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As the race among global leaders spurs exponential growth in nanotechnology, companies must keep watch on intellectual property issues emerging with the new field, explains Vicki Norton

Ralph Cunningham, Hong Kong

Readers of this column will recall that we published an article last year indicating that the French government was studying a proposed revision of the 'Lois sur la bioéthique'. The draft bill contained an article 12bis, which unambiguously indicated that "the sequence or partial sequence of a gene is not patentable". If adopted, the French law would have been in complete contradiction with the EU Biotechnology Directive (Directive 44/98/CE).

On February 28 2003 the Singapore government introduced a number of fiscal incentives in the 2003 budget to make Singapore an even more attractive location for IP rights holders.

Section 10 of the German Patent Act defines the constituent elements of contributory infringement as follows: a patent has apart from prohibiting direct infringement the further effect that a person not having the consent of the patentee shall be prohibited from supplying or offering to supply within the territory to which the Act applies a person, other than a person entitled to exploit the patented invention, with means relating to an essential element of such invention for exploiting the invention, where such person knows or it is obvious from the circumstances, that such means are suitable and intended for exploiting the invention. This does not apply when the means are staple commercial products, except where such person induces the person supplied to commit acts of direct infringement.

Sam Mamudi, New York

Europe's highest court has set back Dutch company Libertel's bid to register the colour orange for its telecommunications business in a decision on May 6.

The Hatch-Waxman Act in the US represented a careful balance of interests between the generic and brand name pharmaceutical manufacturers. William Feiler and Paula Wittmayer examine the Safe Harbor exemption and the challenges it represents to the biotech industry

The Harvard oncomouse drew world attention to the issue of patentability of life forms. Pierre-André Dubois and Kate McCallie explore the divergent approaches of patent authorities in the US, Canada and the EU

Sam Mamudi, New York