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Intel Corporation and VIA Technologies have settled a series of pending patent lawsuits relating to chipsets and microprocessors.

More and more international companies are launching IP litigation in China. Before they do so, they should be aware of what is and what isn’t allowed in a Chinese courtroom, as Judge Xu, a prominent IP judge in Shanghai, explains in an exclusive interview with MIP

In India, there is no specific legislation for protection of confidential information or trade secrets. However, courts in India have consistently applied principles of common law and breach of contract in enforcing claims for protection of such information. These principles were reiterated by the High Court of Bombay in an order delivered on March 27 2003, dismissing an appeal by Zee Telefilms, a well-known TV production company in India, and upholding the order of an interim injunction granted by a single judge at first instance. By this order, the single judge had restrained Zee from proceeding with broadcasting its television serial Kanhaiyya on principles of copyright infringement and breach of confidential information.

? Europe: The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) has issued brochures to universities in 29 countries in Europe, South America, Asia and Australia outlining the legal and technological issues of online file-sharing networks.

? Australia: Gilbert & Tobin, the law firm, CyberResearch, a technology commercialization and investment adviser, and Intellectual Capital Management Group have launched realiseIP, a strategic intellectual asset management company, aimed at helping Australian companies "provide shareholders with greater return on investments, improve corporate governance, increase competitiveness and reduce the risk of costly IP infringement".

Stéphanie Bodoni, London

Console game developers are cracking down on illegal manipulation of their software, with two companies threatening legal action against hackers in recent weeks.

Trade marks that include a design may suffer variations during the time they are used. This occurs due to modernization imposed by fashion. Not even well-known marks are exempt from periodical updating, even when their essential characteristics stay the same.

The Korean Patent Act Article 42 (3) provides that the detailed description of an invention shall state the purpose, construction, and "effect" of the invention in such a manner that it may easily be carried out by a person skilled in the art. Thus, the description of the "effect" of the invention in the specification is mandatory under the Korean Patent Law.

The English Court of Appeal (CoA) has handed down what could, in time, be seen as a watershed decision on the registrability as trade marks of words and phrases that have descriptive connotations, messages and/or meanings.