Category Archives: Recommended Reading

Road trip down the Patent Prosecution Highway

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Hilly RoadThe Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) may not be the road most travelled, but by taking a test-drive on it, our very own Helpdesk “Stig” reveals the secret speed of Patent Prosecution that is starting to become more and more popular world-wide.

The PPH scheme, through the sharing of information between patent offices, makes eligible an application whose claims have already been determined to be patentable in a first country, to then undergo an accelerated examination in a second. This is extremely relevant as it can drastically reduce the time taken to gain patent determinability in said second country and so is pertinent to all those SMEs impatient to take advantage of favourable overseas environments, but who also recognise the importance of protecting their IPR. Continue reading “Road trip down the Patent Prosecution Highway” »

Proactive Customs in Vietnam

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200There’s some very welcome news for European businesses in Vietnam: Customs have announced that they are ramping up their inspection efforts to tackle counterfeit goods in the country. How does this affect you? If you have any intellectual property recorded in Vietnam, Customs are asking for your recordal information so they can better identify genuine and fake products. This can help stop knock-offs of your goods from both entering Vietnam and leaving the country for other markets such as those in Europe. Continue reading “Proactive Customs in Vietnam” »

From IP Komodo: Philippines Landlord Liability – new ways to enforce your IP

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Copyright holders in the Philippines have been given a new way to enforce their intellectual property rights against infringers in the Philippines. Under the new amendments, liability for products which infringe copyright can now be extended to landlords (of say, malls) and not just shop owners themselves. This should be welcome news for European businesses operating in the Philippines as it provides an extra route for protecting your creative endeavours. To read IP Komodo’s original post on this, click here. Continue reading “From IP Komodo: Philippines Landlord Liability – new ways to enforce your IP” »

From China Law Blog: ‘China Distribution Agreements: Exclusivity Is NOT Required’

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With an increasingly affluent population the Chinese domestic market is expanding rapidly in many sectors; the financial rewards available mean more and more European businesses are distributing goods in China and if you’re considering joining them, China Law Blog points out at least one potential pitfall which you should be aware of: Distribution Agreements are NOT required to be exclusive. No such law exists in China. During negotiations, some Chinese companies may claim that you need to sign an exclusive distribution agreement because “this is how it is done in China” but this is not true – be wary of such statements. Read China Law Blog’s full post on this topic, here.

From China Law Blog: ‘The China NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). Shut The Barn Door BEFORE The Horse Bolts.’

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This post highlights something that every small business should be aware of and considering when they look to establish manufacturing in China and anywhere else as well: sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement BEFORE you reveal any of your products or prototypes to potential manufacturers. NDAs are relatively easy to produce and used commonly in China, so be wary of anyone unwilling to sign one. If you haven’t already signed one with manufacturers, China Law Blog also propose a contingency plan… Continue reading “From China Law Blog: ‘The China NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement). Shut The Barn Door BEFORE The Horse Bolts.’” »