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Managing IP's sixth annual review of the largest IP firms shows further growth - but also reveals some new names at the top of the rankings

The Constitutional Court recently made a very important decision relating to Turkish trade mark practice and cancelled some sub-paragraphs in Articles 9 & 61 of Trade Mark Decree Law Number 556 which resulted in further limitation on the scope of protection and infringement of rights.

In Thailand, relatively few patent and petty patent infringement cases are tried each year. From 2000 until July 2008, a total of 40,823 intellectual property cases were tried before the Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court, but only 155 of these involved patent infringement. In examining the statistics for patent case filings during this period, certain trends are immediately apparent.

Due to the changes in the Singapore Patents Act, there is a requirement for examined claims for applications having a filing date on or after July 1 2004, at the time of paying the grant fee. In particular, it is required that each claim in an application is related to at least one claim that has been examined and referred to in an examination report relied upon. Under section 2(4)(a) of the Singapore Patents Act, the definition of one claim being related to another claim is if the two claims are identical or (A) each limitation in the second claim is identical to a limitation in the first claim or (B) differs from a limitation in the first claim only in expression but not in content.

The Patents Bill 2008 was introduced into Parliament on July 9 2008. With an election imminent in November this year, there is some doubt as to the timeframe for enacting the legislation. However, in view of the significant differences that the bill introduces, it is worthwhile briefly summarising the main aspects of the proposed legislation.

China's patent law is undergoing revision for the third time. On August 29 2008, the standing committee of the People's Congress published the draft patent law amendments for public discussion and opinion. The draft makes significant changes to the current law. Some of the more important proposals are set out below.

Ghana and the Organisation Africaine de la Propriété Intellectuelle (OAPI) have recently acceded to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, with the result that the Hague Agreement entered into force for both Ghana and OAPI on September 16 2008.

Maria Wyckoff Boyce and Steven J Mitby examine the impact of post-hypothetical negotiation events on reasonable royalty patent damages and offer practical tips for litigators and damages experts

After signing free trade agreements with the US and EU, Chile is set to join the PCT. Jaime Silva and Arturo Covarrubias of Silva & Cia examine the advantages and disadvantages for overseas investors, local industry - and IP law firms

Adrian Zahl describes the ins and outs of the Canadian patent system compared to other regimes, specifically as it applies to the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries