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Bacardi has staked its claim to the Havana Club rum brand in the US on the back of a USPTO decision not to renew a trade mark owned by the Cuban government and joint venture partner Pernod Ricard.

Shahnaz Mahmud, New York

Musician turned patent enforcer Judah Klausner is lining up law suits against some of America's biggest communications companies. He spoke to Shahnaz Mahmud about his plans, and why he denies being a patent troll

Shahnaz Mahmud, New York

A company that has a trade mark filing in place in a foreign jurisdiction has multiple options when considering an expansion of its trade mark rights into the United States. Specifically, US trade mark law provides several mechanisms pursuant to which a foreign trade mark owner can use the priority established by a foreign trade mark filing when making a filing in the United States.

One year after fining AstraZeneca €60 million, the European Commission has finally published its decision in a limited version proposed by AstraZeneca.

The European Patent Convention (EPC), which provides for a centralized procedure for granting of patents in Europe and the establishment of the European Patent Office (EPO), was signed on October 5 1973. The EPC was extensively revised at a Diplomatic Conference held in Munich in November 2000 and the revised text termed EPC 2000. It was agreed that the EPC 2000 would come into force two years after ratification by 15 contracting states. A number of new states have joined the EPC since November 2000 and they have all agreed to ratify EPC 2000. Thus, when on December 13 2005 Greece ratified EPC 2000, Greece became the 15th state to deposit its instrument of ratification. The EPC 2000 will therefore come into force on December 13 2007, at the latest. Any contracting state of the EPC that has not ratified EPC 2000 by this date will cease to be a contracting state of the EPC.

The District Administrative Court in Warsaw (Case VI SA/Wa 1482/09) confirmed the view of the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland that a single colour per se does not have distinctive character, but that this obstacle to registration as a trade mark may be eliminated by acquired distinctiveness.

A recent Italian legislative decree to relaunch the economy includes tax relief measures related to patents, trade marks and know-how. This decree increases the deductible amortization rate for the costs of the right to use original works, patents, processes, formulas and information related to experience acquired in the field of industry, commerce and science from 33% to 50%.

A judgment in the unsuccessful trade mark opposition brought by Rotary International (RI) against Carl Bird, proprietor of the trade mark Rotary Engine, has issued.