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Two ECJ decisions delivered on the same day last year address fundamental questions about the limits of legitimate trade mark protection. Justin Watts and Graeme Faeron introduce an overview of the impact the cases will have in different EU member states and at OHIM

Following James Rogan's exit earlier this year, a new director will soon be appointed to run the world's biggest patent office - the USPTO. With rising costs, debates over patent policy and complaints about patent quality and pendency, there are many issues that urgently need tackling. MIP invited six professionals with experience of working with - and inside - the USPTO to discuss the direction of the Office. In a debate moderated by Sam Mamudi, they considered whether Rogan's far-reaching reform proposals address the needs of users

Many brand owners neglect to obtain protection in Macau, due to the expense and difficulty of enforcing rights. But they could be leaving themselves vulnerable to counterfeiters who have easy access to China. Emma Barraclough investigates

Cheap manufacturing costs and a growing domestic demand for branded goods have made India a new centre of counterfeiting. Taj Kunwar Paul and Ranjan Narula explain what companies can do to protect their products

The effects of gene sequences must be confirmed by experiment to satisfy the Japanese Patent Office's enablement requirement, so applicants are rephrasing their claims. Naoto Uchida explains

Unlike the US, Japan recognizes an employee's right to remuneration for inventions, causing companies some concern. Michael R Kelly and Naoki Yoshida of Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner explain

Japan aims to protect the rights of licensees during a licensor's bankruptcy, but proposed reforms may not go far enough says Shunji Matsuda of Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu

Ireland: Ireland has been referred to the ECJ for its failure to meet the January 1 1995 implementation deadline for the 1971 Paris Act. Ireland is the only EU member not to have ratified the Act, which revises the 1886 Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. Norway: Police will not appeal a Norwegian appeals court decision that acquitted 20-year old Jon Johansen of piracy charges, ruling that consumers have a fair right to make back-up copies of their DVDs. Poland: The EPC will have 28 members as of March 1, when it enters into force in Poland, which deposited its instrument of accession to the EPC on December 30 2003.

Yoshitaka Sonoda of Sonoda & Kobayashi in Tokyo explains Japan's efforts to encourage IP use and compete more effectively internationally

Stéphanie Bodoni, London