Singapore’s Revised Patent System Starts Jan. 1, 2020

新加坡修订后的专利制度将于2020年1月1日开始实施

The patent system in Singapore makes a revolutionary change starting Jan. 1, 2020.Patent applications filed in Singapore on or before Dec. 31, 2019, can still enjoy the current supplementary examination process (also known as the “foreign route”), if the applicant chooses. For these applications, there will be no substantive local examination, even if the examination starts after the new year.

从2020年1月1日开始，新加坡的专利制度发生了革命性的变化。2019年12月31日或之前在新加坡提交的专利申请，如果申请人选择，仍然可以享受目前的补充审查程序(也称为“外国路线”)。对于这些申请，即使在新年之后才开始审查，也不会进行实质性的地方审查。

The Present “Foreign Route” System

目前的“外国路线”制度

The Intellectual Property Office of Singapore (IPOS) currently relies on the grant or registration of a relevant foreign patent application or the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) application’s International Preliminary Report on Patentability. There are several requirements, however, including that each of the claims in the Singapore application be related to one or more claims in the relevant foreign patent application or the PCT application.

新加坡知识产权局目前依赖于相关的国外专利申请或专利合作条约(PCT)申请的国际可专利性初步报告进行批准或注册。然而，有几个要求，包括新加坡申请中的每一项权利要求都与相关的外国专利申请或PCT申请中的一项或多项权利要求相关。

The Revised System

修改后的制度

For patent applications filed in Singapore on or after Jan. 1, 2020, the “foreign route” will no longer be available. Instead, these applications will be required to go through local substantive examination, providing the IPOS stricter control in ensuring that patents issued by the IPOS meet the patent laws of Signapore.

对于2020年1月1日或之后在新加坡提交的专利申请，“外国路线”将不再适用。相反，这些申请将被要求通过当地的实质性审查，为 IPOS 提供更严格的控制，以确保IPOS批准的专利符合新加坡的专利法。

A Couple of Things to Keep in Mind

有几件事要记住

PCT international applications that have an international filing date of Dec. 31, 2019, or before can still enjoy the “foreign route,” even where the national stage application in Singapore is filed on or after Jan. 1, 2020.

在2019年12月31日或之前提交的PCT国际申请仍然可以享受“外国路线”，即使新加坡的国家阶段申请是在2020年1月1日或之后提交的。

For divisional applications, they must be filed on or before Dec. 31, 2019, in order to be able to enjoy the “foreign route.” That is, a divisional application filed on or after Jan. 1, 2020, will go through local substantive examination, even if the parent application was filed on or before Dec. 31, 2019. Accordingly, if you currently have a pending patent application in Singapore, you might consider whether it would be strategically beneficial to file a divisional application by the end of 2019.

对于分案申请，必须在2019年12月31日或之前提交，才能享受“外国路线”。也就是说，在2020年1月1日或之后提交的分案申请，即使是在2019年12月31日或之前提交的，也要经过当地的实质性审查。因此，如果你目前在新加坡有一项未决的专利申请，你可以考虑在2019年底之前提交一份分案申请是否具有战略上的好处。

Source：www.natlawreview.com

Ohio State, sports network at odds over ‘O’ trademark

俄亥俄州立大学与体育网络公司就“O”商标争执不休

A New York-based sports network filed suit in federal court Monday in a trademark dispute with Ohio State University over the letter “O.”Overtime Sports Inc., a digital programming provider started in 2016 with a focus on high school basketball and football athletes, wants a legal declaration allowing the continued use of its “O” mark。

总部设在纽约的一家体育网络公司星期一向联邦法院提起诉讼，就“o”字与俄亥俄州立大学发生商标纠纷。数字编程提供商Overtime Sports Inc.成立于2016年，专注于高中篮球和足球运动员。该公司希望得到一份法律声明，允许继续使用其“O”标记。

According to the federal suit, “The differences between the parties’ trademarks and manners of use prevent any likelihood of confusion. ... There are numerous O marks, O-formative marks, and O designs in use by third parties in connection with the relevant goods and services, such that consumers will not presume that all goods and services offered under O or O-formative marks emanate from a common source.”The university countered in a July letter, however, that “there can be no doubt that when the vast majority of people see a Block ‘O,’ they associate it with Ohio State and its Block O Marks.”

根据联邦诉讼，“双方的商标和使用方式的差异防止了混淆的可能性。与相关商品和服务相关的第三方使用的O形标志、O形形成标志和O形设计有很多，这样消费者就不会认为在O形标志或O形形成标志下提供的所有商品和服务来自同一来源。”然而，该大学在7月份的一封信中反驳道:“毫无疑问，当绝大多数人看到一个街区的‘O’时，他们会联想到俄亥俄州立大学及其‘O’街区的标志。”

Overtime Sports applied to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office this year to register its “O” mark, described in court documents as “distinctive in large part to its sloping corners within each of its concentric shapes, which contrast with the sharp-cornered rectangle at its center.”Trademarks used by OSU, on the other hand, “feature an octagonal shape in each of its concentric shapes,” the company alleged in court documents. “They contain neither any rounded edge nor any rectangle.”

Overtime Sports今年向美国专利和商标局申请注册其“O”商标，法院文件中称其“在很大程度上与其同心圆形状内的斜角不同，与其中心的尖角矩形形成对比”。另一方面，在法庭文件中称，该公司使用的商标“每个同心形状都有一个八角形”。“它们既不包含任何圆角，也不包含任何矩形。”

Ohio State says it sought an “amicable resolution” to the dispute this summer, asking Overtime Sports to phase out its current “O” usage and revise the design so its “O” was “completely rounded.”With no such resolution forthcoming, Ohio State filed its formal opposition to the registration.

