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The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (CPTPP), also known as TPP-11 is a trade agreement between Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. With seven participating parties now having ratified the agreement, the CPTPP has entered into force.

The International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use (ICH) which commenced in 1990 made it possible to use common scientific and technical methods in drug development in Japan, the United States and EU. As a result, in approval reviews of medicinal drugs in Japan, results from foreign clinical trials are utilised based on bridging development strategy as stipulated by ICH Guideline E5.

To raise funds for research and development, start-ups sometimes have to announce the existence of licensing agreements, supply and distribution agreements etc. (i.e. a contract for a future sale of a product embodying an invention). In places like the US, if such agreements were made public more than one year prior to the effective filing date, even though the details of the invention are kept confidential, a statutory on-sale bar may be triggered, resulting in loss of patent protection for the invention in the US.

Following the high-profile withdrawal of the United States from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) in 2017, the remaining members agreed to move forward with a revised trade agreement called the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership, or CPTPP. The CPTPP came into force on December 30 2018 between the first six signatories, Australia, Canada, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand and Singapore. Vietnam, the seventh country to ratify the new agreement, officially joined the CPTPP on January 14 2019.

While the Internet is a convenient place for users to share and receive information, the fast and continuous growth of the Internet has created opportunities for counterfeiters to more easily use means and channels online to promote and sell counterfeit goods to consumers.

Managing Intellectual Property is delighted to publish the IP STARS 2019 rankings of the leading firms for trade mark work. This is the first set of results from the research for IP STARS 2019, which started in September 2018.

Since the Thai Trademark Act (No.3) came into force on July 28 2016, it has been possible for trade mark owners to file applications to renew their registrations within six months after the relevant expiration date subject to an official fee increase of 20 per cent. This six month renewal grace period has been of great benefit to many owners of trade mark registrations in Thailand. However, if the registered owner has merged into another entity before the renewal period, this merger needs to be recorded along with the late renewal.

A monthly column devoted to IP curiosities and controversies, named in honour of John of Utynam

In the appealed case of Frederick Vital Erum v Integrated Formworks Builder, the Office of the Director General (ODG) of the Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) issued its decision on October 19 2018, affirming the decision of the Office of the Bureau of Legal Affairs (BLA) cancelling Erum's letters patent no. 1-2006-00047 (047) entitled "A Table Form Support System for Concrete Forming," on the ground that the claimed invention lacks inventive step and is therefore not patentable. Under Section 21 of the IP Code, for an invention to be given patent protection, it must be new, have an inventive step and be industrially applicable.

The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) issued a precedential opinion in In re American Cruise Lines, Inc. regarding the necessary provisions for an acceptable consent to registration. In doing so, the TTAB provided clarification and guidance to trade mark owners who are negotiating and drafting consent agreements.