• USA shutdown: The US PTO is capable of operating autonomously for a period of 4 weeks. Although the Office will continue with its routine activities, significant delays are expected to happen in the handling of files.
  • Drug counterfeiting is the current threat. It is reported to cause 700,000 deaths a year. Geographic areas most affected include Africa (1 drug out of 3) and South America (1 out of 5).
  • The latest joint report from the European PTO in Munich and the OHIM shows that industries that are intensive IPR users jointly account for 39% of the EU's gross GDP (4,700 billion Euros).
  • Two Spanish workshops that manufactured counterfeit Ferraris have been dismantled by the Spanish police.
  • In 2012, the European Customs authorities have seized the equivalent of more than 1 billion Euros in counterfeit products.
  • The Maasais would like to harvest the financial benefits associated with the use of their name and the image of the Maasai people, which certain clothing brands have long been leveraging for themselves. The Maasais have thus filed the MASAI trademark with the World Intellectual Property (WIPO).
  • Ferrero is suing a Californian firm which has launched a cannabis-based spread it sells for medical purposes under the brand NUGTELLA, whose design is nearly identical to NUTELLA's.
  • Nintendo is being sued by a physiotherapist in Orléans, France. The practitioner filed a patent a few years ago, which she is now setting off against Nintendo, and claims $ 20 million as damages.
  • INSTAGRAM is fighting for its name - The photo network has demanded that all applications using the "insta" prefix or the "gram" suffix  change names. The services concerned include Webstagram or Luxogram.
  • Yet another death probably caused by electrocution due to a counterfeit Iphone charger has been reported.
  • Following evidence of plagiarism, French Publisher Fayard has been condemned to pay a 35,000 € fine. The publication concerned is a book by Françoise Laborde and Denise Bombardier called Ne vous taisez plus.
  • ARTPRICE (a company specializing in the art market) has just been condemned to a 1 million euro fine for reproduction on its website of an auction house's catalogue of works of art featuring over 8,000 photos.
  • On 9 July 2013, 908 new domain name extensions were validated, out of 1,900 applications.
  • Music and cinema are no longer the only victims of digital technology! 3D printers are becoming "nearly accessible" to private users. This poses a new challenge for all IPR owners, as the initial software programs that have been sold with the printers can be used to create backcovers for Iphones, in Lego block style, although no authorization was ever requested from the respective IPR owner.
  • Patents covering the most counterfeited medicine worldwide - Viagra - will fall into the public domain in June 2013... And thereby become legally copyable…
  • The 2013 world innovation ranking has maintained Switzerland at the top of the list! France has made up a few places and now ranks 20th (out of 142 countries).
  • Digital technology is invading the world of office furniture! Leading designer Steelcase has filed an impressive 25 patents to protect its new office chair which adapts to new postures associated with the use of tablets and smartphones.
  • Strong brand identity has allowed GUCCI to win an infringement action against a company that had filed the HUCCI name for decorative objects.
  • Generic domain names may be viewed by certain companies as true growth levers, as evidenced by KINDY. The well-known sock retailer is launching a new commercial strategy via the virtual retailing channel www.chaussettes.com.