get ready for 2,000 new gTLDs

• Moves: A trio of moves in Germany

Diary

• Editorial: Drop the Tenenbaum case

• Utynam's heirs: Pirate Bay's public letters, plus protecting IP in a beard

Country Updates

• Africa - Proposed Bill on plant breeders’ rights in Tanzania

• Argentina - Rules changed on pharma patentability

• Australia - New patent legislation enacted

• Austria - Split understanding on the relevant public

• European Patent Office - Rulings show need for clarity in interpreting claims

• France - First names make a difference in wines

• Germany - Confusion over Germany and PCT claim fees

• Greece - Details of the new Trademark Law

• India - Copyright Board cannot order interim tariff

• Malaysia - How directors are personally liable for infringement

• Mexico - How to prevent frivolous actions

• The Netherlands - EU parliament issues resolution on bio patents

• New Zealand - Court says ‘no’ to milking the discovery process

• Norway - New act for IP office

• The Philippines - Philippines joins the Madrid Protocol

• Poland - When serious reasons prevent trade mark use

• Russia - Patent Office saves biblical bread for all

• Switzerland - New court confirms recipe for plaintiff requests

• Taiwan - Ruling on patent royalty agreements

• Thailand - Overcoming trade mark refusals

• US: Trade marks - Deceptive geographic marks clarified