Search results for

Here are some of the highlights of amendments to the Patent Law currently being presented to the Diet: (1) Shortening of the time period for filing a request for examination (Sec 48ter(1)). The time period for filing a request for examination is to be revised to three years from the filing date instead of the seven years as provided for in Section 48ter(1). The proposed provision is to be applied to an application filed on or after October 1 2001. The seven year time limit though provided for in the current law is still to be applied to an application pending on the above effective date of October 1 2001.

In 1974, the office of the United States Trade Representative was mandated to identify and pursue countries which did not offer adequate protection to US right owners.

Silhouette has bestowed on a trade mark owner a parasitic right to interfere with the distribution of goods which bears little or no relationship to the proper function of the trade mark right.

Civil procedure changes in Japan make it easier to claim attorney-client privilege

In Estonia the Integrated Circuits Protection Act, already adopted by the Parliament on November 25 1998, came into force on March 16 1999. This Act follows the principles of the Washington 1989 Treaty, TRIPs Agreement and EU Directive 87/54/EEC on the legal protection of topographies of semiconductor products.

The Patents Amendment Bill, only for allowing Exclusive Marketing Rights (EMR) to foreign and Indian companies in the pharmaceutical and agro-chemical sectors, has been passed by Parliament. However, product patents will not be allowed before 2005.

A company's intellectual capital includes a lot more than mere patents and trade marks

A patent application was filed in the Czech Republic with the priority claim of a German utility model application, but after the publication of the said German utility model application. This fact was used by a petitioner, who filed a request, to cancel the patent granted on the mentioned Czech patent application in a first instance proceeding.

ITALY: 14 mafia members were arrested in Naples on April 8 for their part in an international piracy ring. The arrested were members of the Quadrifoglio organization, and are accused of printing counterfeit money to pay for pirate CDs imported from Singapore, Greece and Russia. The group used the illegal proceeds of piracy to finance record companies producing local pop music. They have been charged with conspiracy, money laundering and promoting the mafia.

GERMANY: Nicolai von Funer has become a partner of Von Funer Ebbinghaus Finck Hano in Munich. The firm has also opened an office in Uluaanbaatar in Outer Mongolia: Euormarkpat Mongolia Ltd PO Box 58 Baga Toiruu 31 Ulaanbaatar 46 Mongolia Tel: +976 1 31 30 97 Fax: +976 1 32 55 87 E-mail: monpatent@magicnet.mn