6 August 2009 Wine porn ban in Alabama
The State of Alabama in the United States has banned the labels of the Cycles Gladiator wine brand from California. This because of the pornographic nature of the labels, depicting a nude nymph on a bicyle, derived from a 1895 French advertising poster. Newspaper article. This is where the pornographic stuff is made.

3 April 2009 - European Trademarks Office fee reduction
The European Trademarks Office has announced a reduction of its fees with effect from 1 May 2009. The result hereof is a reduction of the cost of registration of up to 40%! This enabled us to reduce the total cost of a European Trademark Application to EURO 1.500,00 only. For more information please contact us

4 June 2008 - Syria Abolishes Anti Israel Boycott Declaration
For new applications of trademarks, designs, patents in Syria it is no longer necessary to file an Anti Israel Boycott Declaration. Unless an applicant would be blacklisted (on the Boycott List), there are no longer limitations to file. Prior to this decision, applications were referred to the Boycott Office to clear the applicant's company name. More on the boycott.

7 April 2008 - CSI Yunnan: Researchers Identify and shut down makers of fake anti-malaria pills
Happened already in February, but still of interest because of the scale of the problem. A large scale operation - Jupiter - spanning three continents and involving even the WHO and Interpol, led to a manufacturer in China who had flooded Asia with counterfeit and ineffective anti-malaria drugs. In parts of Asia up to 50% of the anti-malaria drugs tested were found to be counterfeit. With an estimated annual one million deaths, malaria patients are an interestomg and easy target... ...more ...and more

14 January 2008 UNICRI - Report on counterfeiting and Organized Crime
UNICRI - the Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute of the UN, established in Italy, has published a report on the health effects of counterfeit of drugs and industrial products. Did you know that up to 10% of medicines is counterfeit? In some African countries the number even reaches a staggering 40%!. And what to think of counterfeit airplane parts? Summary of the report here. The full report (zipped) here (27 MB).

31 December 2007 - Second Life - Brand Promotion and Unauthorized Use of Trademarks in Virtual Worlds
An interesting though somewhat technical report by WIPO, the World Intellectual Property Organization, of the trademark pitfalls in Second Life. Also in this virtual world brand owners have to deal with trademarks and counterfeits!

19 November 2007 Kosovo Opens Trademarks Office
Kosovo, an autonomous Serbian province, currently under UN administration, is trying to separate itself completely from Serbia. As one of its preparatory measures, it has today opened a national Trade Marks Office. In order for trade mark rights to continue in Kosovo, it will be required to file for re-registration within a term of one year.
We suggest to wait some time before taking any action, since Kosovo has not been recognized by the UN and also Servia does not accept the separation. For any further information please email us at info@trademarks.nl. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

18 November 2007 Plans for 'Made in the EU' label
Brussels is contemplating a 'Made in the EU'-label for foodstuffs and beverages. It is up to the individual countris to allow such labelling, says a leaked draft proposal of European Commissioner Markos Kyprianou (Health). ...(more)

13 November 2007 The National Institute for Public Health and the Environment [Netherlands] reports that fake erection pills can hardly be distinguished from their originals. A strong trend is seen towards increasingly professional counterfeits and imitations of Viagra, Cialis and Levitra with regard to the appearance of tablets, capsules and packaging. The professional presentation will deceive potential customers ... . Full report (PDF, 288 KB)

7 november 2007 REMINDER: Term for Montenegro ends 16 November 2007!
Do you own an international registration that covers Serbia Montenegro? Note that in order to continue your rights in Montenegro a request for continuation must be filed by 16 November 2007 (extended deadline). Your rights will continue automatically for Serbia. For further information: call +31 (0)35 69 19 011 or info@trademarks.nl This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

31 October 2007 .NL Soon to allow phone numbers or dates as domain name
Starting end of January 2008, a phone number, birth date or any number may be registered as .nl domain. There will be a sunrise period for registered trademarks starting 1 December 2007.

28 October 2007 Second Life criminal to appear before first life judge
A half-dozen entrepreneurs are suing a Queens man, charging him with counterfeiting and selling versions of their products. Here's the catch: The products aren't real. ...(more)