The Venezuelan Patent and Trademark Office recently adopted an important decision concerning filing of national trademark applications which will result in an easier procedure. Continue reading
Russian Federation will have special IP Court from 2013
Two important new laws have been recently signed by the Russian President concerning IP rights. Continue reading
Tajikistan accedes to Geneva Act
The Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs will enter into force in Tajikistan on March 21, 2012. Consequently, to obtain design protection anyone can file a single application at WIPO and designating any or all the countries members of the Geneva Act.
Entry into force of 10th Edition of Nice Classification
On 1st January 2012 the 10th edition of the International Classification of Goods and Services for the purposes of the registration of Marks, alias the Nice Classification, entered into force. Continue reading
P.C.T.: welcome Qatar !
On 3 May 2011, Qatar deposited its instrument of accession to the PCT (Patent Cooperation Treaty); from 3 August 2011 Qatar became a PCT contracting state.
Accordingly, it is possible to designate Qatar in any international patent application filed on or after as of 3 August 2011.
However, the Qatari Patent Office will be ready to receive national phase applications starting from middle October 2011.
The official fees and date of annuity have not yet be decided.
New Copyright Law in Montenegro
The new Law on Copyright and Related Rights entered into force on August 6, 2011. This new regulation has the main aim to strenghten the old Serbia and Montenegro’s copyright law dating back to 2004 and to focus more on the artist’s rights. The new provisions deal more deeply with the collective management of rights and introduce a control by the State of the copyright collectives.
Furthermore, the new Law is compliant with international conventions and with the EU’s directives on the subject matter.
Amendments to Hungarian Domain Name Regulations
New domain name regulations entered into force in Hungary on June 1, 2011 with the aim to shorten and simplify the registration procedure.
One of the main amendment concerns the time to object a domain name registration: trademark owners have now eight days (instead of fourteen days as in the old provisions) to object if a third party registers a domain that infringes their rights. Now, all the domain name applications are published online on the webiste of the Council of Hungarian Internet Providers, so that it is easy for trademark owners to find out possible violations.
Official Database of Mexican Trademark Registrations at Mexican Customs
On July 29, 2011 an important amendment was published in the Mexican Official Gazette concerning the general Rules of External Trade; according to this amendment, the Official Database for Mexican Trademark Registrations of the Mexican Customs has been created. Continue reading
Opposition procedure in Italy: beginning of a new era
As we had already announced in a previous post on this blog dated 20 March 2010, following the Regulation of 13 January 2010 n. 33 relative to the Code of the Industrial Property, the procedure of trademark opposition entered into force in Italy. This administrative procedure become fully applicable further to the publication on the Gazzetta Ufficiale n. 157 of 08/07/2011 of the executing Decree of the Ministry of the Economic Development which contains the terms, rules, provisions and forms for filing oppositions against national trademark applications in Italy. Continue reading
Rwanda joins the PCT
Rwanda recently deposited its instrument of accession to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) at the Wipo.
The Treaty will enter into force on August 31, 2011. 
Rwanda became the 144th PCT Contracting State.