The European Patent Office on Wednesday restored on appeal a controversial patent for a breast cancer gene that had been withdrawn from a US biotech firm, but granting it in a more restricted form than before.

LONDON, Oct 18, 2007 (AFP) - Pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca said Thursday that it had lost its exclusive patent for its blockbuster asthma treatment Symbicort after generic producers challenged it at the European Patent Office.

The patent was to run to 2015 in most of the 17 countries concerned by the finding, including France, Germany and Great Britian.

GENEVA, Oct 4, 2007 (AFP) - A crisis over alleged misconduct by the head of UN's patent organisation erupted into the open on Thursday as Switzerland publicly called for his replacement and the agency's budget was blocked.

Switzerland, one of the 184 members of the World Intellectual Property Organisation, said in a statement that it expected WIPO chief Kamal Idris 'to be accountable for his management.'

GENEVA, Sept 25, 2007 (AFP) - The WTO agreed on Tuesday to formally examine a US complaint about shortcomings in China's intellectual property protection, as friction over trade builds between the world's economic superpower and its emerging rival.

The World Trade Organisation's dispute settlement body set up a panel to rule on the dispute in a meeting here, following a complaint Washington first lodged in April, officials said.

GENEVA, Sept 25, 2007 (AFP) - The World Trade Organisation on Tuesday agreed to formally examine a US complaint about shortcomings in China's intellectual property protection, officials said.

The WTO's dispute settlement body set up a panel to rule on the dispute in a meeting here, following a complaint Washington first lodged in April amid friction between the world biggest trading power and its emerging rival on trade issues.

PARIS, Aug 8, 2007 (AFP) - Alcatel-Lucent said Wednesday it would appeal a US court decision overturning a verdict ordering Microsoft to pay the French-US Telecommunication equipment maker 1.5 billion dollars (1.08 billion euros) for infringing its patents.

'We are going to appeal this surprising decision,' a spokesman said, noting that a US jury had in February unanimously found Miscrsoft, the world's biggest software company, to be in breach of Alcatel's patents and had as a result imposed the record fine.

TOKYO, Aug 7, 2007 (AFP) - Japanese electronics maker Sharp Corp. said Tuesday that it had filed a lawsuit against South Korean rival Samsung Electronics Co. for alleged patent infringement in liquid crystal displays.

Sharp filed the suit in a US district court in the state of Texas on Monday, seeking unspecified damages and a ban of the sale of Samsung LCD modules in the US as well as televisions and mobile phones which use the technology.

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug 6, 2007 (AFP) - A US judge Monday overturned a jury verdict ordering Microsoft to pay Alcatel-Lucent 1.5 billion dollars for infringing on the French firm's patents.

US Senior District Court Judge Rudi Brewster, who is handling a legal appeal of the jury trial's outcome, issued a written ruling 'in favor of Microsoft and against Lucent ... terminating the case,' according to court documents.

CHENNAI, India, Aug 6, 2007 (AFP) - Swiss drug firm Novartis AG lost a key patent challenge case Monday on its cancer medicine Glivec at a court in India's southern city of Chennai.

Aid group Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF, or Doctors Without Borders) hailed the decision as a 'major victory.'

Swiss-based Novartis filed the case concerning Glivec last year to challenge an Indian law that bans patents for modifications to existing medicines, but only for drugs developed after 1995.

CHENNAI, India, Aug 6, 2007 (AFP) - Swiss drug firm Novartis AG lost a key patent challenge case on Monday at a court in India's southern city of Chennai for its anti-cancer medicine Glivec, a court official said.

Novartis filed a case for Glivec last year to challenge an Indian law that bans patents for modifications to old medicines, but only for drugs developed after 1995.