Monday miscellany

Thank you, says the IPKat, to those well-informed readers who have sent him this link to DOOR (the Database of Origin and Registration, which enables readers to search by country, product type, registered name and name applied for). You can find out about Protected Geographical Indications (PGIs), Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) and Traditional Specialities Guaranteed (TSGs) via links from DOOR's home page or you can enter the DOOR here. Further thanks are due to the IPKat's friend, the mellifluously-named Maria Antonella Incardona, for pointing the Kats towards E-Bacchus, this being "a database which lists non-EU countries' geographical indications and names of origin protected in accordance with bilateral agreements on trade in wine concluded between the EU and the non-EU countries concerned" and "consists of the Register of designations of origin and geographical indications protected in accordance with Council Regulation 1234/2007".

Hall of Fame 2010. The IPKat was otherwise engaged when news of this year's inductees to the IP Hall of Fame broke -- but he wouldn't like anything to think he was ignoring it! This year's honorees are, in no particular order, Ruud Peters, Thomas Blanco-White, Donald Dunner [who coincidentally shares the first eight letters of his name with Donald Duck, notes Merpel], Jochen Pagenberg and Chief Judge Paul Michel. Well done!!

Younger readers (and writers) may be interested in applying for the Jacques Lassier Prize. The attractive sum of €1,830 [that looks a bit arbitrary, says Merpel. Couldn't they have rounded it up to the nearest €100 ... or €1,000?] is on offer for (i) written works produced and (ii) dissertations defended by those under 35 on 30 April 2010. The works must have been produced or dissertations defended in the last two years by an individual member of the International League of Competition Law (LIDC) or a resident of a country where there is an affiliated national group (such as the Competition Law Association in the UK). Full details can be found in English and French here.

Do electronic patent attorneys really grow on trees? This arresting question is posed by 'live wire' recruitment consultant Pete Fellows (Fellows and Associates) who observes: "For the first time in a very long time there are more Patent Attorneys in the UK with a technical background in electronics looking for work than there are jobs". Pete goes on to give some advice both to those unfortunate persons who are seeking employment in the field and those who propose to employ them. You can read him in full here.

With the gift of even imperfect hindsight, would Virgin Enterprises really have wanted to get themselves involved in this little spat over registration as a UK trade mark of the slogan YOU CAN'T BE A VIRGIN ALL YOUR LIFE IT'S TIME? Having failed to oppose the application, a spokesman for the brand-savvy company said: "We are of the view that this decision will have minimal impact on our ability to protect the Virgin brand and the interests of customers". Indeed, mews the IPKat (with thanks to his friend Margaret Llewelyn for sending the link).

Thank you Lee Curtis (Harrison Goddard Foote) for sending the Kats this link to the 'Goojje' logo, which has somewhat irked the search engine and online services giant Google, already disappointed at the Chinese government's demands that it continue censoring its Chinese service. According to the report in the Guardian,

"The site's name is a pun because the second half of Google's Chinese name, Guge, sounds like the word for older brother, gege. The latter part of Goojje sounds like "jiejie" or "older sister".

The homepage of the website originally bore the slogan: "Brother is leaving ... sister will miss him." That appeared to be a reference to Google's acknowledgement that its decision to stop self-censoring could lead to its departure from China. After executives stressed they hoped to keep doing business on the mainland, Goojje changed the statement to express happiness that 'brother stayed for sister'".