May 02, 2012 01:50:35

Georg Pintz & Partners’ team is exhibiting at the INTA Annual Meeting in Washington, DC (5-9 May 2012). We are presenting our new onlineservices to the IP community, and we would be happy to welcome you at our booth No. 336.

Mar 07, 2012 11:56:27

Video of Trademark.co

Trademark registration in multiple countries at your desk in 3 steps and 3 minutes with discount prices.

Feb 21, 2012 06:05:28

Epvalidation.net is intended to provide you a quick, cheap and trustworthy service for the European Patent (EP) validation.

DAILY: TMCH gets its first .jobs

Employ Media LLC, which operates the sponsored top-level domain ‘.jobs’, has announced its intention to liberalise the ‘.jobs’ sTLD. Employ Media has elected to use the Trademark Clearinghouse to support the sunrise period and, therefore, this will be the first test of the TMCH systems and process on an actual live TLD.;

DAILY: Court of Appeal of Bucharest issues decision in RCD case

In Sertic Vanja v SC Look Media Advertising SRL, the Court of Appeal of Bucharest has upheld a decision of the High Court of Bucharest in a case involving registered Community designs. The decision is interesting as a precedent with respect to rights acquired after the filing of a court action.;

DAILY: The Dark Knight rises, topples trademark infringement foe

Software company Fortres Grand’s claim that a fictional product appearing in Warner Bros film The Dark Knight Rises infringes on its trademark rights has been dismissed by a Northern District of Indiana court. However, the potential problem of fictional product names that are the same or similar to real-life brand names could arise for any trademark owner and the dispute offers a number of takeaways.;

DAILY: Apple defeats infringement claims in IBOOKS case

In JT Colby & Company Inc v Apple Inc, Apple has defeated claims that its IBOOKS mark for e-reader software infringed the plaintiffs’ common law rights in the mark IBOOKS for use with a publishing imprint. The case is instructive in showing the value of a federal registration and/or having strong protectable rights before embarking on an infringement case.;

DAILY: USPTO responds to trademark bullying report criticism

The issue of trademark bullying remains divisive and the USPTO has written to WTR to respond to criticism of follow-up activities to the Department of Commerce’s report on litigation tactics. The split in opinions illustrates the continued challenge in creating a coherent industry stance on bullying.;

DAILY: AFNIC to release one and two-character domain names by end of year

AFNIC, the French domain name registry, has announced its plans to release one and two-character domain names. This release will concern domain names consisting of one/two letters and/or numbers under all the extensions managed by AFNIC. A consultation period was opened to allow the public to voice their opinion on the procedure to put in place for the release of these domain names.;

DAILY: Hermès successfully prevents registration of copycat mark

A recent decision of the TRAB involving various HERMES marks has shown the importance of establishing that there is a connection in the minds of consumers between a foreign name in Latin characters and its Chinese transliteration, as the scope of protection of one mark can be extended to another mark, and vice versa.;

DAILY: Foreign expression held to have distinctive character

The Administrative Court of First Instance has reversed a decision of the Administrative Trademark Committee in which the latter had refused to register the mark COMPAGNIA DELL’ ARABICA for coffee on the grounds that it lacked distinctive character. Among other things, the court found that the foreign expression 'compagnia dell’ Arabica' was not widely known among the average Greek consumers.;

DAILY: 'Inside' mark found to be confusingly similar to Intel’s INTEL INSIDE

The Federal Administrative Court has held that there was a likelihood of confusion between the marks GALDAT INSIDE and INTEL INSIDE with regard to data carriers in Class 9 and the development of computer hardware in Class 42, but not with regard to other goods and services in Classes 9, 38, 35 and 42.;

DAILY: MoU on sale of counterfeits online works, but constant vigilance is needed

The European Commission has issued its report on the functioning of the MoU on the Sale of Counterfeit Goods via the Internet. Signed in 2011, the purpose of the MoU is to establish a code of practice in the fight against the sale of counterfeit goods online and to enhance collaboration among its signatories. The report shows that the approach adopted by the MoU works, but highlights the need for internet platforms and rights holders to remain alert.;

