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The Data Protection Act has been headline news in the past year or so. Various committees and independent reviews are investigating recent breaches of data security and in particular HM Revenue & Customs' loss of data reportedly comprising the banking details of 25 million recipients of child benefit. This was not an isolated incident, with many losses of data and breaches of the data protection requirements uncovered in the private and public sectors since that time. Unsurprisingly there have been numerous calls for a tightening up of the law and for more powers for the UK's enforcement body, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).

Since 1995, the Singapore patent system has moved away from a re-registration system to the present examination system. However, applicants could still rely on allowed foreign applications for grant through a two-stage process. An applicant would first furnish details (country of filing, filing dates and application numbers) of all corresponding applications within 16 months of the priority date. Subsequently, the applicant would furnish prescribed information in the form of granted patents or documents setting out the final results of the search and examination of any one of the corresponding applications before 28 months of the priority date.

On June 6 2008, the president of the Philippines signed into law Republic Act no 9052 entitled Universally Accessible Cheaper and Quality Medicine Act of 2008. The director-general of the Intellectual Property Office and other appropriate government agencies are mandated to issue the implementing rules and regulations of the Act within 120 days. Republic Act no 9052 contains a number of important points.

Mexican intellectual property law does not provide protection to trade marks that are not inherently distinctive but have attained secondary meaning through use. This means that companies cannot obtain exclusive rights in Mexico over descriptive or generic words, surnames, geographic names or isolated colours and isolated letters, even through continuous and exclusive use or extensive advertisement of the branded products or services (which some jurisdictions deem grounds for proving "acquired distinctiveness").

Recent law reforms render Denmark an attractive place to litigate patents, with specialist judges and faster processes. Ulla Klinge and Jakob Pade Frederiksen of Inspicos report

It is crucial to have the right protections in place. An effective policy will save money in the long-term, say Rahul Chaudhry and Kajigailiu G Kamei from Lall Lahiri & Salhotra

Vandana Mamidanna of Anand and Anand, Mumbai, explains why firms must be sensitive to local socio-economic conditions if they really want to protect their patents

A recent decision of the Madras High Court has sparked worldwide debate about evergreening. Lawyers from Singh & Associates of New Delhi report on the case

Parallel importation can be a headache for trade mark owners, but India’s legislation adequately protects against it, say lawyers from Singh & Associates, New Delhi

India has amended its Patent Act three times in the past decade, and is fast becoming the patent trendsetter of the developing world. Anuradha Salhotra and Nidhi Gupta from Lall Lahiri & Salhotra examine the government’s achievements and what it still has to do