Biotent 2004 – an inspiring conference
Biotent™ served as a meeting place for 150 participants and lecturers from the biotechnology field, research institutions, investors, universities and colleges, and politicians. There was considerable enthusiasm around the conference.
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Questions and comments received during the conference, as well as the atmosphere and comments received afterwards, suggest that the topics, lecturers and debates were relevant and interesting. |
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We have received a favourable response as regards lecturers and the topics we took up. We have also received a number of suggestions on related topics that may be of interest at a forum of this type.
The favourable response, and the presence of participants from several professional fields, suggest that enthusiasm for this event and a need for this type of conference is considerable. As arrangers of the conference, the Norwegian Patent Office (NPO) is very pleased that the conference was a success, and we will take into consideration all the suggestions we have received, when planning Biotent™ 2005 for 1st December 2005. We welcome everyone back then.
First decisions concerning administrative review of business name registration
From 1st March 2004 the NPO has been made responsible for handling claims concerning the registering of business names. The first decision has been taken.
About the case:
We received a claim concerning administrative review of business name registration for HELT SIKKERT on 19th April 2004. The claim was based on the fact that the company name HELT SIKKERT was liable to be mistaken for the complainant’s company name HELT SIKKERT MYHRE AS, which was registered with the Register of Business Enterprises 2nd November 1998.
A short résumé concerning the decision:
The NPO has decided that the complainant’s business name consists of two distinguishing elements, both of which may give protection for electrical installations, among other things. The addition of the word MYHRE, in the complainant’s business name, does not give any additional information concerning the company name, which would ensure a differentiation between the names. It is therefore probable that a not inconsiderable part of the company’s potential market could confuse these names as regards the service’s commercial origin.
The Norwegian Patent Office has therefore allowed the claim for administrative review.
A legally binding decision made by the Norwegian Patent Office is followed up by the Register of Business Enterprises, which can send out an injunction regarding a change of name.
Implementing the WTO Decision on Access to Pharmaceutical Products
Norway’s Patent Regulations have now been modified in accordance with the WTO (World Trade Organization) decision on access to pharmaceutical products. The WTO requires national legislation concerning compulsory licences to conform with the TRIPS Agreement (Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights). A compulsory licence given by the authorities allows the manufacture of a patented product without permission from the patent holder.
On 30th August 2003, the WTO Council passed a resolution making an exception to the provision on limiting exports under the TRIPS Agreement, as regards pharmaceutical products.
The resolution ensures that countries which do not have the means to manufacture their own pharmaceutical products, essential to combating public health problems, are able to import these products on the basis of a compulsory licence. Under certain conditions, this also means it will be possible to export pharmaceutical products by means of a compulsory licence. This arrangement is designed as a measure to protect public health, and not as a way of obtaining industrial or business gains.
Two new clauses are now included in the Patent Regulations, §§ 107 – 109. These clauses mean that Norwegian companies may apply for a compulsory licence to manufacture pharmaceutical products for export in accordance with WTO’s decision on access to pharmaceutical products. Norway is the first country in the world to implement this decision.
The new regulations came into force 1st June 2004.