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EPO Patent Information Conference 2005 / PATINNOVA,

Several journalism incidents over the summer have left a big question mark as to where the line is drawn in relation to freedom of the press in the UAE. Early in June, a female reporter for a prominent daily English newspaper was on her way to Greece when she was stopped at the airport and informed that there was a warrant for her arrest. The warrant was prompted by an article she had written in February about a man who was reportedly slashing women in the nearby Emirate of Sharjah. The police said a victim had raised a complaint against the reporter but it soon became clear that the arrest was made by the Sharjah police who later contended that her article may have helped the attacker escape by alerting him to their investigation.

On September 26 2005, China's State Administration of Industry and Commerce promulgated the new Trade Mark Review and Adjudication Rules. These will come into effect on October 26 2005. The rules were last amended three years ago in September 2002.

"The focus of this case is a very small animal, namely a mouse - to use a poet's description, a 'Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie' (R Burns, "To a Mouse", 1785). In all other respects however, this case is not small." This is how the EPO's Technical Board of Appeal starts its reasons for the decision in the long-fought case on the validity of the European patent covering the Harvard oncomouse (T 315/03). The Board made the decision on July 6 2004, less than a year before the expiry of the patent in June 2005.

Owners of European IP rights are vulnerable to central attacks on validity at the EPO and OHIM, which can threaten enforcement in national courts. Mark Finn, Konstantin Ewald and Marie-Hélène Lemaitre examine what you can do to counter such an attack in the UK, France and Germany

Under the revised PCT procedure, International Preliminary Reports on Patentability (IPRPs) are now issued for both Chapter I and Chapter II applications with filing dates on or after January 1 2004. Various amendments have also been made to the Singapore Patents Act to reflect this new PCT procedure.

Recent changes to the provisions on threats in UK patent law have created a more flexible system for patent owners and lawyers. But similar changes are now also needed for trade marks and design rights. Rachel Montagnon and Joel Smith provide an overview

Canada's courts have reaffirmed the principle of first come, first served for trade mark applications. Robert A MacDonald and Jennifer Galeano examine what the new standard means for rights owners

The tide of franchising regulation continues to sweep across Europe as Belgium brings its new franchise disclosure law into effect. Mark Abell argues that this latest initiative makes it more likely that other EU states will follow the same path

Helped along by the attention given to internationally popular events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, naming rights for sports stadiums has become a lucrative business, with increasing challenges for intellectual property lawyers. Robin Lightner Maisashvili and Nina Smith explain why