In The News

IP Board Game

Move over Monopoly , Scrabble and Checkers , there is a new board game in town: AnarystTM - The Intellectual Property Game. Created by Mr. Pravin Anand, of the Anand and Anand law firm in New Delhi, India, the game is aimed at those 12 years' old and above. It can be played by 2 to 4 players, who receive equal amounts of Ana (the board game currency) at the start of the game. Four industry areas - automobiles, beverages, computer systems and pharmaceuticals - are represented on the board. Each player chooses his industry at the start of the game and is given a card which shows the industry's IP portfolio, which he will have to acquire as he goes around the board. Trespassing fines must be paid by players who fall on an industry square that is not their own. Players can buy the IP of an industry that is not their own, but should beware as they then become patent trolls!

King of Thailand

Receives WIPO Award y of Foreign Affairs of Thailand The King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, received on January 14 the WIPO Global Leader Award in recognition of his extraordinary commitment to promoting intellectual property and his important contribution to society as a prolific inventor. The award was presented by WIPO Director General, Mr. Francis Gurry, at a ceremony at the Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin, Thailand.

The King of Thailand is an acclaimed artist with a portfolio of over 1,000 works, including paintings, photos and musical and literary works. He is also an accomplished inventor, holding over 20 patents and 19 trademarks. Many of His Majesty's inventions, which include a water aerator and artificial rainmaking technology, have generated concrete and practical benefits for rural communities in Thailand.

Global Economic Slowdown Impacts the PCT

International patent filings under the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) grew by 2.4 percent in 2008, to nearly 164,000 (provisional estimate) applications. While the rate of growth was modest, compared to the average 9.3 percent rate of growth in the previous three years, the total number of applications for 2008 represents the highest number of applications received under the PCT in a single year.

Nanotechnology - Science fiction becomes reality

Monash University in...