Ladas & Parry February 2002 Information Newsletter

Patent Protection for Pharmaceutical Products

Brazil

Brunei

Bulgaria

Court of Appeal Rules on Criteria for Assessing Likelihood of Confusion Between Trademarks

Canada

Court of Appeal Rules on Patentability of Animals and other Higher Organisms

Court of Appeal Rules that Fame of a Trademark is not Necessarily a Conclusive Factor in Considering Likelihood of Confusion

Regulations Implementing New Franchise Disclosure Law in Ontario

Supreme Court Rules on the Interpretation of Patent Claims

China (PRC)

Guidelines for Adjudication of Domain Name Disputes

Patent Law Amended

Use of Another's Well Known Trademark as a Domain Name

Chech Republic

New Law Governing the Import, Export and Re-Export of Counterfeit Goods to Protect Trademark Owners

New Patent and Trademark Law Enacted

Denmark

Design Law Revised

Dominican Republic

Equatorial Guinea

Joins O.A.P.I. (May 23, 2002)

Estonia

New Geographical Indications Protection Act

European Patent Convention (EPC)

Treaty Revisions

Turkey Joins the EPC

European Patent Office (EPO)

Application of the Grace Period

Changes in Practice

Changes Relating to the PCT

Novelty Requirements Clarified

Patent Protection for Business Methods

Relationship of Parent and Divisional Patent Applications

Requirements for a Valid Claim to Convention Priority

Second Medical Use Claims in Patents

European Union (EU)

E-Commerce Directive

European Court of Justice Allows Registration of the Trademark BABY-DRY and Defines Distinctiveness

European Court of Justice Decision on Exhaustion of Trademark Rights

Proposed Revision of the European Patent System

Registration of Community Trademarks for Retail Services

France

Design Term Shortened

Georgia

Guatemala

India

Indonesia

Israel

Amendment of Trademark Law

Italy

Design Law Revisions

Jamaica

Consideration of Validity of Patent in Infringement Action

Japan

Change in Patent Examination Practice

Revision of the Patent Attorney Law

Jersey

New Trade Marks Law

Korea (South)

Trade Dress Held by Court to be Protectable under Unfair Competition Prevention Act

Revision of Patent Law

Design Law Amendments

New Unfair Trade Practices Act

Kyrgyzstan

Protection of Well-Known Marks

Lithuania

New Customs Law

Macau

Madrid Agreement and Protocol

Membership

Malaysia

Amendment of Patent Law

Malta

Change in Intellectual Property Litigation Procedure

Mexico

Moldova

New Industrial Property Law

Morocco

Netherlands

Sufficiency of Description Needed to Support Patent Claim

Netherlands Antilles

Nicaragua

New Patent, Design and Integrated Circuit Ordinances

Pakistan

Paraguay

International Preliminary Examination Changes

Paris Convention

New Members

Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT)

Designation Fees

New Members

Revised Regulations

Patent Law Treaty

Adopted

Poland

New Industrial Property Law Adopted

Russia

Rules Adopted for the Recognition of Well-Known Trademarks

Singapore

New Design Law

Sweden

Reciprocal Arrangements for Patent and Trademark Priority Claims

Taiwan

Patent Law Amended

Thailand

Trinidad and Tobago

House of Lords Gives Expansive View of Copyright Protection

Turkey

Joins the EPC

United Kingdom

Design Law Amended

Reconditioning of Patented Products

Applications to Register Marks for Certain Features of Retail Services Now Accepted

Database Protection Right

United States

Doctrine of Equivalents in Determining Patent Infringement

Preliminary Injunctions in Patent Infringement Suits

First to Invent Rule

Contributory Infringement of Copyright by File-Sharing on the Internet

Configuration of Previously Patented Article as Protectable Trade Dress

Electronic Signatures

Intrusions into Computers as Trespass to Chattels

Rights to Incorporate Copyrighted Works in Electronic Databases

Vietnam