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The situation of intellectual property protection in Russia has long been described by experts as disastrous. The share of illegal videocassettes in the Russian market is 50%, of audiocassettes 64%, and of DVDs almost 100%. In this connection, at the session held on October 3 2002 the Russian government determined the list of urgent anti-piracy measures. A specialized government committee led by the Prime Minister will be engaged in stage-by-stage development of the measures connected with intellectual property protection. It is supposed to improve the legislative base by working out amendments and changes into the existing laws and acceptance of new legal acts. Moreover, Russia intends to sign and ratify international agreements on copyright and related rights protection (namely, the International Convention for the Protection of Performers, Producers of Phonograms and Broadcasting Organizations, the WIPO Copyright Treaty and the WIPO Performances and Phonograms Treaty).

It is no great news to report that bureaucratic delays continue to dog the new Trademarks Act passed by the Indian parliament way back in 1999 with much TRIPs Agreement-compliant hype and fanfare. The latest to join the game of hurdles is a writ filed before the High Court of Delhi, challenging certain aspects of the new law.

In a series of four decisions rendered recently by the German Federal Supreme Court (BGH), the Court considered the extent to which the doctrine of equivalents applies to patent claims reciting numerical ranges: BGH GRUR 2002, 515 - Schneidmesser I (in English, Cutting Knife I); 519 - Schneidmesser II; 523 - Custodiol I; 527 - Custodiol II.

? Australia: David Clark has become a partner of Blake Dawson Waldron in its Sydney office, where he will set up the office's patent services group. He previously was a partner of Griffith Hack.

Following last year's Baby-Dry decision, trade mark attorneys in Europe have been exploring how to protect novel marks. The new Community Design gives them another tool. Ingrid Hering reports

Practitioners in the US and Canada face the prospect of exciting changes in the future as courts tackle fundamental issues about the limits of trade mark and copyright protection. James Nurton reports

Ann Robins, Manager Legal Affairs, EFPIA, Brussels

Sam Mamudi, Copenhagen

James Hamilton, Philippe Signore and Christopher Ward explain why design patents are becoming more popular as a means of protection in the US