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Kuwait has for the past two years featured on the priority watch list of the USTR's Special 301 list, as one of several countries failing to protect IP owners' rights. But this is all about to change, says Abdullah Khalid Al-Ayoub of Abdullah Kh. Al-Ayoub & Associates

IP owners can expect quicker and cheaper protection of their rights in Italy following the introduction of a revised IP law earlier this year. Trade mark owners in particular will be pleased to hear that the law now is on their side for the enforcement of their rights against cybersquatters. Francesco Terrano and Donatella Prandin of Bugnion explain

Canada's highest court has issued a ruling that limits the protection provided by the country's trade mark law.

Registrations of the new .eu domain names started on December 7 2005. To protect the interests of brand owners and companies there is a sunrise period in which they will be allowed to apply for .eu domain names corresponding to their trade marks and company names. The general public will have to wait until 7 April 2006 before they can make applications. It is hoped that this head start will help to prevent a flood of abusive registrations by cybersquatters, but brand owners and companies must act quickly to take full advantage of it.

The Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO) recently announced it will provide a new system called the Korean Patent Information Online Network (K-PION) from November 2005. As such, foreign patent offices can now access English translations of Korean patent documents through K-PION.

The Full Court of the Australian Federal Court recently took an expansive view of the bounds of obviousness in a lengthy decision on the Viagra patent litigation between Pfizer and Eli Lilly (Pfizer Overseas Pharmaceuticals v Eli Lilly and Company [2005] FCAFC 224).

Autocontrol is a private Spanish association whose members are many of the leading advertisers, advertising agencies and mass media. One of its objects is resolving disputes and matters arising in connection with specific advertising.

On April 1 2005, the Singapore authorities amended the patent rules. The amendment was intended to clarify the deadlines for the various search and examination options for patent applications filed in Singapore. The search and examination options include traditional substantive examination as well as reliance on prescribed information from a corresponding foreign patent.

The British Horseracing Board (BHB) has received a welcome endorsement of its overseas data supply contracts in recent proceedings taken against it by Irish bookmakers. The proceedings went to trial in the second week of November in the Irish Commercial Court before Justice Kelly. The group of independent Irish bookmakers representing 357 bookmaking shops were seeking repayment of about €20m that had been paid by them under a contract for the supply of elements of the BHB's pre race data. A settlement was reached on day two of the trial that involved the repayment claim being dropped in its entirety, and an affirmation by the bookmakers of the contracts under which the data had been supplied to them since 2002.

Recently the Benelux Trademarks Office (BTO) announced that as from January 1 2006 the opposition procedure will be open for all classes. This means that oppositions can be filed against all applications filed on or after January 1 2006.