Three seemingly minor international developments affecting IP value may trend back to the U.S.

Small claims court opened up for IP disputes

Emphasizing, still, that legal action is the last resort to the taken for intellectual property disputes, on October 1, 2012, England and Wales added a small claims track to the Patents County Court (PCC). In the release of HM Courts and Tribunal Service’s Guide to the PCC Small Claims Track, the purpose of the new track is clearly stated:  “The small claims track is intended to benefit SMEs and entrepreneurs with the lowest value IP claims, for example, a photographer who finds his image reproduced without consent;” it is designed for claims of up to £5,000. The thought is that, up to this point in time, justice has eluded the poorly capitalized entities with respect to their intellectual property, and that a less expensive, simpler remedy is good for innovation and for business.

Arab intellectual property rights center

Talks have been held regarding the establishment of an intellectual property rights center in United Arab Emirates, the first in the Arab world.  Such a center would “guarantee the rights of publishers and authors while serving as a reminder of the perils of copyright violation."

IP as collateral

In tiny Kuala Lumpur, a model for uniform IP valuation to be used by lending institutions is now expected to be implemented by the first of the year. Citing a history of banks’ ignoring IP value when considering loan applications, the government has stepped in with standards, regulations, subsidized funding and training.