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Rights holders are looking to Southeast Asia as the next growth region. Lawyers from Hechanova & Co, Henry Goh & Co and Tilleke & Gibbins discuss the latest changes and what companies need to consider when entering the market in a roundtable discussion moderated by Peter Leung

Chinese firms are the fastest growing filers in this year’s PCT Survey, but Shiga and Sakai of Japan jump up the worldwide rankings and there are new top firms in both Australia and Italy

USPTO acting director Teresa Stanek Rea told staff that the Office will remain open in the event of a government shutdown tomorrow

In August, the US Patent and Trademark Office's Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) issued a precedential decision in Central Garden & Pet Company v Doskocil Manufacturing Company, Inc. The TTAB cancelled a trade mark registration for the mark Zilla because the assignment of the underlying application was improper. The decision highlights the need for parties to give special consideration to the manner in which the assignment of intent-to-use-based trade mark applications are treated when structuring corporate transactions.

After undergoing three readings by the Legislative Yuan, the new amendment to Taiwan's Patent Law was passed on May 31 2013, and took effect since June 13. The key changes are as follows:

An absolute right to a reply derives from Article 6 paragraph 1 of the European Convention on Human Rights as well as on the Swiss Federal Constitution. The Swiss Federal Court has confirmed that in view of the principle of fair trial in the ECHR and the Swiss Constitution, parties have the right to be heard with regard to all writs of the opposing party.

Under Article 2(1)(a) of the Unfair Competition Prevention and Trade Secret Protection Act, an "act of causing confusion with another's goods by using a designation identical or similar to another's name, trade name, trade mark, design of packaging or containers, or any other designation used by another as an indication of goods, which are widely known in Korea, or by selling, distributing, importing or exporting goods with any of those designations" is included in an "act of unfair competition" which is subject to civil and criminal liabilities. A classic example of an "act of causing confusion with another's goods" under Article 2(1)(a) of the Act is an act of selling counterfeit designer products.

As of September 1 2013, the Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has commenced a patent prosecution highway (PPH) pilot programme with the State Intellectual Property Office of the People's Republic of China (SIPO). This will allow both offices to share their search and examination results, avoiding the need for duplicate examination work and providing a speedier route to grant.

In Russia, the common expression "Drink less" pronounced with a reproachful intonation is not just a word combination but a popular saying. It has a humorous and piquant connotation directed to a friend meaning that he perhaps has drunk enough. Russia is by no means the only country where allusions to drinking alcohol are popular. There are many sayings in English, such as "drink less for more success; drink less, miss less; more drinking, less thinking". However these sayings are more didactic than humorous, which distinguishes them from the Russian expression.

Does an entity duly licensed to engage in the business of refilling, buying, selling, distributing and marketing liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) commit trade mark infringement when it refills containers bearing the registered marks of another entity without the latter's consent? Yes, said the Supreme Court of the Philippines in its decision issued on June 17 2013 in the case of Republic Gas Corporation et al, v Shell International et al (GR No 194062).