TAKING STEPPES TO ENSURE PROTECTION; LATEST TW; AND DON'T FORGET ...

Taking steppes to ensure protection

The IPKat's friend Ed Meikle (Dickinson Dees) has drawn his attention to a piece in Sportbusiness on the Russian Parliament giving its preliminary approval to strict new laws on intellectual property rights that are set to

“strengthen the struggle against counterfeiting in every possible way”

according to the Russian deputy prime minister. This new legislation is supposed to boost Sochi’s bid to host the 2014 Olympic Winter Games. Russia currently has a full range of regulations to protect the Olympic symbol, motto, flag, hymn, the terms “Olympic” and “Olympiad”, as well as other Olympic designations and Olympic-related marks on the territory of the Russian Federation. The new measures will reinforce the existing regulations and bring Russian law in line with European standards.

The IPKat has no doubt that the law will conform with the highest standards of protection on paper, but can't help being skeptical as to how easy it will be to enforce it. For example, does anyone know how long it can take an intellectual property owner to get an interim injunction to stop an infringer pending trial? Or does the Olympic Committee have special protection from the State?

Right: on the piste - the Russian apres-ski team coach prepares her squad for action

What they say about IP enforcement in Russia here, here and here
Russian commitment to protect IP here
Best way to protect your interests in Russia: click here
Russian steppes here


Latest TW

The October 2006 issue of Informa's ten-times-a-year Trademark World leads with a feature that asks what you (ie the trade mark owner) can do when parody goes too far. The answer is provided by two scions of Freshfields, Giles Pratt and Loic Orellou, demonstrating a little bit of the entente cordiale by showing how English and French lawyers can cooperate even when working for the same firm. The IPKat likes the double entendre that he found in their conclusion:

" ... the UK and French legal systems do offer a range of weapons to brand owners".

Sadly for sadists, there are no illustrations of them - but why brand the poor old owners anyway? Other less gruesome attractions come from Rutorn Nopakun (Domnern Somgiat & Boonma, Thailand), reporting on the first domain name dispute to reach the Thai Supreme Court, and the IPKat's friend John Hull (Eversheds) on the vulnerability of super brands as they fall victim of their own success.

Full contents of latest issue here


.... and don't forget

If you've not yet added your name to the IPKat's email circular list, but would like to get your postings from this blog without the hassle of visiting it, just email the IPKat here and he'll make sure that your name is added to the list.

Right: the IPKat and Merpel wish you a lovely weekend