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Slovakia is expected to join the EPC on July 1 2002. For this reason 2001 saw a lot of work in the field of IP rights, including the adoption and amendment of a Patents Act and a new Trade Marks Act which came into force on January 1 2002. Details of this will be discussed in a later issue of MIP. Industrial designs, which up until now have been governed by Act No 527/90, will be the subject of a new independent Act. The respective Bill is already under discussion and is expected to be passed in the first half of 2002. It is worth stressing that all amendments to Slovak legislation in the field of IP rights are in compliance with the EPC and that Slovakia has taken all the necessary steps to be well prepared for access to the EPC.

Interview: Anne Chasser Ingrid Hering interviews Anne Chasser, Commissioner for Trademarks at the US Patent and Trademark Office. Formerly the director of Trademarks and Licensing Services at Ohio State University, she has also served as president of the International Trademark Association and is a founder of the Association of Collegiate Licensing Administrators.

Ingrid Hering reports

The countries on the eastern and southern fringes of Europe are facing a myriad of challenges in their quest to join the ranks of those coveted clubs – the EU and the EPC, as Ingrid Hering discovers

Many countries have made significant steps in improving and harmonizing their patent protection in the last year. James Nurton, Ingrid Hering and Ralph Cunningham ask the leading practitioners in 30 emerging markets about the latest trends

Administrators of commercial companies in Colombia, whether national or foreign, must submit a report of performance to a general shareholders meeting. This must be done within the first three months of the fiscal year. Contained in the report must be a disclosure of the company's compliance with the provisions on IP and copyright.

Thanks to tough economic circumstances, it has been a difficult year for Latin American practitioners. But, says James Nurton, a number of developments promise increasing interest in IP in the future

Despite harmonization, there remain significant differences in the way freelancers are treated in the EU member states. Les Christy and Susannah Kendall contrast the situation in common law and civil law jurisdictions and examine how the situation is likely to change in the future

The fair basis requirement has vanished from UK patent law – but remains an important consideration in Australia. Barry Eagar says overseas applicants must pay attention to this requirement and ensure that the claims correspond to the patent specification

The countries on the eastern and southern fringes of Europe are facing a myriad of challenges in their quest to join the ranks of those coveted clubs – the EU and the EPC, as Ingrid Hering discovers