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In three crucial areas, the UK is under pressure to adapt its traditional trade mark practice to European standards. Lee Curtis argues that such harmonization is a culmination of the changes introduced in the 1994 Trade Marks Act

Author: Sophia Tickell, Senior policy adviser, Oxfam

Copyright piracy remains the biggest headache for rights owners in the Asia-Pacific region. But governments are showing an increasing willingness to crack down. Tabitha Parker reports

The issue of groundless threats of infringement under section 77 of the Patents Act was considered in Singapore in Flexon (Pte) Ltd v Bean Innovation Pte Ltd and Tan Mui Teck [2001] SLR 24. Although the case concerned a patent matter, it is relevant for copyright and trade mark cases as the respective acts also contain similar provisions on groundless threats.

Uexkull & Stolberg, Hamburg

A district judge in the US has given the go-ahead to bakers, chefs and restaurants to make biscuits with familiar seasonal designs.

Ukraine faces US sanctions The US is ready to take punitive action against Ukraine, if the eastern European country does not clamp down on copyright pirates immediately.

It will soon become easier for foreign companies to obtain domain names in Brazil. The Brazilian Internet Administration Committee is about to change its policy which requires a local presence to register a domain name in the country.

AUSTRALIA: The Australian government is due to announce that the country will accede to the Madrid Protocol in March 2001. The Protocol will then be implemented in June or July 2001. Submissions were tabled in Parliament in October 2000, and a decision is due before the end of February. Once the Protocol is implemented, both international and domestic applications will have a first report published within 18 months. The Trade Mark Office is now recruiting more examiners to improve its service. COSTA RICA: The Legislative Assembly has adopted eight laws relating to intellectual property, including laws on enforcement of IP rights, trade marks, copyright, layout designs and integrated circuits and approval of the two WIPO Copyright treaties of December 1999, as well as the PCT. COLOMBIA: The Patent Cooperation Treaty came into effect in Colombia on February 28. Consequently, any PCT applications filed after that date can include Colombia (code CO) as a designation. KOREA: The Trade Mark Law has been amended and will come into effect on July 1 2001. The law includes amendments to join the Madrid Protocol. Korea is likely to ratify the Protocol by the early 2002. SPAIN: A new law on Civil Procedure came into force on January 8 2001. It aims to make cases more efficient and rapid, and covers intellectual property and unfair competition actions, but does not supersede the Patent Law. The new law governs matters such as evidence, witnesses, documentation and litigation procedure. TAIWAN: The Legislative Yuan is considering amendments to the Trade Mark Law in preparation for joining the World Trade Organization. The new law will be compatible with the Law of Administrative Proceedings; substantive examination of trade marks will be abolished; and border control measures will be introduced. The amendments should be enacted before the end of this year.

A series of innovative yet controversial television commercials in New Zealand promoting Roche's weight management product XENICAL have won the 2000 prestigious Television New Zealand/Marketing Magazine Supreme Award.