DAILY: Kraft Foods successfully defends Milka pack shapes

Kraft Foods has again successfully defended trademark infringement and unfair competition claims by competitor Ritter. The Cologne Appeal Court confirmed the first-instance decision of the Cologne District Court which had dismissed all of Ritter’s claims. Ritter challenged a variant of the ‘double-pack’ Milka chocolate, as well as Kraft’s Lila Tender and Lila Pause products.;

DAILY: How Chinese brands can overcome low awareness and stigma among US consumers

A third of US consumers would not purchase a branded product if they knew the brand belonged to a Chinese company, a recent survey has found. The findings underline the difficulty that Chinese brand owners face in penetrating the US market – so what can be done from a trademark perspective to gain a foothold?;

DAILY: 2013 USTR Special 301 report - some improvement for Southeast Asian countries

The 2013 US Trade Representative’s Special 301 Report is out and, for Southeast Asia, the news is generally one of improvement. Indonesia and Thailand remain on the Priority Watch List, while the Philippines and Vietnam are on the Watch List, but there are positive aspects in the report.;

DAILY: SIPO confirms that TEFLON is well-known trademark

The Slovenian Intellectual Property Office has refused to register the trademark VEFLON based on five earlier TEFLON marks. SIPO held that, although TEFLON has been present on the Slovenian market for half a century and is well known to Slovenian consumers, it could not be concluded that it had become generic. On the contrary, SIPO concluded that TEFLON was a well-known trademark benefiting from enhanced protection.;

DAILY: General Court considers surprising pleas under ECHR

In Metropolis Inmobiliarias y Restauraciones SL v OHIM, the General Court has considered interesting pleas in law in a case involving the trademarks METRO and METROINVEST. Among other things, Metropolis alleged that the Board of Appeal of OHIM had failed to state reasons under Article 6 of the ECHR and had violated the principle of equal treatment under Article 14.;

DAILY: Exploitation without imitation - protecting your goodwill through the ASA

The recent Multix Cling Wrap/Glad Wrap matter has shown that a well-constructed complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority can provide a relatively efficient and inexpensive mechanism through which proprietors can enforce their IP rights. The ASA’s provisions on the exploitation of advertising goodwill can also pose a danger to foreign products entering the South African market for the first time.;

DAILY: MARQUES gives gTLDs green light in debate on safeguards

As ICANN’s public comment period to solicit input on how the GAC advice regarding additional safeguards applicable to broad categories of new gTLD strings should be addressed drew to a close, there was a rush of submissions. As a representative of all brand owners, MARQUES has urged a compromise that will allow the online expansion to follow current timelines.;

DAILY: Guano seller proves you should not leave your damages claim up to kismet

In Kismet International Pty Ltd v Guano Fertilizer Sales Pty Ltd, the Federal Court has provided a salutary lesson to plaintiffs of the need to provide evidentiary support for a claim for damages. The court found that, while it would often be difficult to provide evidence in relation to damages, this did not excuse an applicant from having to provide evidence where it was available, and certainly to rebut evidence put on by the respondent.;

DAILY: Trademark Office accepts first trademark opposition application filed by law firm

The Trademark Office has accepted the first application for trademark opposition filed by a local law firm. Under the Measures for the Administration of the Engagement of Law Firms in Trademark Agency Business, which entered into force on January 1 2013, law firms are now entitled to handle trademark issues administered by the Trademark Office and the TRAB. This development should be welcome by Chinese law firms, as it allows them to provide full trademark agency services.;

DAILY: Nestlé victorious in KIT KAT dispute

In a dispute between Société des Produits Nestlé SA and Kit Kat Food Products over the trademark KIT KAT, the Intellectual Property Appellate Board has ruled in favour of Nestlé. The decision shows that the fact that a party is not the first user of a mark in India is irrelevant if it is the first to use the mark worldwide.;

DAILY: The local benefits of Madrid: selling the Protocol

Last week WTR sat down with representatives of Colombia, Mexico and New Zealand’s IP offices. All three have acceded to the Madrid system in the past 12 months and spoke positively about the transition. However, prior to acceding some resistance was experienced from domestic private practitioners fearful of the impact that a one-stop international registration shop could have on their own prosecution practice. The message from the Philippines national office? Change is good – and can actually provide a boost to local firms.;

DAILY: Foreign companies no longer need local subsidiary to register '.al' domain names

The Albanian Electronic and Postal Communication Authority, the registrar for '.al' domain names, has introduced amendments to the Regulation on the Registration and Administration of '.al' Domain Names and Subdomains. Importantly, foreign companies may now register '.al' domain names, while previously, this right belonged only to Albanian citizens and entities, or foreign companies with subsidiaries in the Albanian territory.;

DAILY: Community design representing cleaning device held to be confusingly similar to CTM

In Su-Shan Chen v OHIM, the General Court has confirmed a decision of the Board of Appeal of OHIM stating that a registered Community design representing a cleaning device was invalid under Article 25(1)(e) of the Community Designs Regulation because it was confusingly similar to an earlier CTM. The General Court agreed with the board that the features of the CTM were discernible in the contested design.;

EVENT: FICPI China Intellectual Property Symposium 2013

16-18 June, Xi'anAll-China Patent Attorneys Association (ACPAA) and FICPI China welcome you to the “China Intellectual Property Symposium(Xi’an) 2013” on June 16-18 in China's one of the greatest historical cities Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.Governmental officials, judicial professionals, IP practitioners in domestic and overseas companies, and patent attorneys from all over the world will explore and discuss current hot IP issues on the filing practice, examination and invalidation of utility model patents in different jurisdictions, and the latest development of judicial and administrative enforcement in China and other Countries with a focus on case law studies. A one day post-symposium excursion will...;

EVENT: IPO Annual Meeting 2013

15-17 September, Boston, MAIntellectual Property Owners Association (IPO) is a trade association for owners of patents, trademarks, copyrights and trade secrets. IPO is the only association in the U.S. that serves all intellectual property owners in all industries and all fields of technology. IPO’s Annual Meeting will take place in Boston, Massachusetts on September 15-17 and offers concurrent trademark and patent sessions, including ethics sessions for trademark and patent attorneys. For more information or to register, visit www.ipo.org/AM2013. ;

DAILY: Internal use avoids cancellation only if employees are consumers

In City National Bank v OPGI Management GP Inc/Gestion OPGI Inc, the TTAB has found that use of a mark on an internal database accessible only to employees was not sufficient to avoid cancellation for non-use. The TTAB distinguished other cases in which it had been held that internal use was sufficient to avoid cancellation.;

DAILY: Supreme People's Court calls for boost to efficiency of IP trials

The Chinese Supreme People's Court has requested that the courts at various levels calculate the amount of compensation for damages in a more scientific and logical manner, offer substantive solutions to disputes, and adopt preservation measures to provide rights owners with timely protection and prevent the abuse of litigation rights.;

DAILY: Eligibility requirements vital to obtain transfer of '.fr' domain name

In a recent SYRELI decision, the AFNIC panel has confirmed that non-EU based companies seeking to recover a French domain name must either request the transfer of the domain name to an affiliated company that satisfies the eligibility requirements for registration of ‘.fr’ domain names, or request the cancellation of the domain name.;

DAILY: Brand consultants strongly endorse localisation for foreign automobile brands in China

With the annual China Auto show ending last week in Shanghai, the question of how to best develop automotive brands for the China market is one worth considering. Not surprisingly, brand consultants advocate localisation of brand identities, proactive registration and, interestingly, contrasting strategies depending on which Chinese locality is targeted.;

DAILY: Mali to follow in Tokelau's footsteps

Apparently inspired by the example of ‘.tk’, which is now the third largest ccTLD registry in the world, the Republic of Mali has also decided to launch free domain name registrations under the Mali ccTLD extension of ‘.ml’. However, there are serious concerns that the creation of another domain name space that is based upon free domain name registrations is likely to create additional problems.;

DAILY: Word elements should, as a rule, be considered more distinctive than figurative elements

In Hultafors Group AB v OHIM, the General Court has upheld a decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM finding that there was a likelihood of confusion between the figurative mark SNICKERS and the earlier word mark KICKERS. This case confirms that figurative marks may not be deemed dissimilar to earlier word marks which are visually and phonetically similar, unless the figurative element of the later mark is distinctive in its own right.;

