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A number of legislative changes in Irish data protection law have already taken effect and further developments are due to take effect in October 2007. These developments provide some welcome clarification for practitioners.

Supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) as provided by Regulation 1768/92/EEC can extend the lifetime of a patent protecting medicines up to five years. SPCs were devised to compensate for the reduced duration of these patents caused by the lengthy procedures involved in obtaining marketing authorization before the launch of a new medicinal product.

Owing to international and national needs the Finnish Act on Utility Model Rights is under revision. The new act is expected to enter into force early in 2008.

The government of Croatia adopted a new regulation on August 8 2007 to amend Customs measures relating to goods suspected of infringing particular IP rights.

The much awaited Anti-Monopoly Law of China was promulgated on August 31 2007. It will come into effect on August 1 2008.

October 1 2007 heralded the coming into force of amendments to sections 39, 41(1) and 42(1) of the Trade-marks Regulations. Simultaneously, a new Opposition Board Practice Notice came into effect.

A majority of the Full Federal Court recently extended the boundaries of contributory infringement in Australia.

In a recent decision, the Austrian Supreme Court clarified certain aspects of the legitimacy of addressing warning letters to employees. In the case, an interim injunction was granted to the defendant against the claimant's "sales manager Austria". As the claimant had no place of business in Austria, but sold infringing coffee machines via its Austrian distributors, the defendant felt impelled to warn the employees of the claimant who were actively participating in the distribution of the infringing coffee machines in Austria that an accomplice or assistant is also liable for patent infringement.

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

Angola (AO) became the 138th PCT contracting state on September 27 2007. The PCT will enter into force for Angola on December 27 2007 and the country may be designated in PCT international applications from this date. However, the law in Angola has not yet been amended to recognize the PCT and if national phase applications are filed, it is uncertain whether or not any enforceable rights will be granted. While Angola is not a member of the Paris Union, the Angolan authorities have indicated the priority of an earlier foreign application may be claimed within 12 months of the filing of that earlier application. Until the law has been amended to provide for PCT national phase applications, it is recommended that national patent applications be filed within the 12-month priority period.