28th December , 2011

Dr. Reddy's Laboratories sued over Valcyte Patent

Hyderabad-based Drugmaker, Dr. Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. has been sued in the federal court of Wilmington, Delaware by two Roche Holding units, alleging infringement of a U.S. patent issued in 2000 for the drug Valcyte, used as an anti-viral to treat infections in organ-transplant patients and people infected with AIDS.
Roche Paolo Alto LLC and Genentech Inc., both owned by Switzerland-based Roche Holding, claim that Dr. Reddy's is planning to market a generic version of Valcyte and had filed an Abbreviated New Drug Application seeking “to manufacture, use and sell oral tablets containing valganciclovir hydrochloride, prior to the expiration of their patent, in 2015. Roche has sought a ruling of infringement and an order to stop the sale of generic Valcyte until after the patent expires.

Roche Paolo Alto holds the title of the drug and Roche Genetech markets and sells this FDA approved product.

RIM facing a second trademark battle

Research In Motion Ltd. is facing yet another lawsuit in Federal Court in Canada, over its use of the BBM trademark for the popular BlackBerry Messenger service.

BBM Canada, a Toronto-based non-profit broadcast measurement organization has sought an injunction to stop RIM from using and marketing the BBM name in Canada, which the group claims to have been used for more than 60 years.

In its lawsuit BBM Canada, whose name was shortened from the Bureau of Broadcast Management in the early 1990s, alleges that RIM’s use of the trademark has created problems for the organization as has been forced to handle customer helpline requests meant for RIM.

BBM Canada had offered to change its name if the BlackBerry maker covered the cost of rebranding, which RIM refused.

Rambus and Broadcom sign patent agreement

Technology licensing company, Rambus Inc. and Broadcom Corp., a global leader in the semiconductor industry have signed a five-year patent license agreement, the terms of which were not made public.

This agreement would allow Broadcom to use Rambus' technology related to memory controllers and serial links in its integrated circuit products. Rambus has also settled all outstanding patent infringement litigations with Broadcom.

Rambus had filed a complaint with the U.S. International Trade Commission in December 2010, claiming that Broadcom along with other companies were infringing upon Rambus' Dally family of patents and its Barth family of patents, used in various semiconductor products, including graphics processors, media processors, communications processors, chip sets and other logic ICs.

Star India ordered not to use 'Master Chef' title for programmes

A local court retrained Star India from using the title ‘Master Chef’ for its shows till further order after a Mumbai based company alleged trademark infringement.

In his exparte order, Additional District and Session Judge said that Star India Pvt Ltd "is restrained from using, publishing, exhibiting and telecasting television show through its channels otherwise under the trade mark Master Chef India 2 on Star Plus channel and Master Chef Australia and Master Chef USA on Star World television channel.... till further order."

Mumbai-based Wings Entertainment Ltd had filed a suit claiming that the company noticed in October 2010 that the Star Plus channel was using the trademark ‘Master Chef India’ for its television show which is same/similar to Wings Entertainment Ltd.’s registered trade mark ‘Master Chef’. They claimed that the channel did not stop infringement of trademark even though they were sent a Cease and Desist Legal Notice. According to the company, Star Plus has again infringed trademark by telecasting the popular culinary show Master Chef India-2 from November, 2011.

1st Bulgarian Product enters EU register of Protected Geographical Indication

Bulgaria's Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk becomes the latest product to be included by the European Commission in the Register of Protected Geographical Indications (PGI).

This traditional sausage becomes the first product from Bulgaria to be enlisted in the register. Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk has joined the list of more than 1000 product names already protected under the legislation on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin and traditional specialty. The producers of this sausage, who are members of the Rahovets 2007 Corporation, will be able to use the term Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk on EU's territory.

Gornooryahovski Sudzhuk is a raw, dried sausage manufactured only from natural gut filled with minced beef, meant for direct consumption. It has a distinct aroma because of the specific mixture of herbal seasoning of black pepper, cumin and salt based on an ancient traditional recipe.