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Domain name registration in China has been opened to all comers, so trade mark owners need to be vigilant about their domain name rights. A new dispute resolution policy is up and running to offer some protection, explain Gabriela Kennedy and David Taylor

What are your favourite brands of tea, coffee, soft drink and whisky? If your answers are Lipton, Nescafe, Coca-Cola and Johnny Walker then your answers are not far away from those given by consumers polled in Readers' Digest's annual survey conducted in six Asian markets namely Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the Philippines, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Respondents were asked to rate different brands of goods and services from a range of one to five. The score would reveal the respondent's preferred brand in 37 categories which included their preferred airline, shampoo and conditioner, instant noodles, mineral water, car, watch, cooking oil, air conditioner and hotel.

As harmonization of registration procedures looms, Latin American practitioners are taking a fundamental look at their practices. Their first challenge is to stop copyright piracy from spiralling out of control. James Nurton reports

Valery Medvedev of Gorodissky & Partners in Moscow explains that counterfeiting is a big problem in Russia, but that there are tools available to deal with it

Chinese authorities are conscious of the international attention their anti-counterfeiting efforts receive. Their efforts are showing some success. Joe Simone, a vice-chairman of the Quality Brands Protection Committee, tells Ralph Cunningham what further action the group hopes to see

The obsolete Spanish regulation on industrial models and designs of 1929 has finally been reviewed and substituted by a new modern Design Law, adapted to EU Directive 98/71/EC.

The Czech Republic has modified its IP laws to harmonize with the European Union. Karel Cermak, of Cermak Horejs Myslil in Prague explains the changes

Australia: The Australian Federal Court is planning to introduce new guidelines to make patent litigation quicker and cheaper. Proposals include making the first directions hearing more like a case conference, holding a directions hearing to address whether more than one expert needs to be called in each field of expertise and allowing discovery only after evidence.

Emma Barraclough, London

The European Commission's plans to introduce regular reviews of CTM fees are likely to lead to further reductions. These will be welcomed by rights owners - but opposed by some member states. James Nurton and Emma Barraclough report