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Recently the Benelux Trademarks Office (BTO) announced that as from January 1 2006 the opposition procedure will be open for all classes. This means that oppositions can be filed against all applications filed on or after January 1 2006.

This year saw key changes to the Regulation governing Community trade marks. But is further reform necessary? Jeremy Phillips wonders what lessons legislators could learn from the trade mark system of the mythical jurisdiction of Atlantis

Recently released guidelines for USPTO examiners should help to clarify what is patentable in the murky area of business methods. John L Dauer, Jr explains what the change in policy will mean

Many Asian jurisdictions have adopted dispute resolution policies modelled on ICANN's UDRP. But understanding key differences between national and international practices could mean the difference between success and failure in the battle against cybersquatters. Jennifer Lam and Gabriela Kennedy explain what you need to know in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan

The internet has changed the way we do business. We size up our holiday options in our lunch breaks, select our Christmas gifts online without moving from our seats and communicate with friends and associates by e-mail to plan weekend events and corporate deals. Ours is a digital age, and today's business must harness the capabilities of the internet if it is to succeed in both global and local markets. IP practices are no exception, but while IP firms have not been slow to follow the digital trends in terms of marketing their services, the same cannot always be said for the software they use to support their work.

The topic of whether rights owners or consumers should take priority in the case of technological anti-copying protection devices on CDs or DVDs has been the cause of a hot debate in Italy for some time. Matteo Orsingher, Paolo Bertoni and Fabrizio Sanna of Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer examine the law and the possible outcome

Dubai recently served as one of the main locations for the shooting of Syriana - the first Hollywood production shot in the UAE. In recent years, many more such developments pointing toward a further opening up of the region have taken place in the media and entertainment industries, says Mark Hill of The Rights Lawyers

In the international discussions on the future of an international GI system, Italian food and wine producers are at the forefront of lobbying in favour of extended GI protection - none more so than the producers of two of Italy's best-known products, Parma ham and Parmesan cheese. Stéphanie Bodoni spoke to Federico de Simoni of Prosciutto di Parma, and Giorgio Bocedi, for Parmigiano Reggiano

Ben Moshinsky, London

Kuwait has for the past two years featured on the priority watch list of the USTR's Special 301 list, as one of several countries failing to protect IP owners' rights. But this is all about to change, says Abdullah Khalid Al-Ayoub of Abdullah Kh. Al-Ayoub & Associates