GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION
ASSAM GINGER TO GET GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATION (GI)
After muga and tea, the 3rd product of Assam to get a GI is the Karbi Anglog ginger or the Assam ginger. The Karbi Anglog ginger, a popular among traders in the agro-spice market was applied for registration of GI by the district administration of Karbi Anglog, Assam.

INDIA AND PAKISTAN TO JOINTLY REGISTER BASMATI FOR GI
India and Pakistan have decided to apply for a joint registration of Basmati rice. India is the largest producer of basmati in the world followed by Pakistan.

PATENT
BAJAJ WINS PATENT SUIT AGAINST TVS MOTORS
The Madras High Court instructed TVS Motors on 16th February, 2008 to stop
manufacturing and selling their recently launched 125cc Flame bike with a twin spark plug engine technology, which according to Bajaj infringed a patent granted to it by the Patent Office.

CTRI BAGS PATENT FOR USING TOBACCO AS MEDICINE
For manufacturing cancer and cardiac drugs, the Central Tobacco Research Institute (CTRI) will now use tobacco. This was initiated by winning the patent for 'Solanesol', which is a medicinal substance extracted from tobacco.

LARGEST AWARD GRANTED IN A US PATENT INFRINGEMENT CASE
A jury in the Eastern District of Texas has decided that Boston Scientific should pay nearly $ 432 million to Bruce Saffran for infringing his patent over a drug-eluting heart stent system. The verdict delivered on 11th February, 2008 marks the largest award granted in a US patent infringement case.

COPYRIGHT
DESIGNER RALPH LAUREN LOSES PARALLEL IMPORT CASE
American designer Ralph Lauren has lost a suit against a businessman importing cheaper but genuine Ralph Lauren clothes from the US into Australia. The case has helped define the limits of using copyright law to prevent parallel imports in Australia.

EU PROPOSES EXTENSION OF COPYRIGHT PERIOD FOR PERFORMERS
The European Commission has revealed plans to extend the term of copyright protection for European performers from 50 years to 95 years. The change will bring the European Union (EU) rules on copyright term for sound recordings into line with those in the US.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
UK FOLLOWS FRENCH MOVE TO CUT OFF INTERNET INFRINGEMENT
UK wants to follow the footsteps of the French government to create a plan to cut off the number of persistent illegal downloaders from the internet. It has been less than four months since the French government has started this plan. A Memorandum of Understanding, signed by music producers, audiovisual producers,
internet service providers and the French government, provides for the creation of a body which has the power to suspend or terminate an internet connection in the event of prolonged infringement.