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On August 28, the Ho Chi Minh City Court entered a judgment in an IP rights dispute that could herald significant changes to civil litigation in the IP field in Vietnam, influencing the way other courts deal with claims of damage compensation and attorney's fees in IP cases.

A two-judge panel of the Federal Circuit recently held that buySAFE's patent directed to guaranteeing payment in an online transaction failed meet the post-Alice patent eligibility requirements of 35 USC § 101. In a short and direct opinion, the Federal Circuit found that the claims encompassed the "ancient" idea of ensuring transaction performance, and that the invocation of a generic computer failed to supply the requisite inventive concept.

In April, in Octane Fitness, LLC v Icon Health & Fitness, Inc, the US Supreme Court issued a decision that established the parameters for when a district court may award attorneys' fees to a prevailing party under Section 285 of the Patent Act. In September, in Fair Wind Sailing, Inc v H Dempster et al, the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit became the first circuit court to apply the Octane Fitness holding regarding fee shifting in a patent case to a case involving claims under the Lanham Act.

The Full Federal Court, in D'Arcy v Myriad Genetics Inc, has unanimously decided to specifically diverge from the opinions of the US Supreme Court in the corresponding US Myriad case, in holding that isolated genetic/biological material can be patentable subject matter.

Under the provisions of previous Greek Trade Mark Law No 2239/1994, the recordal of a licence agreement with the Trade Marks Registry was compulsory and a decision of the Trade Marks Administrative Commission on the acceptance of such an agreement was required.

Genentech, the plaintiff, is the patentee of a patent for an invention titled "vascular endothelial cell growth factor antagonists". Genentech filed an application for the registration of patent term extension in relation to the patent asserting that Genentech obtained an approval of partial changes in manufacturing approval (the disposition), which added a new dosage and administration of its medicine Avastin, whose general name is bevacizumab (the medicine). Regarding the medicine, there was a prior disposition that differs only in dosage and administration (see figure for the differences between the prior disposition and the disposition).

The Russian Patent Office rejected registration of a trade mark in application 2012715514 with priority of May 14 2012 in the name of a Russian company Tarantino Ltd Co. The designation is a figurative representation of the relevant name.

On September 10, the Intellectual Property Office (IPOPHL) launched the Community Review Process open to all industry associations. This is in line with its objective to promote transparency and facilitate the flow of information in granting patents, utility model and industrial design registrations.

Since April 2013, Singapore has been developing itself as a Global IP Hub in Asia that services the needs of IP companies and facilitates the development and growth of the IP landscape in Asia. As part of its efforts to become a conducive environment for IP activities, various initiatives and programmes have been launched to develop Singapore's IP infrastructure, expertise and ecosystem. These include:

A monthly column devoted to IP curiosities and controversies, named in honour of John of Utynam