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Daryl Grecich, director of marketing and programs strategy for the International Trademark Association, died of heart failure on February 2 aged 44. In nine years at INTA, Daryl worked to increase sponsorship, partnerships and participation in the Association's activities. He worked particularly closely with Managing IP in developing the INTA Daily News (launched in 2003) and other publishing projects. Donations in memory of Daryl can be made to the Alzheimer's Association, a charity which he supported in honour of his father. Contact details are at www.alz.org and www.alzfdn.org.

A motion to review the "current state" of the UDRP has been passed by the Generic Names Support Organisation Council of Icann, which is the organisation's policy making body. An issues report will examine "how the UDRP has addressed the problem of cybersquatting to date, and any insufficiencies/inequalities associated with the process". And "whether the definition of cybersquatting inherent within the existing UDRP language needs to be reviewed or updated". Once this is completed, the Council will vote on whether to start a policy development process, which could later effect change in the UDRP. "I don't think it is well timed with everything else going on with new gTLDs as the UDRP is the one solid mechanism currently in place," said David Taylor of Hogan Lovells (right), though he said a review might strengthen it for brand owners.

Judge Colin Birss of the Patents County Court (PCC) in London has handed down a judgment, which prevented the now wound-up law firm ACS:Law and company MediaCAT from discontinuing proceedings against 27 defendants they accused of downloading copyrighted pornographic films. Birss was unhappy with how the two had proceeded up to this point, including the fact that MediaCAT did not represent the owners of the infringed material, and wrote: "The advantage of discontinuing as opposed to applying to amend is unwarranted in that it avoids judicial scrutiny of the underlying basis for wider campaign orchestrated by MediaCAT and ACS:Law to generate revenue..." The claimant MediaCAT was a company with a contract with Sheptonhurst, perhaps among others, which owns copyright in the films. Both MediaCAT and Sheptonhurst entered into agreement that would see ACS:Law take 65% of revenue generated from the letter-writing campaign.

The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals last month ruled in favour of Levi Strauss in a decision that sheds light on the 2006 Trademark Dilution Revision Act (TDRA).

Singapore has been confirmed as the new location for Icann’s June meeting.

A comprehensive guide to filing, protecting and enforcing your patent in Israel. By Michael Factor of JMB Factor & Co

David Moore has been appointed special counsel and head of the IP team at full-service Australian law firm Cornwall Stodart.

South Korea is set to reinforce border measures and data protection as part of a free trade agreement with the EU, which was approved by the European Parliament last week

Three former Bereskin & Parr lawyers have joined Borden Ladner Gervais in Toronto.

A landmark licensing programme for Blu-Ray disc patents, to be launched on April 1 this year, has thrown up debate about patent licensing, both between organisations in the west and among manufacturers in China.