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Illegal exemptions to music royalty collection in the US are costing European performers $20 million dollars a year.

When the Trade Marks Act came into force in October 1994, the scope of what constituted a registrable trade mark was broadened.

Joel Smith, Andrea Montanari and Simona Cazzaniga provide an update on the complex Italian regime for protecting industrial designs, in the light of new legislation

On January 28 1999, the Intellectual Property Laws Amendment Act 1998 became law in Australia, introducing provisions for the extension of the term of patents relating to pharmaceutical substances.

The need for a clear problem and solution was demonstrated in a recent decision by Stockholm´ s Tingsrätt (The Stockholm City Court), the first instance for all patent litigation in Sweden. The problem/solution approach is one of the basic principles in European patent practice. In case No. T7-19-97 the validity of European patent 0138152 was tried by the City Court.

On July 23 1998 the Trade Mark Law No. 84/1998 came into force. Section 88 of this Law provides that if a trade mark is infringed, the owner may ask, by way of interlocutory injunction, for the immediate cessation of any infringement until the main trial case is settled and the decision is final.

Exhaustion of rights, as an exception to the rights afforded by IP laws, has been recognized in the laws of many countries in the world. In general terms, it implies that the owner of intellectual property rights cannot oppose the further trading of products embodying its rights, if and to the extent that such products have been marketed by or with its consent. Exhaustion of rights marks the border between intellectual property rights and those of the buyer of a product or copy embodying the IP rights.

On December 3 1993, the European Union Authorities filed their first proposal of Regulation and Directive relevant to the legal protection of designs. On October 28 1998, Directive 98/71/CE was eventually published, to be validated on a domestic basis in each member state by October 28 2001, and which consists of 21 Whereas... and of 20 sections. This demonstrates though it is widely known anyway how many difficulties there are and remain to be overcome to harmonize design laws which vary throughout the European Union.

After more than eight years of fruitful activity, Mr Ladislav Jakl, president of the Czech Industrial Property Office, decided to resign from his duties and leave the Office on December 31 1998.

The problem of whether a claimed invention in relation to a selection invention is patentable may arise not only in the chemical, but also in many other fields.