The latest around the Asia-Pacific

The IP environment in Asia-Pacific continues to evolve quickly. This year's Asia-Pacific IP Focus delves into the diverse range of issues around the region. Some of the topics covered in this year's Focus include the determination of functional features in patent litigation in China, GUI protection in Japan and the evolution of collective rights management societies in Indonesia.

For readers interested in particular countries, we also have our recently published India IP Focus and Australia Supplement. In the India Focus, we have an interview with Shamnad Basheer, one of Managing IP's 50 most influential people this year discussing his successful constitutional challenge against the constitutionality of the IP Appellate Board. We also have articles from our experts on topics such as how India is adapting to delays in the legal system, issues arising from double patenting and the problem of forum shopping.

Our Australia Supplement features an interview with patent examiner Gillian Thompson giving us an inside look into IP Australia, as well as articles about the country's unique design patent system and another about the effect of capital gains tax regulations in Fiji on IP sales.

We hope you find these articles helpful and as usual welcome your feedback.

Below are the topics covered:

·        IP enforcement: the view from in-house counsel and judges

·        Australia: A year in the Australian IP courts

·        China: Functional features in patent infringement litigation

·        India: Government gears up for IP revamp

·        Indonesia: Challenges to royalty collection

·        Japan: An analysis of GUI protection in Japan

·        Malaysia: Monetising IP assets

·        The Philippines: Philippines leaves USTR Watch List

·        Taiwan: Principles of trade mark morality

·        A crusade for transparency in IP

·        Time is of the essence

·        Public interest and imperfect recollection

·        Overcoming delays and inconsistency at the Indian Patent Office

·        Keeping an eye on forum shopping

·        Clarifying the blurry boundaries of multiple patents

·        A review of recent patent opposition cases

·        A day in the life of a patent examiner

·        Q&A: litigation update

·        A unique slant on a unique system

·        Innovation patents under scrutiny

·        A red flag for IP holders