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The patent alternative

Membership of the European Union came one year closer for many Eastern European countries last year, but as governments rush through necessary legislation, consumers and companies are being left behind. Tabitha Parker reports

The Andean Pact member states have long been viewed as a backwater in the technology field. But, reports James Nurton, the new Decision 486 should radically improve patent protection and transform that image

January 1 2000, as for many developing countries, was an important date in India’s diary. It marked the end of the country’s five-year transition period and the moment it became subject to the TRIPs agreement. Tabitha Parker spoke to two senior industry figures about the change

The year 2000 saw important progress regarding both the Community Patent and the European Patent Convention. Neil Jenkins reviews the developments and looks forward to further changes

Internet and e-commerce allow an entrepreneur to develop sales schemes of its products and services with a never previously imagined territorial scope and extension. Direct selling is both attractive and advantageous. E-commerce requires in some cases, therefore, the adjustment and of course, the amendment of some clauses of commercial inter-mediation contracts, either distribution, agency, licence, supply or franchise contracts.

The decision of the Court of Appeal in Douglas & Others v Hello Ltd has been heralded as having recognized a right of privacy in English law. Stephen Bate and Lawrence Abramson analyze the decision and its implications

Nearly a decade after the first release of shocking advertising images by Benetton, the German Federal Constitutional Court has now found the ads acceptable. Henning Hartwig examines the landmark decision, which has finally put an extensive discussion to rest

Fact they say is stranger than fiction. In the David v Goliath case that is Trovan v Pfizer this is certainly true. In the story David slays Goliath and is proclaimed king. In the Trovan case, Pfizer´ s Goliath is made of stronger stuff. On January 11, Trovan filed an appeal in the Ninth Circuit Court challenging an earlier ruling which overturned a record $143 million damages award to the company for infringement of its Trovan trade mark.

For copyright owners, news from Hank Barry, Napster´ s CEO, that there are more than 200 million multimedia PCs worldwide with the capacity to copy an MP3 file, and that Napster´ s software has been downloaded and installed 57 million times, will make grim reading. Except that is for copyright owners in France. French authorities are planning to put levies on the sales of computers and digital recording devices as a means of compensating musicians and film-makers against pirate copying. The taxes on recordable CDs, DVDs and mini-discs went into effect on January 22. A 420-minute recordable DVD faces a Ffr57.7 ($9) levy, most of which will go directly to the artists and producers.