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The subject of contributory infringement is very relevant in France at the present time: the growth of generic drugs companies, and their desire to start marketing generic drugs as soon as the patent expires, requires months of preparation before patent expiry. But how far can they go? Can they prepare chemical intermediates ? Can they stock the product? What are big pharma's rights versus those of generic manufacturers?

Sam Mamudi, New York

Blaise J Arena, technology evaluation and IP consultant

Ten applicants have applied to run the new sponsored generic top level domains (sTLDs), according to ICANN.

In the third ruling on employee inventions in as many weeks, a Japanese court last month ordered a food company to pay an ex-employee a multi-million yen figure for assigning his patent rights over a type of artificial sweetener he developed.

Trade mark owners wishing to enforce their rights on the internet have suffered a setback, after the Court of Appeal in England and Wales overturned a key ruling dealing with similar names on the web.

Stéphanie Bodoni, London

From April 1 industrial designers have a cheaper and more efficient means of obtaining protection for their work when the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement comes into force. Ingrid Hering reports

Decision 486 of the Andean Community, which contains the industrial property law applicable in the Andean Community countries (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela) forbids the registration of trade marks that consist of a sign or indication that designates or describes the quality, quantity, destination, value or place of origin, time of production or indicates other characteristics about the products or services for which the mark will be used. Descriptive expressions lack distinctiveness so they do not have the capacity to distinguish the goods in commerce from similar goods that come from a competitor.

Competing against established rivals such as Ducati, Honda and Kawasaki, the Foggy Petronas Racing World Superbikes team is using technology and branding to give it an edge as this year's competition gets underway