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The US patent law is about to undergo a major change with a raft of reforms set to be implemented. These changes are considered to be the most comprehensive since Congress passed the 1952 patent Act. But, the path has not been smooth, with voices of dissent materializing as the government carves out its plans. MIP and Oblon, Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt jointly hosted a roundtable discussion – at a real roundtable – in Washington DC in late summer, to discuss some of those concerns and what really needs to be done

A monthly column devoted to IP curiosities and controversies, named in honour of John of Utynam - who received the world's first recorded patent in 1449

In a recent case concerning the admissibility of evidence and the construction of patents, the Irish Supreme Court endorsed the purposive approach to patent claim construction under Article 69 of the European Patent Convention and its Protocol. In upholding a decision by the High Court, the Supreme Court refused to permit the introduction of documentation used in arguments before foreign patent offices and in foreign proceedings concerning the scope of the patent at issue.

Stéphanie Bodoni and James Nurton, London

Walter Maiwald and Volker Hamm explain how, thanks to changes in the courts and the EU enforcement directive, Germany has ceased to be a paradise for patent infringers and become an upholder of patent rights

In the second part of the eighth annual World IP Survey, MIP reveals the top-ranked firms for trade mark/copyright work in 25 jurisdictions in Europe, Asia and North America. Below, we explain how the results were compiled

In less than six months Germany will host the 18th tournament of the FIFA World Cup, attracting thousands of visitors eager to support their favourite football team. Marketing opportunities will be plenty. But what legal protection will Germany offer to official sponsors to protect them against the marketing practices of unofficial third parties? Boris Uphoff, Rohan Massey and Sarah Brown explain

The success of technology transfer for universities in the US has prompted other governments to introduce or reform their laws governing licensing, as James Nurton and Emma Barraclough explain

Japanese companies were forced to rebalance their patent portfolios after finding themselves on the wrong end of IP lawsuits in the US during the 1980s. US companies must apply for more patent rights in China if they want to avoid having to learn the same lesson, says Alan Kasper of Sughrue Mion PLLC

Decreasing patent quality and the high risk and cost of patent litigation are threatening US innovation. Adam Jaffe and Josh Lerner, authors of Innovation and Its Discontents, present reform proposals that they argue can fix the system