DAILY: Complainant's conduct held to constitute abuse of UDRP process

A NAF panel has refused to order the transfer of the domain name ‘opulence.com’ to the publisher of a magazine named South Florida Opulence. The panel found not only that the complainant had failed to demonstrate trademark rights in the term ‘opulence’, but also that the complainant had engaged in reverse domain name hijacking. This decision is one of the rare UDRP cases where reverse domain name hijacking was raised by the panel itself.;

DAILY: General Court considers combination of descriptive and laudatory terms

In Bayerische Motoren Werke AG v OHIM, the General Court has upheld the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM to refuse registration of BMW’s trademark ECO PRO on the ground that it lacked distinctive character. The board had found that the mark would be perceived as the combination of two common abbreviations: ‘ecological’ or ‘ecology’ on the one hand, and ‘professional’ or ‘supporting’ on the other.;

DAILY: The good, the bad and the ugly of INTA 2013

Last night WTR celebrated the sterling work carried out by in-house counsel. While we are in the awards mood, we thought it apt to also recognise the successes that make the INTA Annual Meeting, well, the INTA Annual Meeting. And perhaps a few of the best ‘fails’…;

DAILY: Fourth Circuit rejects post-trial preclusion ruling in paper towel 'stuffing' saga

In Georgia Pacific Consumer Products LP v Von Drehle Corporation, the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has weighed in on the latest turn of events in a long-standing dispute between Georgia Pacific Consumer Products and Von Drehle Corp, holding that the district court had erred in granting judgment as a matter of law based on Von Drehle’s previously rejected claim preclusion and issue preclusion defences.;

DAILY: Revealed: the in-house trademark teams leading the field

Last night, taking a short break from the kind hospitality of others to play host ourselves, WTR celebrated the good work being carried out by in-house counsel. Following the champagne reception and presentations at the stunning Belo Mansion, we can now reveal the winners for this year’s WTR Industry Awards.;

DAILY: High Court examines factors to consider when assessing damages on 'user principle'

In 32Red Plc v WHG (International) Ltd, the High Court of England and Wales has examined the factors that should be taken into account when assessing damages on the 'user principle'. The court awarded 32Red Plc damages of £150,000 in respect of William Hill group's use of the name 32Vegas for online casino services.;

DAILY: Viva Madrid: New members positive on acceding to international registration regime

Colombia, Mexico and New Zealand acceded to the Madrid system in the 12 months that have passed since last year’s INTA meeting in Washington DC. WTR spoke to the heads of the three countries’ IP offices to find out how the change has impacted on trademark practice.;

DAILY: High Court restrains Chobani from passing off US-made yoghurt as 'Greek yoghurt'

In FAGE UK Limited v Chobani UK Limited, the High Court has accepted claims of 'extended' passing off in connection to the use of the phrase 'Greek yoghurt' for US-made yoghurt. The court decided that the defendants had misrepresented the origin of its yoghurt to consumers who believed that the label 'Greek yoghurt' meant that products had been made in Greece.;

DAILY: Dispatches from Dallas – day two

Following up on yesterday’s blog, here are our takeaways from day two at the INTA Annual Meeting.;

DAILY: ‘Endurance’ is not basic English word that will be understood by any EU consumer

In Apollo Tyres AG v OHIM, the General Court has upheld a decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM finding that there was a likelihood of confusion between the marks ENDURACE and ENDURANCE among the non-English-speaking section of the relevant consumers who would not understand the meaning of the word ‘endurance’.;

DAILY: The present and future of INTA’s leadership

Next year’s INTA Annual Meeting will be the first since before the turn of the millennium to not occur under the leadership of CEO Alan Drewsen. WTR sat down with both incoming CEO Etienne Sanz de Acedo and current president Toe Su Aung to talk transition and ask some hard-hitting questions.;

DAILY: How OHIM intends to challenge negative public perceptions of IP

The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) has expanded on its plans to measure the economic impact of IP in Europe – research which could play a critical role in reversing negative public opinion on IP.;

DAILY: Lessons from the brand-savvy cowboy

The INTA Annual Meeting programme was officially kick-started this morning with Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys, taking to the stage (cheerleaders close at hand). His message? Brand visibility is the key ingredient in monetisation efforts.;

