Friday fantasies

Message to Google. The IPKat is not sure whether the improvement in performance of the new Google software since he posted his open letter to the company is simply a random event or is a direct consequence of the kind intervention of the anonymous IPKat-reading Google personality who read it and said he'd see if he could get it actioned. Either way, this entire post has been composed without any technical hiccups at all -- and it's a very long time since the Kat has been able to say that.  Thanks, he says. Hope you don't get into trouble with your boss, adds Merpel.

"I spy ..."

That EU IP Observatory! The latest score on the IPKat’s sidebar poll shows that there is little respect or enthusiasm for the recently-announced EU Intellectual Property Observatory. If you’d like to add your opinion, whether by offering your support, by expressing your rage or by anything in between, there are still a few days in which to do so.

Unitary Patent Update. The AmeriKat does normally intrude on the Friday Fantasies but she’s doing so here. She tells the IPKat that, further to her update yesterday, the European Parliament's website has now been updated to show that the plenary sitting and first reading of the unitary patent provisions will take place on 13 June with the vote to be held on 14 June 2012.

The course was okay, but student
life on the intergalactic IP course
was a bit sparse ...

Patents at a distance. Prompted by yesterday’s post yesterday about distance learning and copyright ("Why distance learning has come a long way", here), the IPKat has received this request for information from a keen reader:

 I have been looking for a distant learning LLM relating to patents or more specific, to patent litigation. I know of three European possibilities: Nottingham (patent litigation), CEIPI in Strasbourg and Hagen in Germany. Are there any other options, especially in the UK? I am interested in Nottingham, although I find it very UK specific. Are there any plans of changing this to make it more European or is there another course offered? I am thinking in view of the European Patent Court, if this ever becomes reality. I have asked in Nottingham, but haven´t received anything other than the programme of the litigation LLM.

Any suggestions, or inside information? Do let our reader know.

When resolving disputes
between heavyweights, it's
often advisable not to come between  them ...

While we’re on the subject of patent litigation, this Kat has something of a vested interest in IP dispute resolution this summer. This is because he’s running a little stand-alone workshop on the subject as part of the IP Dispute Resolution offering by LexisNexis at the end of June. The conference itself runs from 28 to 29 June, but the workshop is on the afternoon of the day before. You can click for details here and, if you use the VIP code FKW82288IPK for readers of this weblog, you can even get a very generous 25% discount.

Safe and sound in Canada. A katpat goes to the IPKat’s effervescent friend Lorraine Fleck for news that, after the IPKat hosted her note on the registration of sound marks in Canada in the wake of the application to register the roar of the MGM lion, four further applications for sound-based trade mark have now been received. You can listen to them here.