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Proposed amendments to China's patent and trade mark laws have caused much debate over the past month. Peter Ollier analyzes what is at stake

Using country names or emblems can lend authority to a marketing strategy. Jean-Michel Jost examines what is permitted in Switzerland, the UK and EU

A recent (February 12 2007) judgment of Commercial Court 4 in Barcelona makes an interesting contribution to two issues: imitation and the requirements for imitation to be unlawful.

Irish Stock Exchange Ltd's Application Case R 1604/2006, OHIM (Second Board of Appeal) [2007] ETMR 75 concerned an appeal against the refusal of an application for registration as a Community trade mark of the mark Alternative Securities Market in classes 16 and 36. Despite the fact that the mark had already been registered in Ireland, its registration as a CTM was refused on absolute grounds (Articles 7(1)(b) & (c ), and 7(2), Council Regulation 40/94) because the words lacked distinctive character, and were descriptive.

Ondex Pte Ltd, a local anime distributor in Singapore, filed separate suits against the local Internet Service Providers (ISPs) SingNet, Starhub and Pacific Internet, requiring them to reveal information on the identities of customers alleged to have illegally downloaded popular Japanese anime titles that Odex imported. Odex alleged that a substantial number of illegal downloads had been made in Singapore over the past 10 months, causing their sales to plunge dramatically.

On January 1 2008 Norway will become a member of the European Patent Organization, which will then comprise in total 33 member states and five extension states. Norway can thus be designated in EP applications filed on or after January 1 2008.

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

Interview: Sherry Knowles heads the IP team at GSK, which recently persuaded a judge to block the USPTO's plans to introduce rules on claims and continuations

From Dawn Franklin

On December 13, the first overhaul of the European Patent Convention since it was drafted in 1973, comes into force