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With a top official of the USPTO saying the agency is prepared to begin enacting patent reform legislation as soon as mid-September, representatives of small business interests yesterday warned the America Invents Act could harm innovation

The ITC is bracing for another record year in filings. With two fewer judges, a cap on staff and government-wide budget cuts, how can it survive in its current form? With a series of exclusive interviews, Eileen McDermott visited the Commission to investigate Photography: Iwan Bagus

A decision by a UDRP panellist that again rejects the so-called Octogen line on bad faith has raised doubts about the sustainability of the doctrine

The online music service Spotify agreed deals with the major music companies, as well as independent labels, and carried out an invite-only beta launch in the US in July. The fully legal product will offer users on-demand access to more than 15 million tracks with a choice of three services: free with advertising; ad-free access for $4.99 a month; and premium access for $9.99 a month. All three services include access to the full Spotify library and various social/sharing features. Spotify was launched in Sweden in 2008 has 10 million users in seven European countries. Most have the free-access service with advertising, while there are 1.6 million paying subscribers. The company has wanted to expand into the US for some time but has had to negotiate licensing rates with music companies. It appears to have now struck a satisfactory deal, though details of the licensing arrangements have not been disclosed. Spotify will be competing with online jukebox Pandora as well as other music services (both legal and pirated). At the end of July, US company PacketVideo sued Spotify for infringement of a patent covering the distribution of music in a digital form.

Luxury shoe brand Louboutin is fighting rival Yves Saint Laurent over the rights to its famous red soles in both the US and Europe. In New York, a judge last month denied Louboutin's motion for a preliminary injunction barring YSL from marketing shoes with red soles, citing trade mark infringement. Judge Victor Marrero said granting a designer exclusive use of a colour would result in a "broad spectrum of absurdities" and "fashion wars".

The biotech industry can breathe a sigh of relief, for now. The Federal Circuit's ruling in Association for Molecular Pathology v the USPTO and Myriad Genetics found that isolated DNA sequences can be patented. Until, that is, the US Supreme Court takes on the case, which seems likely if the case is appealed.

Online sellers may have to change their attitude to counterfeits after a Court of Justice ruling in Europe. But eBay had some consolation, says James Nurton

Brands such as Wal-Mart and Mattel have suffered from problems caused by foreign manufacturers. Oliver Herzfeld and Richard Bergovoy provide some guidance on how to minimise the risks

It is crucial to have the right protections in place. An effective policy will save money in the long-term, say Rahul Chaudhry and Kajigailiu G Kamei from Lall Lahiri & Salhotra

Two members of the Pirate Bay claim they have turned over a new leaf with their latest business venture, which is designed to respect IP rights