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INTA has been at the forefront of filing amicus curiae briefs to make courts aware of trade mark issues and arguments. Members of the Association's International Amicus Committee compare the opportunities available around the world

AUSTRALIA: IP Australia is proposing to amend regulations dealing with the search results disclosure regime under the Patents Act 1990. The changes should simplify the fee system for providing search results and clarify some of the terms used in the regulations. AUSTRALIA: The Advisory Council on Intellectual Property, a federal government advisory body, has recommended that the law be changed so that business names can only be registered if searches of the trade mark register show there to be no conflict with registered or pending trade marks in the same field of business activity.

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

JAPAN: The partners of full service firm Nishimura & Partners are in discussions with their counterparts in Asahi Koma Law Offices over merging their firms. The move follows recent legislative changes further opening up the Japanese legal market and, when completed, the deal will create the largest law firm in Japan.

James Nurton, London

In today's Information Age, the amount of data available has increased substantially and so too has the ease with which it can be accessed and transferred. Businesses are operating on an international scale, sharing documentation, collaborating on projects and making global decisions with local impact every day.

US: The USPTO has published its list of the top 10 universities receiving the most patents in 2005 (see table).

The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) has been the official European Union authority carrying out the procedures for Community trade marks since 1996 and for the registered Community design since 2003. Mark Kennedy of OHIM provides an update on its activities

Emma Barraclough, Hong Kong

Stéphanie Bodoni, London