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Consumer groups argue that parallel trading leads to cheaper prices but trade mark owners say it jeopardizes their long-term relationships with both distributors and consumers. Peter Hallett of Griffith Hack explains what IP owners can do to stop the trade in Australia

Enforcement of rights in China has not had a good press. But, as James W Gould reports, improved institutions and procedures mean that rights owners can now have more confidence in the courts

Authorities unveil new trade mark measures.

Here are some of the highlights of amendments to the Patent Law currently being presented to the Diet: (1) Shortening of the time period for filing a request for examination (Sec 48ter(1)). The time period for filing a request for examination is to be revised to three years from the filing date instead of the seven years as provided for in Section 48ter(1). The proposed provision is to be applied to an application filed on or after October 1 2001. The seven year time limit though provided for in the current law is still to be applied to an application pending on the above effective date of October 1 2001.

The president of the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market, Wubbo de Boer, revealed on September 21 that the Community Trade Mark will suffer its first decline in applications since it opened in 1996.

James G Conley and John J Szobocsan ask how IP owners can achieve sustainable competitive advantage through protected differentiation. Or, in other words, why am I in this long line to buy a Snow White video – a film first released in 1937?

Indonesia has made slow progress in tackling the piracy that has thwarted IP rights owners in the country. Nicholas Redfearn examines the country’s attempts to develop effective protection and reveals how some rights owners are coping with the problems

New patent, copyright and trade mark laws have made big changes to the IP regime in Hungary. But, says Gabriella Sasvári, further reforms will be needed to improve protection and enforcement in practice

Singapore's government could soon consolidate the way that it regulates medicines and other health-related products. At the moment, the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), Singapore's equivalent of the US Food And Drug Administration (FDA), regulates medicines and other health-related products. The HSA's powers are contained in a wide variety of legislation, such as the Medicines Act, the Poisons Act, the Sale of Drugs Act and the Medicines (Advertisement and Sale) Act. Through these laws, the HSA controls the manufacture, import, distribution, promotion and sale of health-related products in Singapore.

On June 21 2005, the Secretary of Health issued Administrative Order Number 2005-0016, entitled General Policies and Guidelines Governing Brand Names of Products for Registration with the Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD). BFAD officials are thought to believe that IP issues relating to brand names have impeded their ability to implement effectively the misbranding provisions of Republic Act 3720, known as the Food, Drugs and Devices and Cosmetics Act. The most important features of the new Order are: