WIPO Lex

WIPO Lex is a one-stop search facility for national laws and treaties on intellectual property (IP) of WIPO, WTO and UN Members. It also features related information which elaborates, analyzes and interprets these laws and treaties. It provides streamlined access to reference material of key importance for optimal information on the global IP System.

Date	News Brief
April 15, 2013	Australia: The Intellectual Property Laws Amendment (Raising the Bar) Act was enacted on April 15, 2012, and came into force in its entirety on April 15, 2013. This Act includes the amendments to the Copyright Act 1968, the Patents Act 1990, the Trade Marks Act 1995, the Plant Breeder's Rights Act 1994, and the Designs Act 2003. The amendments address six key areas: raising the quality of granted patents, free access to patented inventions for regulatory approvals and research, reducing delays in resolution of patent and trade mark applications, assisting the operations of the IP profession, improving mechanisms for trade mark and copyright enforcement, and simplifying the IP system.
February 1, 2013	Mexico: The Decree Promulgating the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks was issued on February 1, 2013, by the President of Mexico, pursuant to Section I of Article 89 of Mexico’s Federal Constitution. By virtue of this Decree, published on February 8, 2013, the President has announced the Protocol Relating to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks to be in force in Mexico from February 1, 2013, in accordance with Article 14(4)(b) of the Protocol, and the Madrid (Marks) Notification No. 198, in which the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) notified the deposit by the Government of Mexico, on November 19, 2012, of its instrument of accession to the Protocol.
January 18, 2013	Denmark: The Order of January 18, 2013 on Patents and Supplementary Protection Certificates, issued by the Danish Patent and Trademark Office (DKPTO) came into force on February 1, 2013. It was issued pursuant to sections 5(2), 6(2), 8a, 8b(2), 9, 11, 22(7), 22(8), 28(2), 31, 34, 38(2), 45(2), 48(3), 69, 71(2), 88(1)(iii), 90, 91 and 97 of the Consolidate Patents Act (Consolidate Act No. 108 of January 24, 2012). This Order has repealed Order No. 93 of January 29, 2009 on Patents and Supplementary Protection Certificates, and introduced the new procedures for opposition, administrative re-examination, and termination of a patent, as specified in Part IV of the Order.
January 14, 2013	United States of America: H.R. 6621, entitled “An Act to Correct and Improve Certain Provisions of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act and Title 35, United States Code” was passed by the United States Congress, signed into law by the President of the United States on January 14, 2013 and became Public Law No. 112-274. The Act makes a number of technical corrections to the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA), and other provisions of the Patent Act, title 35 of the United States Code. This new law makes technical changes to the AIA. Among the key amendments are: the elimination of the nine-month “dead zone”, during which certain patents were ineligible for post grant review (“PGR”) or inter partes review (“IPR”) (Section 1(d)); the extension of the deadline for an applicant to file an inventor’s oath or declaration until the date on which the issue fee for the patent is paid (Section 1(f)); the modification of requirements and time periods for activities relating to patent term adjustments (“PTA”) such as the adjustment period for certain international applications (Section 1(h)); the repeal of Section 373 of title 35, United States Code, on improper applicants (Section 1(i)); and the clarification of the time period to institute derivation proceedings (Section 1(k)(1)).
December 24, 2012	Ethiopia: The Council of Ministers Regulation No. 273/2012 of December 24, 2012 on Trademark Registration and Protection was issued on December 24, 2012 and entered into force on the same date. This Regulation brings into force a new trademark regime for the registration of trademark rights as provided in the Trademark Registration and Protection Proclamation No. 501/2006. Accordingly, it provides detailed provisions on the trademark registration process including the application for registration, examination, opposition, changes after registration, renewals, and invalidity and revocation of registration. In addition, it contains provisions relating to the transfer of ownership and license contract of a registered mark, and provisions on division, and merger of separate applications and registration of a series of trademarks. It further contains the Schedule on the Fees relating to trademark services. Article 59 of the Regulation stipulates that the Ethiopian Intellectual Property Office (EIPO) may issue directives necessary for the implementation of the 2006 Proclamation and this Regulation.

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