DAILY: An INTA day in the life… of an in-house counsel

There are rumoured to be as many as 12,000 attendees at this year’s INTA – and each one of them is certain to have a packed schedule. WTR sat down with Gretchen Testerman, senior corporate counsel at CenturyLink, to find out what an average day-in-the-life of an in-house counsel at INTA is like.;

DAILY: Trademark owners should be aware of importance of health registrations

Following years of legal action, an Australian wine manufacturer has obtained the cancellation of health registrations granted in favour of the distributor of its products in Colombia. The import, export and distribution of certain products require not only that the trademark under which the goods are sold be registered, but also that a health registration be obtained; however, this is not usually taken into account by trademark owners wishing to enter the Colombian market.;

DAILY: Advocate general provides guidance on consent under Article 5(1)

In Martin y Paz Diffusion SA v Depuydt, Advocate General Cruz Villalón has provided some guidance on the nature of consent under Article 5(1) of the First Trademarks Directive. Among other things, the advocate general stated that consent can never be deemed to be irrevocable. This approach secures the function of a trademark as a guarantee of origin, as this guarantee would be affected if a party continued to use a mark even though it no longer had consent to do so.;

DAILY: Dispatches from Dallas - day one

Reflections and learnings from day one at the INTA Annual Meeting.;

DAILY: What the future holds for trademark practitioners

Last week a new IP law firm was unveiled in Washington, the latest in a series of recent new launches. In the current issue of WTR, available from our booth at the INTA Annual Meeting, the rise of the boutiques is just one of the trends we predict will shape the trademark environment in the next two years.;

DAILY: The real inside track from Dallas: WTR wants your votes

On Wednesday morning the WTR blog will reveal the winners at this year’s WTR Industry Awards. As crucially important as the day-to-day work of corporate counsel is, there is much else to celebrate and wonder at while attending the INTA Annual Meeting. To ensure no good deed goes unnoticed, on Wednesday we will also be unveiling our unofficial award winners – and want your nominations and additional category suggestions.;

UK Intellectual Property Office (UK-IPO)

"Cracking Ideas" project: uses a combination of specific lesson plans, teaching resources and a dedicated website (crackingideas.com) to encourage innovation and creativity among pupils in the 4-7, 8-11 and 12-16 age groups Spokescharacters: Wallace and Gromit Learning resources: activity packs, innovation packs, "My IP" booklet Creative competitions: annual "Cracking Ideas" competition; "Eureka Challenges" (four yearly) Games: Sprocket Rocket (Help Wallace & Gromit collect cogs to fix their ship and fly to the moon! You'll need creative skills and (...);

IP Australia

"Innovation for Schools": activity-based learning modules suitable for students in upper primary and lower secondary grades; each learning unit has been designed to help boost creativity and innovation among young Australians and encourage the exploration of intellectual property concepts in the classroom Exhibition: "Wallace & Gromit’s World of Invention" (2012/2013, at Powerhouse Museum): showcases innovation and creativity in everyday life, and highlights the important link between invention and protection for IP;

IP Australia

Guides: "Fashion Rules" handbook, "Protect Your Creative", "Make Your Mark" "IP for Designers" website "Design Centenary" year (2007) celebrating the registered design by hosting some important events to mark this milestone; website includes success stories, videos, fact sheets;

Industrial Property Office of the Slovak republic (INDPROP)

Annual "Open Day" at the IP Office: on the occasion of World Intellectual Property Day (April 26th) the office is open for general public; the most interesting parts of the office are archive, congress hall, search room and the renovated entrance hall for public where you can learn about interesting history of innovation activities in Slovakia and in the world Bi-annual "Ján Bahýľ Award" (Ján Bahýľ - inventor of helicopter): prize for valuable technical solutions of Slovak inventors Bi-annual "UMINEX Exhibition": focused on creators of technical and design (...);

National Board of Patents and Registration of Finland (NBPR)

Exhibitions a the NBPR exhibition rooms ("Innogallery"), including the "120 years of trademark protection in Finland" exhibition (2009), the "Dynamite, or Nobel's powder" exhibition (2008), "The sketch is a designer’s tool" car designs exhibition (2008), the "Beware the Pirate!" exhibition (2007), and an exhibition presenting famous Finnish inventor Tuomas Vohlonen and his patents (2006);

