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The Singapore Patents Act deals with international patent applications that enter the National Phase in Singapore via PCT Chapter II (where the international filing date is before July 1 2004). Under the Act, the Patent Office must receive a copy of the International Preliminary Examination Report (IPER) before it can grant a patent. Simply issuing an IPER does, however, not guarantee that an international application is patentable.

Nederlandsch Octrooibureau, The Hague

Protecting format rights in the Middle East is really no different than anywhere else in the world. There are no formal provisions in the law here for the registration of format rights.

Scientific research that looks for useful applications, processes, or products in nature is called biodiversity prospecting, or bioprospecting. In many cases, bioprospecting is a search for useful organic compounds in microorganisms, plants, and fungi that grow in extreme environments, such as rainforests, deserts, and hot springs. Malaysia, being one of the 12 mega-diverse countries in the world, and rich with biological diversity, is an attractive location for scientists to conduct these bioprospecting activities.

There is more to registering a trade mark than simply filling out a form. A trade mark search can be an invaluable aide in assessing whether your mark has validity, says Tamar Niv Bessinger

After months of fierce debates, EU Council ministers adopted a common position on the controversial software patent directive last month. The adoption was unexpected, leaving the European Parliament fully responsible for the future of the law. Stéphanie Bodoni reports

In a follow-up to their article in the October 2004 issue of MIP, V Walter Bratic, Shirley Webster, Stafford Matthews and Robert S Harrell examine the role played by patent pools in technology licensing, and consider some of the concerns raised by competition authorities

In January 2005 alone, it is estimated that file-swappers illegally traded more than 1 billion songs online. As the entertainment industry awaits a ruling on file sharing from the US Supreme Court, Giles Pratt explores the likely UK approach

China must make its companies more IP-savvy if it is to graduate from being the world's factory floor to become a technological leader. Emma Barraclough looks at what needs to change and examines three companies that are leading the way

The Supreme Court will this month hear arguments in a case that will set the boundaries for what research is exempted from patent infringement. Lily Rin-Laures and Sandip Patel explain what the outcome will mean for researchers and patent owners