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Venezuela’s Congress is debating fundamental IP reforms. But, warns Gabriela Nuñez, there are a lot of obstacles which must be overcome before protection can improve

When it comes to using patents to provide more brand and shareholder value, some companies may be getting in the way of their own success. In the following excerpt from their chapter in the book From Ideas to Assets – Investing Wisely in Intellectual Property (John Wiley & Sons), Bruce Berman and James D Woods show how the importance of these patents may be overlooked and under-communicated

Trade mark systems in Africa and the Middle East are at various stages of development. The difficulties with registering and enforcing rights should not put off those interested in doing so, reports Ralph Cunningham

Ralph Cunningham, Hong Kong

The German Act Relating to Inventions of Employees (the Act) provides that an employer may, within a period of four months, claim an invention made by an employee which either results from the employee's work under the employment contract or is essentially based on the know-how of the employer. For such a claimed invention, a patent application must be filed. In return, the employee is entitled to compensation when the invention is used by the employer. Unfortunately, the administrative provisions of the Act cause considerable paper work. Large companies estimate that the costs for handling employment inventions in compliance with the provisions of the Act are in the same range as the compensation to be paid to the employed inventors for the use of these inventions.

The Tokyo High Court has upheld the Japanese Patent Office ban on obtaining trade marks for retail services. The internationalization of the country’s trade mark system could persuade the authorities to change their stance, say Shusaku Yamamoto and John Tessensohn

Thanks to a new directive, artists across Europe will receive royalties on future sales of their works – many for the first time. George Moore and Matthew Warren explain how the royalty structure will work

When it comes to using patents to provide more brand and shareholder value, some companies may be getting in the way of their own success. In the following excerpt from their chapter in the book From Ideas to Assets – Investing Wisely in Intellectual Property (John Wiley & Sons), Bruce Berman and James D Woods show how the importance of these patents may be overlooked and under-communicated

Trade mark systems in Africa and the Middle East are at various stages of development. The difficulties with registering and enforcing rights should not put off those interested in doing so, reports Ralph Cunningham

Ingrid Hering reports