俄亥俄州立大学表示，他们在今年夏天寻求了一个“友好的解决方案”来解决争议，要求Overtime Sports逐步取消当前“O”用法，并修改设计，使其“O”型完全变圆。由于没有这个提议并没有被实施，俄亥俄州立大学正式对登记提出反对。

Spokesman Chris Davey said Ohio State does not comment on pending litigation.On the larger trademark issue, he said in an emailed statement that OSU “works to protect the university’s brand and trademarks because these assets hold significant value, which benefits our students and faculty and the broader community by supporting teaching, research and service.“Licensing royalties are earmarked to support the student experience at Ohio State by funding scholarships and programming,” Davey said. “Total revenue last year was $15.5 million and totals $207 million since the licensing program was established in 1980.”

发言人克里斯·戴维(Chris Davey)表示，俄亥俄州立大学对未决诉讼不予置评。在更大的商标问题上，他在一份电子邮件声明中表示，俄亥俄州立大学“致力于保护学校的品牌和商标，因为这些资产具有重大价值，通过支持教学、研究和服务，使我们的学生、教师和更广泛的社区获利。”Davey说:“授权使用费将用于资助奖学金和项目，以支持俄亥俄州立大学的学生体验。”“去年的总收入为1550万美元，自1980年许可计划建立以来，总收入为2.07亿美元。”

Overtime filed suit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York Monday, noting that the university “has been coexisting with Overtime without any confusion and without preventing either Ohio State or Overtime from maintaining goodwill and commercial impressions in their respective marks.”The university’s opposition, the company argued, placed Overtime “in the untenable position of not knowing if or when defendant may sue or take action ... or otherwise interfere with Overtime’s selling, advertising and promotion of its sports programming business or goods offered in connection with such business.”

The lawsuit seeks a jury trial, a formal declaration barring Ohio State from future legal action against Overtime and its “O,” and any applicable compensation.

Overtime Sports周一在美国纽约东区地方法院提起诉讼，指出这所大学“一直与Overtime Sports共存，没有任何混乱，也没有阻止俄亥俄州立大学或Overtime Sports在各自的商标上保持善意和商业印象。”该公司辩称，校方的反对将Overtime Sports“置于不知道被告是否或何时可以起诉或采取行动的不合理境地……或以其他方式干扰Overtime Sports对其体育节目业务或与该业务有关的商品的销售、广告和促销。”该诉讼要求陪审团审判，正式声明禁止俄亥俄州立大学未来对Overtime Sports及其“O”采取法律行动，以及要求任何适用的赔偿。

Source: www.cincinnati.com

Michael Jackson Estate Settles Copyright Fight With Disney

迈克尔·杰克逊遗产管理公司与迪斯尼解决版权争端

The Michael Jackson Estate has reached a confidential settlement with Disney over a 2018 TV special that included numerous clips from Jackson’s songs and music videos.

迈克尔·杰克逊遗产管理公司与迪斯尼就2018年电视特别节目达成保密协议，该节目包括杰克逊歌曲和音乐视频的大量剪辑。

The estate sued in May 2018, alleging that “The Last Days of Michael Jackson” engaged in “astounding” copyright infringement. According to the suit, the ABC special used portions of more than 30 songs and videos belonging to the estate, including “Beat It,” “Billie Jean” and clips from the “Thriller” music video and the “This Is It” concert documentary. The estate alleged that the producers never reached out for a license to use the material, and instead decided to use it all for free.Disney contended that it was entitled to use the clips under the “fair use” doctrine.

2018年5月，遗产管理机构提起诉讼，称“The Last Days of Michael Jackson” 遭遇严重的版权侵权。诉讼称，ABC特别频道使用了30多首遗产管理公司所有的歌曲和视频的片段，包括《Beat It》、《Billie Jean》，以及《Thriller》mv和《This Is It》演唱会纪录片的片段。遗产管理机构称，制片方从未获得使用这些素材的许可，而免费使用。迪士尼辩称，根据“合理使用”原则，它有权使用这些剪辑。

The two sides filed a notice on Wednesday dismissing the complaint pursuant to a settlement.“The dispute with Disney has been amicably resolved,” said Howard Weitzman, attorney for the Jackson estate, in a statement.The estate’s claim included allegations that Disney had been extremely zealous in protecting its own copyrights.

根据和解协议，双方于周三提交了一份声明，撤销这一申诉。杰克逊遗产代理人霍华德•韦茨曼(Howard Weitzman)在一份声明中表示“与迪士尼的纠纷已经得到了友好解决，”。声明中包括了对迪斯尼极度热心于保护自己版权的指控。

“Disney has threatened to sue independent childcare centers for having pictures of Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck on their walls, forcing them to remove all pictures of Mickey or Donald — and other anthropomorphized mice or ducks — rather than face ruinous litigation from one of the world’s largest corporations,” the suit alleged. “Disney once sued a couple on public assistance for $1 million when they appeared at children’s parties dressed as an orange tiger and a blue donkey. ”

A jury trial had been scheduled for December 2020.

指控称“迪斯尼曾因独立的儿童保育中心在墙上画米老鼠和唐老鸭的图片威胁要起诉,从而迫使它们删除所有米奇和唐老鸭的图片，以及其他所有拟人化的老鼠或者鸭子——否则将面临一个来自世界级大公司的毁灭性诉讼。有一次，一对夫妇装扮成一只橘黄色的老虎和一头蓝色的驴子出现在儿童派对上，迪斯尼将他们告上了法庭，要求获得100万美元的公共援助。”

陪审团的审判原定于2020年12月进行。

Source: variety.com

Author：GENE MADDAUS