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Tøyen tannlegevakt (TT) – a dental clinic – registered its logo consisting of a red cross containing four white As and a representation of a tooth in 2007. When becoming aware of the mark, the Norwegian Red Cross ordered TT to cease use because the mark was easily confused with the Red Cross emblem. When TT refused, Red Cross filed a complaint.

A US applicant has an International Registration (IR) number 479405 for the American Eagle trade mark. He extended his registration to Russia in respect of part of the goods in class 25, specifically, to pantoufles, chaussures en general d'origine americaine.

In order to update the means of receiving documentation, the Mexican Patent Office (IMPI) has amended the Rules for filing applications by means of an Act published on March 18 2010 in the Official Gazette. The Act is effective from the following day.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) has operated a pilot trial for a Community Patent Review (CPR) system since March 2010.

The coming few years will bring a halt to the dominance of big pharmaceutical companies, which are exposed to patents that will expire on more than $80 billion-worth of blockbuster drugs. A famous example is the patent expiry of Eli Lilly's anti-depressant drug, Prozac, which reportedly lost 73% of market share within two weeks of generic launch. Similarly, Pfizer's anti-depressant Zoloft, which lost patent exclusivity, showed a decline in revenues to $531 million in 2007, compared to $3.3 billion in 2005. However, Pfizer's bigger concern in the near future is when the patent for other famous drugs such as Lipitor and Viagra will expire.

In a recently issued decision, the German Federal Court of Justice (BGH) had to decide whether decisions of the European Patent Office (EPO) or courts of other European Patent Convention (EPC) member states are binding on German patent courts (Decision of April 15 2010, Xa ZB 10/09 – Walzenformgebungsmaschine).

In view of the desire to spread the culture of innovation by strengthening the national systems for the protection of industrial property, the Italian and South Korean governments have entered into a wide ranging agreement whereby the two countries co-operate to combat counterfeiting and better protect industrial property.

On July 1 2010 the Austrian Patent Office offers opposition procedures in addition to the possibility of cancellation proceedings. In doing so, Austria now has all the procedures available which are internationally standard in trade mark grant procedures.

The Federal Court of Australia recently found a company director personally liable for patent infringement. In Inverness Medical Switzerland GmbH v MDS Diagnostics Pty Limited [2010] FCA 108, Inverness was the owner of a number of patents in the field of pregnancy testing and sued both the company MDS and its director, Dr Appanna, a family doctor in Auckland. Inverness argued that the doctor was a joint tortfeasor in directing MDS in the infringement.

Anti-counterfeiting in East Africa is a topic in vogue, highlighted by the Kenya Anti-Counterfeit Act (Number 13 of 2008) and the interlocutory ruling of Justice Mwendoh, dated April 23 2010 in Kenya High Court Petition Number 409/2009 Ochieng', Atieno & Munyi v Attorney General. Reading Ochieng's case revived 1960s memories of a truckload of fake Aspro drugs destroyed by order of the then Supreme Court of Kenya, and the thoughts that: