Monday miscellany

The IPKat is somewhat crestfallen to see that so few people have so far taken the trouble to sign Afro IP's petition (details here) for an urgent investigation into the death of Warrant Officer Johan Nortje. Although South Africa may seem a long way away if you're not there, it's pretty close to home when it comes to people importing counterfeits -- just as they do in other places -- and when those good folk whom we pay to protect our legitimate interests die in the course of their duty.

MARQUES, the European trade marks organisation, applied to register the words CLASS 46 as a trade mark, thus securing the reputation and goodwill in the Class 46 weblog and the application has been published (see here).  The range of goods and services is extensive and includes the services of blogging, which nice.  But what is MARQUES planning for its members? The application extends to some Class 9 products with which MARQUES is not normally associated, including life-saving apparatus, automatic vending machines and fire-extinguishing apparatus.

Check your records. While the IPKat was asleep the European Commission adopted a new research and development and specialisation block exemption, .Commission Regulation 1217/2010 of 14 December 2010 on the application of Article 101(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to certain categories of research and development agreements  You can check it out here.  Some readers may also need to note Commission Regulation 1218/2010, also of 14 December 2010, on the application of Article 101(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union to certain categories of specialisation agreements (here).  Both Regulations came into force on 1 January 2011, replacing earlier Regulations with similarly descriptive names.

Apple of Discord? A Gala Schnitzer

When Shniga met Schnitzer.  For those who really relish a good Community plant varieties right case, the good news is that there's an appeal by Brookfield New Zealand Ltd, Elaris SNC against the judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) back in 13 September 2010 in Case T-135/08 Schniga v OCVV - Elaris et Brookfield New Zealand (Gala Schnitzer). In short, the disgruntled appellant is demanding a host of remedies from Europe's top court, the European Court of Justice.  The Kat isn't even going to tell you about the pleas except to say that, many a fine plant, they'd look a lot better to the eye if someone gave them a jolly good pruning!

The IPKat might be fielding that cricket team yet, since one saintly soul has volunteered to run it [see here for background].  Stuart Lumsden has emailed that Kats further, to let them know that his team now looks like it will be taking the field under the unwieldy title of "The CIPA, ITMA and CIPA Informals Cricket Club".  Surely one of our readers can come up with a shorter, snappier name than that?