Friday fantasies

Friday's the day to check the sidebar -- make sure either that you're not missing or that you have some degree of choice in what you want to miss ...

Before he writes about anything else, the IPKat would like to say a few words about an article which has been withdrawn from circulation -- yesterday's April Fool's joke about the outsourcing of the UK's Intellectual Property Office's services to India. Though this particular member of the team did not draft or post the item, he is 100% behind it for the very reason that the issue it raises is important and strikes a painful chord because the story is totally plausible.

The IPKat has long praised the IPO for its services and its user-friendliness and has opposed anything that would reduce its reservoir of expertise, its professionalism and its effectiveness -- and will continue to do so. Many comments have been received regarding this item, both against and in favour of it; no response has however been received from the government itself. The IPKat therefore issues a challenge to the government: can it issue a clear and unqualified statement that it does not currently propose to and will not in future outsource the IPO's greatly valued activities to any third country? The Kat looks forward to receiving a response.

Carefully avoiding 1 April by opting for the end of March instead, two of the IPKat's favourite bodies are boldly putting implementing an exciting and adventurous collaboration. The Intellectual Property Institute (IPI) and the Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute (QMIPRI) will be working together, from QMIPRI's bright and cheerful base in Lincoln's Inn Fields, London. Conducting the baton in this harmonious venture is Emeritus Kat and distinguished academic, Professor Johanna Gibson, who is now Director of them both. Good luck, Johanna!

Around the blogs. The email subscription box for IP Tango has finally been fixed -- the blog team apologises for any inconvenience to would-be email readers. The Legal History blog carries some IP materials, the Kat has discovered from his friend Natalie Nathon: here's "The Untold Story of the First Copyright Suit Under the Statute of Anne in 1710" by Tomas Gomez-Arostegui, Lewis & Clark Law School [Merpel, having one of her more pedantic days, says "It's the Told Story" now ..].

The IPKat thanks his Class 46 blogging colleague Edith Van den Eede (Trevisan & Cuonzo) for information arising from her attendance at the Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys' recent Spring Conference. She tells him news that, contrary to the Benelux and Hungarian position, the Cour d'appel de Paris has now issued a decision to the effect holding that use of a Community trade mark in Greece alone (i.e. in only one of the 27 Member States of the European Union) was sufficient to constitute "genuine use" of that mark. Both Edith and the IPKat hope that they will be blessed with further news about this important decision. Can anyone help?

Right: A great Greek treasure, The Judgment of Paris

Win A TRIP to Singapore! The ATRIP Essay Competition 2010 is open to young researchers in Intellectual Property Law. According to ATRIP,

"The paper, which can pertain to any topic related to intellectual property law, should be written in English or French and submitted to the said Committee, care

of Professor Jan Rosén, no later than by August 31, 2010. The text of the paper should be no longer than 8,000 words, including footnotes. It should be presented in a way that ensures the author's anonymity when it is circulated to the members of the Executive Committee. The author of the paper should be no older than 33 years of age as of December 31, 2010.

The authors of the best three papers will be mentioned as such on the ATRIP website in an ad hoc section. In addition, the author of the best paper will be invited to give a presentation as a speaker at the 2011 ATRIP international annual conference to be held in Singapore".