Microsoft's is turning up the heat on Intellectual property rights' violators. About a week ago, they took a local company to court, which was allegedly using the software gaint's Intellectual property, without a license to do so. Microsoft's immediate focus is corporate piracy in pakistan , including medium and small oranizations- where organisations have the ability to pay.

Leading south Indian Tollywood production house Geetha Arts has sent a legal notice to PVR Cinemas, demanding Rs. 5 crores compensation for allegedly contributing to the piracy and infringement of their copyright in its recently release movie "100% Love". The anti-piracy teams of Geetha Arts recently seized some pirated DVDs of the film from various places in the state and on verification of the forensic watermarks on the pirated copies of "100% Love" reportedly established that the pirated copies were made from a master copy recorded at Screen 6, PVR Ambience Mall, Gurgaon, Haryana. Based on this evidence, Geetha Arts owner Allu Aravind has claimed damages from PVR Cinemas for failing to protect their intellectual property, abetting piracy by allowing a master copy to be recorded at their facility. Movie Industry is carefully watching this development for enforcement of copyrights in future.

The Hyderabad-based pharmaceuticals company Suven Life Sciences acquired one patent each from Europe, New Zealand, Australia and Korea for the treatment of disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases. The news helped Suven Life Sciences shares gaining around 5% after the company acquired the patents.

With the pace Trademark Registry working in INDIA and the pending Draft Trademark Amendment Bill 2009 it is more likely that India will sign Madrid Agreement within this year. Indian companies and individuals should save themselves from foreign applications and Registration. It is advisable to file and protect the trademark applications by Indian before India sign Madrid Agreement.

Delhi High Court directed the Adovocates Community in Delhi to appeal for IPAB Centers at Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkatta to avoid the logistical delays in resolving disputes as IPAB's documents need to be transferred from the main centre in Chennai to these cities.

Recently CIPLA filed an application before Indian Patent Office seeking for the grant of Compulsory License against Merck’s Anti- HIV Drug, Isentress. CIPLA filed this application of Compulsory License on the ground that “Isentress is not available in the market at reasonable and affordable price”. It is known that the Act under Sec 84 provided certain grounds for granting Compulsory License, which principally includes the ground “Not available to public at Reasonable Price”. The term “Reasonably affordable price” must be construed according to the present circumstances prevailing in India”. The price fixed by the Merck & Co. is $7 (USD), which is not “reasonable” to the public in India. Hence the term “Reasonably affordable price” must be given utmost importance while disposing this application. Till now the patent offices in India have never laid down any boundaries to the pricing of drugs, hope they will at least do it now.