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The new Chinese Patent Law strengthens a patent owner’s hand against infringement, providing new means of enforcement, including injunctions. But there are also penalties for bringing unjustified actions, warn Lindsay Esler and Paul Davies

Following fundamental reforms, the countries of eastern Europe will soon be ready to join those of the west in the EU and the EPC. James Nurton examines how practitioners are preparing for change

The perception exists in Australia that it is too easy to successfully defend a design infringement action. But Wayne Condon says that will change if Parliament passes radical reforms to the almost 100-year-old designs legislation

A new law is to be introduced in the UK for registered designs applied for after October 28 2001. The Registered Designs Regulations 2001 (RDR), currently before parliament, amend the Registered Designs Act 1949 (RDA) in order to give effect to EC Directive 98/71 on the legal protection of designs. The aim of this Directive is to harmonize certain aspects of national registered design law within the European community. The United Kingdom and all other European member states are required to bring their national laws into line with the Directive by October 28 2001.

Australia: Daryl Williams, the federal attorney general, announced on September 18 that Screenrights will be the sole collecting society to collect copyright royalties for retransmission of free-to-air television programmes by pay-TV services. Screenrights will be responsible for distributing royalties to the owners of copyright in the films, scripts, music, sound recordings and art works in the retransmitted programmes.

On July 24 2001, a new Criminal Code was enforced in Colombia, substituting the one that had been issued two decades ago. The New Code, a model for Latin America, includes a new group of juristic acts or deeds intended to enhance the legal protection of intellectual property and new technologies.

A Canadian court of appeal has overturned a decision that determined that the use of a trade mark by a US retailer violated the ownership rights of a Canadian company.

Ingrid Hering, London

Sam Mamudi, London

Simmons & Simmons and TMI Associates, which was formed from the IP group of Nishimura & Partners in 1990, have formed a qualified joint venture (tokutei kyodo jigyo tai) with effect from September 12. Intellectual property will be one of the joint venture's six core practice groups along with corporate, M&A, finance, commercial and anti-trust law. Simmons & Simmons claims the alliance is the first joint venture between a major Japanese firm and a UK-based international law firm.