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Four major record companies are taking Eircom, Ireland's largest internet service provider (ISP), to the Commercial Court in Dublin over illegally downloaded music. The action against Eircom is being brought in the name of the Irish subsidiaries of EMI Records, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Universal Music and Warner Music, but is actually organized by the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA), a trade organzation. Record companies and ISPs across Europe will closely monitor the developments in this case, which is the first Irish case aimed at ISPs for allowing illegal downloads, rather than individual file-sharers.

At the end of our last report, we considered whether the Republic of Austria might be liable for damages if a court of last instance fails to comply with its obligation to file a referral to the ECJ concerning questions of Community Law.

The Argentine National Congress passed Act Number 26,355 on February 28 2008, which regulates collective trade marks (CTs).

Having been a Kenya advocate since 1969 and worn the traditional local kikoi long before that, I rejoice at the failure of The Kikoy Company UK Limited to register Kikoy in the UK for goods in class 25 (application number 2431257). According to my 1939-edition Swahili dictionary, kikoi means a "white loincloth with coloured border in cotton or silk". Since then white has ceased to be an essential colour and there are many patterns; the cloth rectangle has been tailored for many uses; and the garments have become known as kikoi far beyond east Africa. They are traded to tourists and in the international marketplace, by the applicant and others. Is it not axiomatic that the word is incapable of distinguishing the applicant's goods from those of others?

Eileen McDermott, Berlin

Peter Ollier, Hong Kong

Any business would be able to register gTLDs under proposals likely to be approved later this month

Eklavya Gupte, London

Managing IP, in association with Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner, hosted a discussion on trade mark strategies with lawyers, in-house counsel and members of OHIM and the TTAB

An Australian court has considered the issue of who owns IP generated by employees. Suzy Groom puts the decision in context