Wednesday whimsies

This Kat received an excited email from Managing Intellectual Property editor James Nurton, telling him all about the journal's 2014 Global Awards this week at The Dorchester, London. It must have been a fun event, what with 300 people gathered together for some 35 countries for the purpose of celebrating achievements in IP law and practice.  The list of winners, here, contains the names of many Katfriends -- indeed, too many to mention. However, as IP consultant to Olswang LLP, this Kat was particularly chuffed to see his colleagues romp away with the accolades for top copyright practice in Europe.  Since the firm has looked after him so well for the past seven years, he'd just like to take the opportunity to say "thanks", as well as "well done!"  Incidentally, there were three Outstanding Achievement awards this year, all thoroughly merited: Ruud Peters (Philips IP & Standards), Simon Thorley QC and Tian Lipu (SIPO).  

Around the weblogs 1. There's a new Turkish-language IP blog though, as this Kat understands, there will be English summaries of the posts too for the benefit of non-Turkish-speaking readers.  It's called IP Era and you can check it out here. The brains behind this blog are Baran Çakır and his friends, who are all Turkish students. The IPKat and Merpel wish them the best of luck.  Another new blog on the block comes from Hungary: it's the Védjegy Blog ("Mark Blog", according to Google Translate) and it's composed by the Kocsis & Szénássy Ügyvédi Iroda law firm, Budapest. You can check it out here. The text is mainly Hungarian, but there's some English there too.  Merpel wonders whether, given the fact that Hungarian and Turkish languages have some points of similarity, some lucky Turks might be able to understand the Hungarian blog, and vice versa ...  Finally, the IPKat congratulates katfriend and occasional guest blogger Jani Ihalainen on the first birthday of his own blog, IP Iustitia. Merpel notes a Finnish surname here and wonders: isn't the Finnish language related to Hungarian too?

What all IP solo practitioners must be: ever ready
(and leak-proof? speculates Merpel)

Around the weblogs 2.  The SOLO IP blog picks up on the theme of industrial action and laments on the fact that solo IP practitioners are not only unable to strike but can't even take a break. There are also posts on the problems facing IP practitioners charged with professional negligence and on the relative scope of protection given to monochrome and black-and-white registered designs and trade marks.  Elsewhere, on the SPC Blog, Micaela Modiano and Anna Maria Stein amplify the debate over the Italian U-turn on a U-turn in the Italian competition authority's controversial ruling on Pfizer and abuse of dominant position in the market for latanaprost. Ever wondered what patent trolls have to do with the bio-pharma sector and roadmaps? Take a look at Mike Mireles' latest piece on IP Finance if you want the answer. Finally, there's an excellent and percipient post from Ben Challis on the 1709 Blog on the Holocaust and the copying of historical facts.

Not sexy, maybe, but scores well for functionality

Exciting event in need of your support. "Presentation of UKIPO and OHIM mediation services" may not be the sexiest title for next Monday's little gem of an event on that subject, but if you peep behind the title and take a good look at the substance, you will see that there are some jolly worthy folk who are making themselves available for you -- and it will be great if they have so many people clamouring to register that they have to run the event all over again at a later date in order to avoid disappointing anyone.  Details can be found here. Don't miss it!  Merpel thinks it's a good idea to go, not so much for what you can learn but for what you can tell OHIM and UKIPO about what you and/or your clients actually need ...