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A world of confusion surrounds the most difficult question in patent law: what is obvious? Gordon Harris compares courts' approaches and seeks common ground

A UN Guide on secured transactions has been changed following concerns about its impact on IP. Ben Goodger provides an inside view of the lobbying campaign

Recent damages awards demonstrate that Chinese courts will compensate IP owners for their losses, reports Emma Barraclough

Authors of creative works enjoy protection under copyright laws. Copyright laws worldwide exist to protect the authors from any infringement of their work. Books and other written materials on hard copies, web pages, email messages, digital images, text, musical work, software and any copyrighted materials published on the internet are equally protected. Copyright has however faced challenges from digital technology over recent years.

Online file inspection and online searches of patent, trade mark and design applications/registrations are available via http://online.tpe.gov.tr/eng/.

There exists in Russia a trade mark Jubilee (number 126030) registered for biscuits. As a person moderately advanced in age, as far as I can remember Jubilee biscuits have accompanied me and other people in Russia all our lives. The history of the biscuits in Russia certainly dates back over a century. Most probably, the product was launched in 1913 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of rule by the Romanov family (the Russian czars until the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917). Surprisingly, despite bearing such an anticommunist name, the biscuits survived through the decades and became one of the most popular brands in Russia.

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.

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.

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.

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