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On September 21 2013, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) published its Rules and Regulations on its enforcement functions and visitorial powers granted by Republic Act 10372, which amends the IP Code. These rules, which enhance the enforcement of IP rights in the country, took effect on October 7 2013 and provide the following.

Just as trade mark filings and registrations have seen a remarkable rise in the Near East over the past 10 to 20 years, we are now witnessing a similar phenomenon with patents. This rise in filings is driven by the need for protection in new emerging markets as well as an improved IP rights and enforcement environment. One country in the region that stands out is Saudi Arabia. In 2013, two major patent-related events have attested to Saudi's commitment to ensuring accessible and robust IP.

In a recent case an Australian franchisor of drive-through coffee outlets operating under the trade mark Muzz Buzz was able to stop a New Zealand operator trading under the name Jitta Buzz. Although the defendant was active in New Zealand well before the plaintiff, the court considered it had copied the business model and overall presentation from the plaintiff's Australian operation. The defendant's behaviour in this respect appeared to be sufficient to sway the court despite the strength of the plaintiff's causes of action being prima facie dubious.

In order to expedite the resolution of disputes over the registration and use of an internet domain name, Icann adopted the UDRP system. Under Paragraph 4 of the UDRP, a person who has legitimate interest in or right to a domain name may commence an administrative proceeding against the domain name holder for the cancellation or transfer of the domain name by submitting a complaint to one of the administrative-dispute-resolution service providers approved by Icann, which includes the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.

It's an age-old dilemma for governments: they want to take advice from those with real-life experience but they don't want to be seen to be beholden to sectoral interests. So what does the appointment of Mike Weatherley as an adviser mean for IP?

Under Taiwan's patent practice, patent applications become publicly available for inspection after they are laid-open or published. However, someone wishing to obtain a copy of the entire file wrapper of a laid-open or published application needs to place an order with the Taiwan Intellectual Property Office and potentially wait a while for it to arrive.

Taking office just a month after the election of President Park Geun-hye, Commissioner Kim Young-min discusses with Peter Leung the new administration’s plans to encourage IP creation, and expected changes to its IP laws

Foreign IP owners need to work more closely with domestic companies if they are to win greater IP protection in China. Peter Leung explains the key associations and most-effective methods of working with Chinese companies

The US Seventh Circuit has held that before invalidating a copyright registration due to inaccurate application statements, the trial court must consult the Copyright Registrar. DeliverMed v Schaltenbrand involved a dispute between former business partners. DeliverMed, a marketing firm, and Medicate Pharmacy worked together on a mail-order pharmaceutical business. In 2008, DeliverMed hired Deeter Associates to design a logo for the venture. Deeter tasked a freelance artist to do the work. The freelancer did not transfer the logo's copyright to Deeter.

The Australian Council of Intellectual Property (ACIP) has announced another review of the innovation patents system. This review will again look at options in dealing with the innovation patents system, where issues, including the granting of patents that lack of an inventive step test (so they are otherwise obvious), has led to substantial frictions in trade and commerce.