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Border measures are always a key tool in the fight against counterfeiting and piracy and a critical element of a successful IP enforcement system. In the scope of the continuous efforts to create competent border enforcement measures and to provide effective protection, the Customs in Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, Tunisia and UAE (three emirates out of seven: Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah) have established a trade mark recordation system for registered marks. Recordal is also expected to be introduced in Qatar and in an additional UAE emirate (Abu Dhabi). This system will undoubtedly help Customs officials target, intercept and confiscate shipments of infringing goods.

The computing industry in Mexico has increased substantially in the past 10 years. There is a great number of developments in areas such as hardware, software, video games, computer-aided design (CAD), computer-aided manufacturing (CAM), computer-aided engineering (CAE) and computer-aided surgery (CAS).

Japanese practice, under which late pharmacological test results are rarely accepted, has been criticised by foreign pharmaceutical companies for being in discord with western practice and making it difficult to pursue a global IP strategy. Recently, the IP High Court warned against too strict examination by the JPO and rendered a judgment that should promote international harmonisation.

Indonesia's Minister for Justice and Human Rights Amir Syamsudin met with Daian Ciolos, EU Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development, in Brussels on February 7 to plan a geographical indication treaty between the Indonesian government and the European Union. This treaty is expected to benefit both parties.

Many may recollect that the division bench of the Delhi High Court had ruled in 2012 that the Trade Marks Act, 1999 creates a rule of international exhaustion. While the question is still pending before the Supreme Court in Samsung v Kapil Wadhwa, Philip Morris has been able to succeed in obtaining a final decree against parallel imports before the Delhi High Court.

A recent decision (number 5898/2013) of the Full Member Civil Court of First Instance in Athens ruled on the validity of a design (a lid for cups used for hot beverages), examining specific issues regarding the novelty and the individual character of a design.

In H Gautzsch Großhandel GmbH & Co v Münchener Boulevard Möbel Joseph Duna GmbH (MBM) (case C-479/12), the Court of Justice of the EU ruled on specific legal questions regarding Articles 7 (1), 11 (2), 19 (2), 88 and 89 (1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 6/2002 on Community designs.

As mentioned in our previous article, French Polynesia (FP) an overseas community of the French Republic, became autonomous under the organic law of February 27 2004.

Although, technically speaking, the EU regulation on the European unitary patent is already in force, it will only become effective once the Agreement on the Unified Patent Court (UPC) enters into force. This will be four months after the 13th ratification of the agreement, with the proviso that at least Germany, France and the UK have ratified the agreement.

Once again, the recently released EPO statistics reveal an all-time filing record. In 2013, a total of 265,690 European applications were filed with the EPO. This number represents an increase of 2.8% compared to the number of filings in 2012 and a growth of 8.4% relative to 2011.