Friday fandango

Don't forget to check out the IPKat's heaving side bar. It's burgeoning with forthcoming events to cater for almost every taste.


Have you played with the Beta version of the new United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website yet? If not, just click here ... Another useful website is Intellogist, which was drawn to the IPKat's attention by Duncan Bucknell: this free facility draws together some of the loose strings of patent search. Another internet-based facility that thudded into the Kat's inbox this week was that of India's GVK BIO's patent research services, which offers a comprehensive package of search and intelligence services in that busy sector.

Around the blogs. The IP Finance weblog, founded in January 2008, has just collected its 500th email subscriber. And patent litigation weblog PatLit, very much boosted by the publicity generated by IP Watchdog's Top Patent Blog Poll (if you haven't spotted this yet, check out the top item on the left-hand side bar), has just raced up to the 300 subscriber mark).

A sweet and clever friend of the IPKat writes: "I am looking for paralegal work in IP. I am a versatile 4-year law graduate with a wealth of corporate experience and fluency in German. I studied IP for one year, and am passionate about building my career in that area. I can provide proactive paralegal support with excellent research skills and a love of writing, and an ability to enhance client relationships. I also have excellent organisational skills, can take on responsible work and provide insightful and efficient assistance to the management of your client files". If you can help, please email the IPKat here and he'll forward your response.


From IPKat reader Dan Guildford (Dewey & LeBoeuf) comes this link to a remarkable open letter sent to newly-elected British National Party MEP Nick Griffin by the respected charity, the Royal British Legion, whose poppy logo, emotively recalling the fields of poppies that became sites of mass slaughter in the First World War, is one of the most powerful pieces of imagery wielded by any British charity. The Legion's letter reads in part:

"... You wore a Poppy lapel badge during your news conference to celebrate your election victory. This was in direct contravention of our polite request that you refrain from politicising one of the nation's most treasured and beloved symbols.

The Poppy is the symbol of sacrifices made by British Armed Forces in conflicts both past and present and it has been paid for with blood and valour. True valour deserves respect regardless of a person's ethnic origin, and everyone who serves or has served their country deserves nothing less.

The Poppy pin, the Poppy logo, and the paper Poppy worn during Remembrance are the property, trade mark and emblem of The Royal British Legion.

For nearly 90 years, The Royal British Legion has pursued a policy of being scrupulously above the party political fray. It is vital that everyone - the media, the public and our beneficiaries - know that we will not allow our independence to be undermined or our reputation impaired by being closely associated with any one political party. This is more important now than ever.

On May 27th, 2009, the National Chairman of The Royal British Legion wrote to you privately requesting that you desist from wearing the Poppy or any other emblem that might be associated with the Legion at any of your public appearances during the European Parliamentary election campaign.

He appealed to your sense of honour. But you have responded by continuing to wear the poppy. So now we're no longer asking you privately".

This letter exposes an explosive issue: the extent, if any, to which the proprietor of any mark can control its use once the object bearing it has been sold or otherwise placed in ordinary streams of commerce. There doesn't seem to be an obvious solution to the Legion's problems.