Search results for

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) has introduced a national management and auditing tool named Strategies for Creation, Ownership, Protection and Exploitation of Intellectual Property, or SCOPE-IP. In our technology driven world, IP plays a critical role and successful companies recognize the importance of performing due diligence so they can aggressively exploit their IP rights.

In case C-192/03 P Alcon Inc v OHIM, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) had the opportunity to rule on the cancellation of a CTM registration for the first time since CTM filings began in 1996. Its ruling, therefore, casts some light on the pertinent provisions of CTM Regulation 40/94 (EC).

In November 2004 an article in MIP highlighted some of the problems with the new .eu domain regulations. Here, Claire Morrissey examines the likely demand for .eu and considers the benefits for rights owners

An IP policy is an essential component in protecting your intangible assets - yet many companies say they do not have one. In-house counsel tell MIP why IP policies are needed and how to draw them up. By Stephanie Bodoni

Emma Barraclough, Hong Kong

Taiwan's 2004 achievements in IP TIPO completed revision of Examination Guidelines for Patents, Examination Guidelines for Three-dimensional, Sound and Colour [trade marks] and Examination Guidelines for Likelihood of Confusion - all published for patent and trade mark examiners in the hope of improving examination quality. The Copyright Act was amended in September, broadening copyright protection to the digital world. The Integrated Enforcement Task Force was reorganized and renamed the IPR Police on November 1. On November 23, the IPR Police raided a warehouse, seizing more than 10,000 counterfeit clothes items with a value of $937,500. The director-general of Customs held three nationwide workshops from October to December, educating more than 100 customs officials on IP inspection skills. On June 8, at the Judicial Yuan's Senior Officers meeting it was decided that a dedicated IP court would be created in Taipei's Shilin District. Plans detailing the court's establishment are being formulated. One of Taiwan's most senior IP figures has set out a far-reaching plan to strengthen the country's rights framework, and offer owners greater protection and enforcement measures.

A new trade mark opposition procedure was introduced in the Benelux at the beginning of 2004. One year on, Boudewijn van Vondelen asks whether this has led to a stricter registration system

Charlie McCreevy Internal market Commissioner Charlie McCreevy addressed the European Parliament's legal affairs committee on February 2 to help him form his opinion "on where to go next" on the EU's IP laws.

Sam Mamudi, New York

In the US, federal judicial courts compete with each other to handle patent litigation. Roderick McKelvie and Scott Weidenfeller examine whether recent reforms in the Western District of Pennsylvania will attract more cases to its court