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Intellectual property has jumped from the technology page to the front page, as big stories have captured the public imagination throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Ralph Cunningham reports from Hong Kong

The economic downturn has affected all US and Canadian attorneys in the past year. But patents remain as popular as ever, leading to the prospect of increasing litigation in the future. Ingrid Hering examines how attorneys and courts are coping with the new challenges

The protection of designs in Romania is regulated by Law 129/1992 concerning industrial designs protection. According to this law, the title of protection for designs shall be the certificate of registration of the industrial design which shall confer on its owner an exclusive right of exploitation in the territory of Romania for a period of five years starting on the date on which a regular deposit was effected and it may be renewed for two successive five-year periods of time.

Karel Cermák Jr, of Cermák Horejs and Myslil, outlines the basic features of the system of patent litigation in the Czech Republic and provide some practical hints and basic advice for companies involved in patent litigation

Ralph Cunningham, Hong Kong

Controversy over the protection of AIDS patents has dogged South Africa in the past year. Progress has been made in finding a solution, but no-one yet knows what it will be, reports James Nurton

The new Chinese Patent Law strengthens a patent owner’s hand against infringement, providing new means of enforcement, including injunctions. But there are also penalties for bringing unjustified actions, warn Lindsay Esler and Paul Davies

A new law is to be introduced in the UK for registered designs applied for after October 28 2001. The Registered Designs Regulations 2001 (RDR), currently before parliament, amend the Registered Designs Act 1949 (RDA) in order to give effect to EC Directive 98/71 on the legal protection of designs. The aim of this Directive is to harmonize certain aspects of national registered design law within the European community. The United Kingdom and all other European member states are required to bring their national laws into line with the Directive by October 28 2001.

The perception exists in Australia that it is too easy to successfully defend a design infringement action. But Wayne Condon says that will change if Parliament passes radical reforms to the almost 100-year-old designs legislation

There is tension across Europe on the question of constructing patent claims. Gerard P Cronin, of Arnander Irvine & Zietman, examines how the English courts have dealt with the question