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The Mexican Constitution was amended on June 6 2011, with the intention of obliging every authority in the country to respect human rights and international treaties. These amendments also included a need to reform the procedural law regulating the Amparo trial, through which constitutional challenges are brought.

One of the biggest threats to a brand owner is genericide, whereby widespread usage of a mark in the marketplace causes the term to be considered by the public to be a generic term for a particular product rather than a source identifier. Some well-known examples of marks which became generic over time in certain jurisdictions are "aspirin" and "escalator". When genericide occurs, a mark can no longer function as a trade mark, as it ceases to identify a particular source or to distinguish the origin of the product from competing products. Once a mark has become generic, the law deems it available for all parties to use and the now-former brand owner no longer has exclusive rights to it.

Following the retirement of INTA executive director Alan Drewsen this summer, Spanish-born Etienne Sanz de Acedo will take over as chief executive officer from July 1. At present Sanz de Acedo is head of communications for OHIM. He spoke to Alli Pyrah about his goals for INTA and the challenges that lie ahead. My mother is French and my dad, who passed away, was Spanish. I started learning English at school and went to the UK many times during the summertime to practice. At OHIM, it was advantageous to be able to speak as many languages as possible. I had a passion for Italian so I spent five summers going to Italy and learning Italian.

Patents invalidated in CLS v Alice Court issues seven conflicting opinions USPTO responds In the wake of a narrow decision by the US Federal Circuit in CLS v Alice, lawyers are advising patent applicants how to adjust their strategies for protecting software innovations.

Managing IP reports from hearing Judges generally skeptical Solicitor general suggests compromise Last month's Supreme Court hearing in the US Myriad case pitched supporters and opponents of gene patents against each other. But some commentators believe a compromise position proposed by the solicitor general may appeal to the justices.

Do patent pools ultimately benefit consumers or the companies that agree to package their IP rights as part of a technical standard? That's a question antitrust officials must grapple with, but it's one that raises questions of both theory and practice.

The America Invents Act gives challengers more ways to attack a patent post-grant, but the challenger may have to hit a “moving target”

AIPLA president Jeff Lewis has written to the Office of Management and Budget protesting against the application of sequestration to the USPTO

Vermont enacted a new law on Wednesday, believed to be the first of its kind in the US, in an effort to crack down on so-called patent trolls

Traditional forms of intellectual property are key to maintaining a competitive edge, but there are instances where trade secret protection may result in stronger and longer lasting protection