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Many high-tech companies are increasingly being hit by challenges from patent licensing companies - or patent trolls - that threaten to ruin their business. Bob Cote and Rodger Sadler provide six strategies to defend yourself

In December 2005, the South African Registrar of Trade Marks issued a practice note (Practice Note 1 of 2006), which came into effect on January 3 2006. The revised rules have a direct impact on proprietors of pending trade mark applications in South Africa.

AUSTRALIA: The Attorney-General unveiled far-reaching copyright reform proposals on May 14. There will be two new exceptions for private use – allowing TV and radio programmes to be recorded and watched or listened to once only at a later time and allowing copies of copyrighted material to be made in a different format. But the government said it will also introduce a range of new measures including on-the-spot fines and the opportunity to recover profits from copyright pirates, as well as making it easier for copyright owners to prove ownership of their rights and giving more power to Customs.

No one admits to being a patent troll, but everyone knows they exist. Where are they hiding and what do they do? Join James Nurton on a quest into the deepest, darkest reaches of patent law to find out

The Enlarged Board of Appeal has laid down the criteria that allow a practitioner to assess whether a diagnostic method is excluded from patentability under Article 52(4) EPC. In Opinion G1/04 of December 16 2005, the Board sets a liberal standard for the patentability of diagnostic methods.

Stéphanie Bodoni, London

Apple Corps, the Beatles' own record label, is to appeal a ruling handed down by the High Court of England and Wales on May 8 which cleared Apple Computer of breaching a trade mark co-existence agreement by using its Apple logo on its iTunes music downloading service.

James Nurton, Toronto

The Act transposing the European Directive on the legal protection of designs (98/71/EC of October 13 1998) to national Spanish law entered into force on July 9 2003.

Emma Barraclough, Hong Kong