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Pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline's proposed scheme to restrict exports of cheap medicines from Spain to other parts of Europe is illegal under EU competition rules, according to the European Commission. On May 8, Mario Monti, the EU competition commissioner, ended three years of deliberation by banning the dual-pricing scheme claiming it interfered with the Community's objective of integrating national markets and restricting price competition.

The Ukraine's reputation as the world's most persistent IP violator was confirmed in this year's US Trade Representative Special 301 Report. The Ukraine, identified as a Priority Foreign Country on March 12, almost certainly faces trade sanctions at the end of June unless it takes radical moves to address its severe IP problems.

A global campaign to overturn a US patent on basmati rice has scored a major victory with the announcement that the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has thrown out 13 of 16 remaining claims from US-based RiceTec's controversial patent. John J Doll, the director of biotechnology examination at the USPTO, himself examined and rejected 13 claims from the patent. He judged that the rice lines, plants and grains that the company claimed in the application were prior art or substantially identical to basmati varieties grown in India and Pakistan, and hence could not be patented.

The new generic top level domains are finally becoming available to domain name registrants. The first new domains available will be .biz and .info. .biz is trialling a unique service that enables trade mark owners to pay a fee to stake claims to domain names without registering them. The service, operated by NeuLevel, came into operation on May 19 and the notification period lasts until July 9. It enables potential registrants to be warned if their preferred domain name infringes any prior claimed rights, as well as warning those who have staked a claim if anyone else tries to register the same words. After July 9, .biz applications can be made and the .biz sites will be operational on October 1.

In the spotlight: Woody Ritchey, Chief Executive Officer, Delphion

Pictured are some of the guests at the MIP and Questel Orbit four elements reception at the San Francisco Design Centre during the INTA Conference on May 6. The photos show members of MIP and Questel Orbit as well as representatives of firms receiving awards

The Hong Kong Domain Name Registration (HKDNR) has finally relaxed domain name rules to allow companies to register multiple names under .hk, in a bid to boost the internet industry and facilitate e-commerce. Until now, it has been difficult for Hong Kong companies to differentiate their various products or services online but this problem ends on June 1, when they will be able to register more than one .hk domain name.

The Advocate General’s Opinion in the Davidoff and Levi’s case was welcomed by both brand owners and parallel importers. David Rose analyzes the Opinion and suggests that brand owners have slightly more to be pleased about

Cathryn Warburton explains how and why Customs notices are an essential part of anti-counterfeiting in New Zealand, and answers the most common questions about border protection measures

In a landmark case, a UK court has ruled that oil company BP can stop rivals from using its distinctive colour green on their service stations. Ian Wood, Nicola Boxall and Mary Bagnall examine the decision