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Draft regulations that will allow stem cell research in South Africa have recently been published for public comment In addition to research on stem cells, the draft regulations also regulate research on human DNA, RNA, cultured cells, fibroblasts, blastomeres, polar bodies, embryos, embryonic tissue and small tissue biopsies.

Emma Barraclough, London

Shahnaz Mahmud, New York

Emma Barraclough, Geneva

In this case, car maker Opel discovered in Germany scale models of Autec that reproduced the Opel Astra V8 Coupe car shape and the Opel Z logotype. Opel owns trade marks in Germany for cars and toys and consequently regarded these scale models as infringing its trade marks. The case was brought before the court and the German judge asked the Court of Justice of the European Communities (ECJ) (1) whether the Opel Z logotype on toys could constitute trade mark use and (2) whether the toy manufacturer was legitimate in raising the necessary indication of a characteristic of the product to avoid trade mark infringement.

Traditionally, Australian courts have apparently been reluctant to grant interlocutory injunctions for patent infringement, particularly in pharmaceutical cases. However, the Federal Court has recently acknowledged a change in this trend. In Merck & Co Inc v GenRx Pty Ltd [2006] FCA 1407, the Federal Court considered an interlocutory injunction application by Merck to stop a subsidiary of Apotex from importing an alendronic acid compound covered by one of Merck's patents.

Effective patent enforcement and the scope of copyright protection proved the main topics for discussion at a debate organized by MIP in London last month

China is under pressure from IP owners and national governments to tackle IP crime. At a counterfeiting conference in Geneva, Zhang Qin, SIPO deputy director, told Emma Barraclough what the country is doing and how rights owners can help to protect their rights. He also explained why the government is not getting the credit it deserves for tackling infringement and why there needs to be a balance between competing interests in enforcement

IP rights are critical for companies in the financial services sector - but are often overlooked when business is booming. Catriona Smith, Nicola Dagg, Mark Ridgway and Kathryn Carlile explain the importance of assessing the danger that IP threats pose

OHIM's second user satisfaction survey identified a number of areas where the European trade mark and design office needs to improve its service to users - starting with the accessibility of examiners and information provided by the office. James Nurton reports