28th April , 2010

The Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) online version released

An online edition of the Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA) under negotiation by leading economies has now been released. This version was specially prepared for the public. This is a resultant of a public and civil society protest over a non-transparent negotiating process.
 
The general public had the anticipation that the treaty would lead to stringent intellectual property enforcement laws in signatory countries.

The Office of the United States Trade Representative states that the negotiations had developed to a point where making a draft text available to the public would help the process of reaching a final agreement.

European Patent Office to grant patent for Intezyne's IVECT Method

Intezyne, a pharma company located at the Tampa Bay Technology Incubator within the University of South Florida's Biotechnology and Life Science Research Park has received notification of intent of grant of patent from the European Patent Office covering a key element of Intezyne's advanced drug delivery technology, the IVECT™ Method.

This novel technology is centered at the IVECT micelle, a proprietary polymeric nanoparticle designed to encapsulate and deliver therapeutics, while restricting exposure to healthy tissues. The IVECT Method is already covered by seven additional patents. This European patent relates to technology that allows greater flexibility and usefulness of the IVECT micelle, with respect to the amount of hydrophobic material that can be encapsulated into this drug delivery vehicle, thus strengthening Intezyne's IP portfolio.

Intezyne has successfully prosecuted its patents and other intellectual property in major global pharmaceutical markets. The above patent is being prosecuted presently in the United States, Australia, Canada, Israel, India, Japan, Mexico, and New Zealand.

Pfizer wins Protonix patent dispute

Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug maker has won a ruling that cites that the patent on its Protonix acid reflux drug is valid and was infringed by Israel-based Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, which has been selling a generic version of the drug since 2007.

The jury in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey handed a win to Pfizer Inc. and rejected allegations by Teva Pharmaceutical and India's Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries. Both companies had alleged that the patent on the widely used drug was obvious and should be declared invalid.

The original patent on Protonix, chemically known as pantoprazole, is held by a Swiss drug maker - Nycomed, and was licensed to Wyeth, which is now owned by Pfizer. Nycomed and Wyeth had filed patent infringement lawsuit against Teva and Sun Pharmaceuticals in May 2004.

Microsoft Wins Piracy Case in China

Microsoft has won a lawsuit against Shanghai-based Dazhong Insurance for using pirated Microsoft software. A local court in Shanghai has ruled that Dazhong Insurance must pay 2.17 million yuan ($317,900) as compensation to Microsoft for using illegal copies of its software.

This is the first time Microsoft had sued a large Chinese enterprise for copyright infringement involving its software and the total compensation is the largest in any IPR case filed by Microsoft in China.

Dazhong had installed and used at least 450 copies of nine pirated Microsoft programs, including Windows XP and Microsoft Office. Microsoft had demanded that the infringement by the defendant be stopped and pay 2.25 million yuan in compensation.

Microsoft had earlier won an IPR suit against Shanghai’s DareGlobal Technologies last year, and was paid 400,000 yuan as compensation.

Apple patents white balance sensor, iPod classic, nano

The USPTO has officially granted 15 new patents to Apple Inc., covering different areas of technology. Five of the patents relate to the design of the iPod classic and the third-generation iPod nano. The iPod designs were submitted in 2007.

Another important patent covers the concept of a color correction sensor, known as a white balance sensor. The patented system relies on a diffusion dome, which directs light towards a sensor, used to adjust color casts in a camera image.

Apple has also won a patent on using a portable media player as the remote control for a media server, which in turn outputs audio to a stereo system. This method is at present achievable through the combination of iTunes, AirTunes and the Remote iPhone/iPod.

Mystic Pharmaceuticals Patents Needle-Free Vaccine and Drug Delivery Technology

Mystic Pharmaceuticals has been granted a patent by the USPTO for a key technology of its VRx2™ drug delivery platform.

The VRx2™ drug delivery platform offers preservative free and accurate dose delivery for ophthalmic and intranasal drugs. The issued patent relates to the company’s unit dose blister technology for pre-packaging of freeze dried drugs in novel intranasal or ophthalmic delivery systems, thus cutting down the need for cold chain management and enabling auto-reconstitution to liquid form at the time of administration and can be self-administered by the consumer with the push of a button.
This novel technology would be useful in developing needle-free vaccines that are safer, easier and less expensive to produce and deploy during pandemic and bioterror threats.

JPO to act as an International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) for Thailand

The Japanese Patent Office will now function as a competent International Searching Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA) for international applications filed by national and/or resident of Thailand that are received on or after April 15 of 2010 by the Department of Intellectual Property (DIP), Ministry of Commerce of the Kingdom of Thailand as a receiving office under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).
 
The JPO accepted the request of the DIP to act as a competent ISA and IPEA for PCT system users in Thailand as part of the country’s support to Thailand in the field of intellectual property rights.  The Japanese Patent Office had been lending a helping hand the Kingdom of Thailand in developing its intellectual property system for decades. Thailand had joined the PCT on December 24, 2009 becoming the 142nd PCT contracting state.