Search results for

For many years the English patents judges have striven to reduce costs and time to trial in patent cases. The streamlined procedure introduced in 2003 is the latest such move. It is proving a great success. Although the procedure was primarily intended for use in smaller patent cases, the flexibility afforded to judges in the way that they can manage cases has influenced the conduct of all patent litigation. Actions are now coming to trial in shorter periods of time (nine months to trial is not uncommon), and trials are shorter in duration. Two recent cases may be seen as indicators of the increasing use of the procedure, and a further shift toward more flexible and efficient patent litigation.

The effects of gene sequences must be confirmed by experiment to satisfy the Japanese Patent Office's enablement requirement, so applicants are rephrasing their claims. Naoto Uchida explains

The first case under the .au Domain Administration's dispute resolution policy (auDRP) to result in an order to transfer a domain name, has developed into an argument over the fairness of the process.

More than half a million .info registrations were made within the first 90 days of the new top level domain name's operation. By comparison, it took the global .com domain more than five years to reach the same level, according to a University of California Berkeley study quoted by the .info registry Afilias.

Following the rapid rise of patenting by Japanese inventors in the second half of the twentieth century, a second-wave of Asian innovation is being led by companies in China, India and South Korea. But are these businesses protecting their IP rights overseas? Peter Ollier looks at the trends

Research into stem cells is leading to new demands on the patent system - and provoking resistance from protesters. Members of FICPI's Biotech Committee Helene Fagerlin, David Bannerman, Lola Bartoszewicz and Danny Huntington survey the latest developments in the US, Europe and elsewhere

A number of recent cases have addressed the breadth of protection for patents in the UK, Germany and Japan. Ewan Nettleton, Alex Wilson, Julian Eberhardt and Hirokazu Honda examine the consequences for inventive improvements and ask how far international practice is harmonized

The new system of resolving domain name disputes in Hong Kong is a great improvement on the old method. Domain name owners can now make use of a quicker and cheaper way to assert their rights, explain Christopher Tung and Minny Siu

EU enlargement has increased the practical difficulties for patent owners and decision makers to get or refuse a compulsory licence request in Hungary. Michael Lantos of Danubia Patent & Trademark Attorneys outlines the potential hurdles of the system and how it can be used to enforce one's rights

Milan Chromecek and Olivier Banchereau of Lovells provide a detailed guide to France's trade mark enforcement system, including tips on how to use the courts, what damages are available and how to intercept infringers