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The internet is throwing up all sorts of challenges to intellectual property owners. In an exclusive interview, James Nurton and Ralph Cunningham ask MCI WorldCom’s Vinton G Cerf, one of the net’s founders, if technology can help solve the legal problems

Boudewijn van Vondelen and Alexander van Laaren examine how you can protect shop designs against imitators in the Netherlands

In the rapidly developing software market questions often arise regarding proper protection of program names. Of course, program names can be registered as trade marks. On the other hand, many software developers are not aware of the fact that program names may enjoy protection in Germany as titles of works. Titles of works are defined as designations of printed publications, cinematographic works, musical and dramatic works, or other comparable works which, according to German case law, include computer programs.

The 9th Circuit has upheld a $5.4 million award against singer Michael Bolton, the largest ever music copyright infringement case. On May 9, the court unanimously agreed that Bolton's 1991 hit 'Love is a Wonderful Thing' infringed the rights of the Isley Brothers 1964 song of the same name.

Michael Bolton was represented by Robert G Sugarman of Weil, Gotshal & Manges in New York and Russell J Frackman of Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp in Los Angeles.

The world's biggest selling drug is under attack on both sides of the Atlantic as its patent expiry looms. AstraZeneca, maker of Losec, has been accused of breaching European competition rules, and is also facing litigation to stop US companies bringing out generic versions of the drug.

They have a saying in the north of England, where IP lawyer Anthony Gold plies his trade: "Where there's muck, there's brass."

A Bill amending the present Czech Patents Act No 527/90 was discussed in detail in the Patent Yearbook 2000. To our satisfaction the Bill was passed and entered into force on May 10 2000, as Act 116/2000, amending some Acts on Industrial Property Rights. For the purposes of this international briefing, I will cite the most important changes:

According to the Benelux Trade Marks Act, the owner of a trade mark can in principle not prohibit the use of his trade mark in respect of goods that have been put into circulation within the European Economic Area either by himself or with his permission. (exhaustion principle). This means that in principle the owner of a trade mark right cannot invoke this exclusive title in respect of the further trade in goods originating from him. The Benelux Court of Justice has recently explained the exhaustion principle in more detail in its Kipling/GB Unie judgment (The Benelux Court of Justice, December 6 2000).