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A monthly column devoted to IP curiosities and controversies, named in honour of John of Utynam - who received the world’s first recorded patent in 1449

Philip Noonan, director-general of IP Australia, talks to Peter Ollier about planned reforms to the country's IP system, patent harmonisation and how the Office is coping with the credit crunch

Wayne Condon of Griffith Hack looks at three recent attempts by pharmaceutical companies to obtain pre-trial injunctions

Kate Andean and Margaret Shearer of Banki Haddock Fiora look at the implications of a series of court decisions on shape trade marks

Greg Gurr and Simon Potter of Spruson & Ferguson look at recent court decisions on patent ownership, entitlement, contributory infringement and innovative step

The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has issued new guidance on the patentability of computer programs. This follows the Court of Appeal's rejection of the UKIPO's appeal in the recent Symbian case and confirmation that there will be no further appeal to the House of Lords. The key statement in the new guidance is that the Symbian case confirms "that the Aerotel/Macrossan test is intended to be in substance the same test as that relied on in the prior UK case law". Previously, the UKIPO had taken what was arguably a more restrictive approach to the application of the Aerotel test in that identification of a "technical contribution" was treated as only a check to confirm that a computer-implemented invention was patentable once it had passed the other stages of the assessment set out in the Aerotel case (see UKIPO Practice Notice dated November 2 2006).

Parallel imports have been a burning issue for Russian importers for the past year. At different times in the past, several laws were adopted (Trade Mark Law, Code of Administrative Offences, Customs Code) that completed the legislative structure dealing with parallel imports. And Russian Customs, pressed by the government for better enforcement at the border, became exceptionally active in identifying parallel goods. So, the beginning of last year saw an avalanche of inquiries from Customs asking trade mark owners for their opinion with regard to parallel import consignments.

As a result of the enactment of the Free Trade Agreement between Peru and the US on January 15, 2009, Legislative Decree No 1075, which approves complementary dispositions to Decision 486 of the Andean Community, also came into force.

The Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand is implementing some changes to patent practice in New Zealand that are worthy of mention.

The Mexican IP authorities have implemented new procedures for renewing trade mark applications that have been pending for ten years.