According to the WIPO, the 2005-2009 growth rate of worldwide patent registrations is 6.9%, but in 2008, low-income economies made up just .2% of total worldwide patent applications. For more information, please refer to http://www.wipo.int/ipstats/en/.
Apple, Inc. is currently in a dispute with Hong Kong-based Proview Holdings Ltd. who claim that they, and not Apple, own the name "iPad" and therefore, Apple is not allowed to sell its iPads in China under that same name. As the number of Chinese intellectual property laws increase and Chinese companies become more savvy about protecting their IP rights, does this mean trouble is brewing for foreign companies hoping to exploit the lucrative Chinese markets?
Since it can sometimes take up to 40 months for a start-up to patent their idea or product, does the start-up's IP still hold value-added for the company before being registered and thereby protected, or is IP for a start-up considered worthless until protected?
As the market for smartphones becomes increasingly intense, more and more disputes between producers have become prevalent. Just in the past few months, Samsung has filed a claim in the Dutch courts to ban Apple from selling iPhones and iPads in the Netherlands, on the grounds that Apple U.S. doesn’t hold licenses to use 3G technology in the Netherlands. More information can be found in the newsletter "Samsung Seeks Dutch Ban on Apple's 3G Products"
