MICROSOFT IN TROUBLE

Microsoft Corp. has landed itself in deep waters. The district court of Eastern Texas has given an injunction agaist MS Word. Any version of Word which can open up an custom XML file has been banned as it infringes the patent of a Canandian Comoany known as i4i.

This comes a s blow for microsoft which was planing on launching its 2010 version. Thsi alos may affect the deal Microsoft tied up with Nokia Recently to provide MS Office application to Nokia Phones.

MICHAEL JACKSON'S PATENT

The untimely death of Michael Jackson has creatin a wave of emotion. In the filed of IPR MJ is wrongly credited with his trademark move the Moon walk. This dance move was in use by other breakdances...MJ just made it famous..so famous that it its origins was atributed to him.

But there is a move which MJ did invent and he did get the Patent for the same. He was granted US Patent No. 5,255,452 for a move in his "Smooth Crminal" Video.

IPL TEAM NAMES APPLIED FOR TM REGISTRATION

A company called KBJ Asset Holding in South Africa is trying to register as trademarks the various team names like Deccan Chargers, KKR etc as their trademarks. These are the team namesof the very popular IPL which had recently concluded in South Africa.

This would amoutnt o a gross violation ofthe rghts and the popularity which these tems enjoy. Various recourses to tacklet he sae are being worked out by legal practionerds in India.

MARICO vs. ADITYA BIRLA

In a fight of a monumental nature, Marico has filed a suit against the use of the Kara Skin Wipes against that of Marico's well established and registered Trademark Kaya Skin Wipes. Marico have also opposed the same at the Trdaemark Registry.

The matter wil be heard at the Delhi High Court in the month of July.

GOOGLE IN HOT WATER OVER ANDROID

In 2002, Erich Specht was awarded a trademark for the use of the name Android Data. The name was applied to his IT software company.  The Compnay was dissolved in 2004. In the year 2007, Google came out and made a statement as regards to the launch of its Android OS.

 tHE uspto denied Google  the right to the name Android over possible product confusion. Google continued to using the name. Specht re-registered a domain for his defunct company and filed a complaint with the trademark office, reading in part:

"]t is clear that Google stole first and asked questions later... Even though they could have, as they put it, arbitrarily chosen any name to brand their products, Google and the OHA members intentionally and without justification chose to affix Plaintiff's Android mark to their websites, products, services, and press releases without regard to ownership."

Specht has filed suit with all the companies involved in the Android Alliance (48 in total), for damages equaling $2 million

IP DAY

The world will celebrate the World IP Day on this sunday , April 26, 2009. On this day, we hope that the world will look at IP in a new light and will ensure that the same will be protected.

PIRATE BAY

A Swedish court has sentenced the four men who masterminded The Pirate Bay -- the world's most high-profile file-sharing website -- to a year's imprisonment. The four (Frederik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, Carl Lundstrom and Peter Sunde) have been convicted of criminal copyright infringement and must also pay 30m kronor in damages.