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More amendments to the Singapore Copyright Act are expected to come into effect on January 1 2005, to implement Singapore's obligations under the US-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. Some of the major proposed changes include:

When requesting a preliminary injunction, according to Article 199 bis 1 of the Mexican Law of Industrial Property, it is necessary to post a sufficient bond to warrant the possible damage that may be caused to the alleged transgressor. To ensure the quick and effective implementation of injunctions, some tips that must be considered when posting the bond are:

Italy's biotech sector is on the rise. Massimiliano Mostardini and Claudia Ricciardi of Bird & Bird provide an in-depth overview of Italian rules on biotech patents and employee inventions

A new IP code is being introduced in Italy. Luciano Bosotti and Giancarlo Notaro of Buzzi Notaro & Antonielli d'Oulx provide an in-depth look at Italy's existing patent prosecution system, how it compares with the EPC and how inventors can best benefit from it

The growth of counterfeiting, especially of pharmaceuticals, has raised the prospect of legitimate manufacturers becoming liable for damage caused by counterfeit products. Nick Beckett examines the lessons arising from such disputes in the US

This month´ s cover story tackles the thorny question of what constitutes fair advertising. Clothing company Benetton has built its reputation by shocking and surprising consumers with pictures depicting natural disasters, illness and danger. Its tactics have led to complaints from the public and regulators, with authorities in some countries banning particular adverts. In Germany, the picture of an oil-encrusted duck was held by the Federal Supreme Court to be offensive under the Unfair Competition Law. Following a five-year legal battle, in December the Federal Constitutional Court overturned this ban. The decision gives a green light to advertisers (companies and charities) to use provocative images in their advertising in Germany, previously one of Europe´ s more restrictive markets.

Frits Bolkestein, the new European commissioner in charge of intellectual property, is in for a bumpy ride. With controversial issues piling up in his in-tray, and close attention from the European parliament and industry guaranteed, he has a lot to prove. Ralph Cunningham reports

Patent pooling and licensing are critical to telecom standardization. But companies still fight fiercely to protect their rights. Two of them almost came to blows in court earlier this year. Ralph Cunningham reports

The doctrine of equivalents may not be used to cover unclaimed subject matter disclosed in a US patent application. This was the holding of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (sitting en banc), in Johnson and Johnston Associates, Inc v RE Service Co (62 USPQ 2d 1225(March 28 2002)). This conclusion was contrary to the Supreme Court's majority opinion in Graver Tank & Mfg Co v Linde Air Products (339 US 605, 609 (1950)).

Jingle writers and advertisers rely on mimicing well-known tunes, but do not want to fall foul of copyright laws.