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Several rules of the German Patent Act with regard to oppositions have recently been amended. In order to reduce the backlog of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (GPTO) in opposition cases, transitional rules were implemented in 2002 that oppositions against German patents filed up to July 2006 have to be handled by the Federal Patent Court instead of by the GPTO. These rules have now been cancelled, so that all oppositions filed from July 1 2006 will again be handled in the first instance by the GPTO.

In accordance with Article 88 of the Mexican Law of Industrial Property (LIP), a trade mark is a visible sign that distinguishes products or services from others of the same kind in the market.

In the past few years, the abundance of technical information on the internet has allowed patent attorneys to become versed in technical fields that previously would have been inaccessible. Gwilym Roberts argues that this enables advisers to be more mobile in handling new areas and is also good news for innovators

The UK's Patent Office is set to abandon examination on relative grounds. John Olsen and Marius Haman argue that this will have significant consequences for trade mark owners and applicants in the UK, Europe and beyond

The Patent and Utility Model Law has been overhauled to augment KIPO's moves towards a streamlined application process. Patrick YangOh Kim and Tae Jun Suh of Yoon Yang Kim Shin & Yu examine the changes

Korea has done much to turn around its reputation as a counterfeit hotspot. Emma Barraclough looks at the latest initiative

Fifteen brand owners removed more than £60,000 worth of goods and closed down nearly 5,000 auction sites on eBay in just one day last month.

The Dutch Supreme Court has upheld a Court of Appeal ruling in favour of Lancôme, clearing the way for smells to be protected by copyright law in the Netherlands.

On April 25, a new Act – 221/2006 Coll on Enforcement of Industrial Property Rights – entered into force. It is based on Directive 2004/48/EC of the European Parliament.

David Highet is chief IP counsel for Becton Dickinson and a trustee of the American Intellectual Property Law Education Foundation. He spoke to MIP about patent trolls, changing approaches to patents and the need for diversity in the IP profession