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India's Patent Office has published a draft Manual of Patent Practice & Procedure. The manual runs to 166 pages and contains 14 chapters and three annexes. In the introduction, the Controller of Patents says that the principal objective of the manual is to establish uniformity and homogeneity in the processing of patent applications in India. This is an indirect admission that there has been little uniformity and consistency in India's patent prosecution system so far, particularly in the examination system. In particular, there has been a considerable degree of subjectivity in the way that the structure and functions of claims have been dealt with, the most critical aspect of the patent prosecution system.

Europe is following the US example and introducing a Bolar provision to exempt generic research aimed at obtaining regulatory approval. Marjan Noor and Camilla Smith examine the proposal and how it is likely to be implemented by member states

India's courts have handed down a steady stream of IP-friendly decisions over the past year, from domain name and phishing cases to counterfeiting and copyright. Vaishali Mittal and Munish Mehra of Anand and Anand explain how the lawsuits have transformed India's IP litigation landscape

Unlike many technology companies, Cisco's recently developed patent strategy stresses working with standards bodies rather than aggressive enforcement. The company's head of patents, Robert Barr, told James Nurton why

Brazil: The Brazilian government on June 24 told US drugs company Abbott Laboratories that if it does not lower the cost of its AIDS-fighting drug, Kaletra, the country would produce its own generic version. The government said that Abbott had 10 days to cut its price. As MIP went to press, no action had yet been taken.

Trade mark protection has advanced significantly from the days when marks consisted of words, letters, logos or reproductions of images in two-dimensional forms. In many countries, legislative amendments and continually evolving trade mark practices have extended the scope of trade mark protection to include non-conventional marks such as three-dimensional marks, sounds and even smells.

In the second of a three-part series, John Olsen examines the lessons emerging from OHIM’s Opposition Tribunals, and provides 10 tips on winning techniques for litigants

Copyright and contractual issues pose serious challenges to internet companies and their suppliers. David Sternbach of A&E Television Networks Interactive identifies three problems that recur, and suggests practical solutions to them

Romania has a new law governing the protection of plant varieties. Sonia Larion and Lucian Enescu, of Rominvent in Bucharest, explain how it works

The need for a clear problem and solution was demonstrated in a recent decision by Stockholm´ s Tingsrätt (The Stockholm City Court), the first instance for all patent litigation in Sweden. The problem/solution approach is one of the basic principles in European patent practice. In case No. T7-19-97 the validity of European patent 0138152 was tried by the City Court.