Australia: Changes are expected in the area of patent, trade mark, copyright and pharmaceutical law under a free trade agreement with the US. One such change is the extension of copyright protection for another 20 years to 70 years. China: The Chinese State Intellectual Property Office will start accepting electronic patent applications from March 12 - the day of the 20th anniversary of China's first patent law. China: The State Intellectual Property Office (SIPO) plans to introduce an IP Strategic Alert System to send out warnings to companies about potential overseas claims and to advise them on possible countermeasures. The initiative aims to reduce the rising number of litigation claims brought against Chinese companies, particularly in the US. Japan: Recommendations to overhaul the country's utility model system to try to cut the overhwelming levels of patent applications will be presented by a working group to Japan's parliament, the Diet, before June.
