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EU: The international trade committee of the European Parliament met with international trade bodies on January 18, as part of its consideration of an October European Commission draft regulation on compulsory licences for medicines intended for export to developing countries. The meeting focused on how the introduction of new IP rights in developing countries, in line with the TRIPs Agreement, would affect public health. UK: Rules to modernize the patent system were introduced in January. The Patents Act 2004, many parts of which came into effect on January 1, includes new provisions on costs and expenses in infringement proceedings, restrictions on filing abroad and remedies in entitlement proceedings. It also aims to bring more clarity to the vague area of compensation for employee-inventors. UK: The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry released its Digital Music Report 2005, concluding that digital music sites are taking off among consumers thanks to more legal online sites and portable listening devices such as Apple's iPod. The number of legal downloading sites increased to 230 in 2004, with consumers buying 200 million songs in 2004 compared with 20 million songs in 2003.

IP owners have to balance long-term gains against short-term costs when devising their IP strategy in China. Lei Wu of CCPIT Patent and Trademark Law Office explains what companies must take into account when they develop their plan of action

China is one of the world's hotspots for fake goods. Kan Zu and Bradley Yu of Unitalen Attorneys At Law explain the root causes of the problem and what the government is doing to tackle the issue

In 2004, the Chinese authorities invalidated Pfizer's patent on Viagra, unleashing sharp criticism about the country's record on IP protection. Samson G Yu and Ying Zhang of Kangxin Partners look behind the headlines to explain the decision and the lessons it offers patent applicants

As more and more Chinese people log on to the internet, the value of domain name rights increases. Guizeng (Wayne) Liu of King & Wood offers a guide to the latest laws and judicial decisions affecting intellectual property in cyberspace

Owners of trade secrets have a number of ways to protect their rights in China. Xuemin CHEN and Xiaoguang YANG of Zhongzi Law Office explain more

More and more trade mark owners are taking their cases to court in China. And as HUANG Hui and HUANG Yibiao of Wan Hui Da Intellectual Property Agency explain, with careful preparation and a clear strategy, the process need not be as daunting as many plaintiffs fear

Companies are increasingly turning to patent invalidation as a tool to fight patent disputes. Gary Zhang and Gu Hongxia of China Sinda explain how to make the most of the procedure to defend your IP rights and challenge those of your competitors

While interest in court action grows steadily, administrative remedies still offer trade mark owners in China many advantages. ZHUGE Beihua and WANG Yao of Beijing Janlea Trademark Agency explain what brand owners need to know to make the most of them

Foreign brand owners were slow to make use of China's rules on well-known trade marks but a series of new laws and regulations introduced since 2002 should make the system more user-friendly. Sandra Gibbons and Philip Tsang of Lloyd Wise offer a guide