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New plant variety protection legislation favours breeders over farmers, say protestors. Irrespective of the arguments, the first-to-file rule means you must to move quickly to secure your rights, argue Chris Lim and Rommel Casis

In most countries, the most expensive part of prosecuting a patent application is the cost of search and examination. Singapore took a positive approach by allowing an applicant to rely on search and examination results for a corresponding application in lieu of search and examination of the Singapore application. No official fees are imposed on an applicant who chooses to do so. For this purpose, corresponding applications from Australia, Canada, the EPO, UK, US and PCT (not designating Singapore) may be used. A corresponding application must relate to substantially the same invention and be connected to the Singapore application by a priority claim, for example, a common priority claim.

In the first case of its type since the new Patent Act, a patent has been struck out on the basis of a premature sale. Adrian Zahl examines the implications of the decision for patentees in Canada

Law no. 202 on the assurance of the abidance by the intellectual property rights during Customs operations was adopted at the end of 2000 and this was followed by the Methodological Norms for the enforcement of Law no 202/2000 on March 8 2001.

There is an indication that North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is changing. Recently, North Korea announced the abolition of the "distribution system", its symbol of communism. The abolition symbolizes the recognition of the "privatization of property, " as North Korea became the "last experimental station on earth" relating to the introduction of a market economy.

On May 22 this year, the US Supreme Court decided the most eagerly-awaited patent case in many years, Festo v SMC. The case addresses a key issue for patent holders: what protection is available under the doctrine of equivalents. But was the decision as important as many people have claimed? What effect will it have for patent applicants and litigants in the US? And what impact will it have on the US Patent and Trademark Office, the Federal Circuit and district courts? MIP invited six senior IP practitioners in the US to a round table discussion, held at the Washington DC offices of Finnegan Henderson, to discuss the implications of the Festo decision, as well as other recent patent cases. James Nurton moderated the discussion

Taiwan's Executive Yuan, or Cabinet, is beginning to act on promises it made in April to help the copyright industries tackle infringement.

In a surprise arbitration decision, Nike has lost its complaint over five domain names registered by a Korean company.

The UK Court of Appeal has cleared a rival of biotech heavyweight Amgen of patent infringement, in a decision viewed as restoring balance to the patent system.

Muhyiddin Yassin, Malaysia's Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, has denied that he said in a newspaper interview that the government was considering allowing some groups in Malaysian society to use pirated software.