Enterprise Estonia (EAS)

Industrial property training courses mainly for entrepreneurs, to raise intellectual property (IP) awareness and skills "SPINNO Programme" aiming to support the establishment of IP commercialisation tools in R&D and higher education organisations;

Austria Wirtschaftsservice (AWS)

"Innovation Protection Programme" ("Innovationsschutzprogramm"): offers support and assistance to Austrian small and medium-sized businesses in protecting their intellectual property rights (IPR) in Asian emerging markets, especially China (by raising IPR awareness, helping with IP audits/registration/enforcement); also includes the "patent credit action" ("Patentkreditaktion") consisting of grants for patent applications, and bank guarantees for loans taken out to finance patent applications;

New Zealand Post

"Clever Kiwis" postal stamps and first day covers featuring drawings from New Zealand patent specifications;

Television New Zealand (TVNZ)

"Let's Get Inventing" reality TV show helping young inventors build their idea from concept to reality;

Community Research and Development Information Service (CORDIS), European Commission

European research project "COUNTER"; objectives: to collect data, generate knowledge and disseminate findings on the European landscape for the consumption of counterfeit consumer goods;

Toy Industries of Europe (TIE)

Brochures: "Counterfeiting & product piracy: A threat to consumers, a threat to jobs"; "The importance of IPR protection in the fight against counterfeiting of toys";

Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI)

FICCI National Initiative against Piracy and Counterfeiting (NIAPC): Event: "Intellectual Property Week" (April 20-26, 2007), in cooperation with the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) and the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO); includes: anti-piracy/counterfeiting PSA campaign, training programmes for customs officials, seminars, panel discussions Poster slogans: "Counterfeiting & Crime support each other. Kill Counterfeiting - Kill Crime. Keep your future safe"; "Counterfeiting may give you a life inside; if Counterfeiting is your (...);

Oficina Española de Patentes y Marcas (OEPM)

"OEPM-stopfalsificaciones.es" website: to raise awareness and inform the public about the importance of industrial property protection "Yo soy original" ("I am original") leaflet;

Dubai Customs

Educational seminars on intellectual property rights (IPR) protection Workshops for customs inspectors;

British Electrotechnical & Allied Manufacturers Association Anti-Counterfeiting Working Group (BEAMA ACWG)

"Counterfeit Kills" electrical industry initiative (since 2008) to raise awareness of the risks associated with the trade in counterfeit goods and to provide information about the actions being taken to combat this trade - Video/DVD: "Counterfeit Kills: Protect Yourself" - Brochure: "Counterfeit Kills - Be Safe - Don't electrocute your customers" - Poster: "Counterfeit Kills, be safe - don't electrocute your customers" (featuring a raging inferno) [2009] - Website: blog, counterfeit report tool, gallery;

Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), City of New York (NYC)

"Get the Real Picture: Don't Buy Illegal DVDs Off the Street" campaign (2007, 2008), including picture ads on bus shelters/the city's subway system; television/theatre/NYC taxi spots based on Titanic, The Sixth Sense and Happy Feet; and a hotline to report piracy;

National Association of Theatre Owners (NATO), Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)

"Take Action! Be the first line of defense against film theft!" anti-camcorder piracy initiative Guide: "Best Practices Guide to Prevent Film Theft" Website: tips for cinema personnel (how to recognise pirates, how to act, piracy equipment gallery);

Japan and International Motion Picture Copyright Association (JIMCA)

"No More Movie Thieves" anti-camcording campaign, with eigakan.org Website: resources, quiz, FAQs "Save our movies": website providing information about copyright, piracy and its risks and consequences; hotline to report piracy;

Motion Picture Association - International (MPA)

"What's It To Me? Creativity, Copyright and the People Who Care About Them (And Don't)" 23-minute documentary (2007), distributed to university students;

Motion Picture Association - International (MPA), China Film Copyright Protection Association (CFCPA), Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF)

"Save the Movies, Say No To Piracy" poster campaign featuring Hong Kong actor Jackie Chan (2007, 2008) Anti-piracy handprints display featuring over 100 movie stars and celebrities, including Chen Kun, Xia Yu, Huang Xiaoming and Hu Jun: "Hold out your hand to stop piracy";