PCT: THE LATEST BITS ...; NEW CONFERENCE COMPETITION

PCT: the latest bits

The IPKat has just received PCT Notification No. 180, this being a circular from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) which features all the recent amendments to the Regulations made under the Patent Cooperation Treaty. These amendments were adopted by the Assembly of the International Patent Cooperation Union on 3 October 2006 and take effect on 1 April 2007. PCT Notification No. 181 contains the bits you've all been dreading - the new fees.

All the official information you could ever need for international patent filing here
Other things that PCT stands for here


New conference competition

CLT has announced its 2007 Intellectual Property Conference, which will be held on Thursday 25 January 2007 at The Hatton Conference Centre, London (in the heart of the Hatton Garden jewellery and diamond district). The programme is packed with exciting features. Topics covered include

* the impact of European and international developments on local IP practice in the UK;

* the collision of IP rights and their mortal enemy, competition rules;

* the intended and unintended consequences of the current protection of unregistered rights;

* an investigation of whatever happened to traditional copyright.

Speakers include Anna Carboni, Ruth Annand, Alan Poulter and Ian Karet. In the chair is IPKat co-blogmeister Jeremy (the IPKat's paw has made its imprint on the programme, which should lead to some fun). Booking early's not enough. You have to get there early - latecomers are made to sit at the front ...

This conference comes with a fun competition too. On the right is a representation of the logo of WIPO, the venerable World Intellectual Property Organization. It is deeply meaningful and symbolic. But what we need for the twenty-first century is a NEW LOGO for WIPO, together with a brief explanation of what it means. Please send your entries to the IPKat here. The prize: free registration for the conference (the normal price is £495 plus VAT). Closing date for submissions: Monday 8 January 2007, at midnight Greenwich Mean Time. Best entries will be posted on this blog, so please make sure they're not infringing any third party copyright ... (Merpel says, we wouldn't like WIPO to get sued

For full conference programme and registration details click here