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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.

The New Zealand government recently passed an Amendment Act to the Copyright Act 1994 which is said to update New Zealand's copyright law to ensure that New Zealand "keeps up to speed with recent advances in digital technology".

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").

The high speed of IT developments has made it hard for the government to legislate for the internet. But Dipak Rao and Ravi Singhania of Singhania & Partners argue that it is catching up

Because infringers sometimes cooperate, brands must do so, argue Ramesh Babu and Abhai Pandey of Lex Orbis, New Delhi

K Balaji Majumdar explains how Indian Customs has improved the way in which it enforces IP at the country's borders

Applying for a patent in the United States is a dialogue, largely in writing, between the applicant and the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO). The PTO must keep applications secret for at least 18 months after filing, following which most are published. Until the patent issues or the application is published, the dialogue is secret, conducted out of public view. Only the applicant, the applicant's lawyer(s) and an often overworked patent examiner know the application was filed or have a say in whether a patent will issue. Others knowledgeable about the invention's field have no opportunity to comment or present evidence and arguments on whether an invention deserves patent protection.

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

A recent case shows that the visual dimension of designs has a vital role to play in litigation and disputes. Ignore this aspect at your peril, say Srinjoy Banerjee and AL Mary, Lex Orbis, New Delhi

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