Insights

EU trademarks ‘with reputation’ enjoy a broader scope of protection than those without. But, what does this broader scope entail? Novagraaf’s Timo Buijs sets out the key points of the doctrine in ligh...

As e-cigarette use grows, so do the dangers of trademark infringement for well-known brands, as Trademark Attorney Claire Jones explains.

IP licensing can provide companies with additional (or core) revenue streams, enable them to raise brand awareness and enhance their reputation, and extend their brands into new markets and geographie...

Although not impossible, seeking trademark protection for slogans in the European Union can prove difficult. What can be learned from those slogans that have achieved success?

Fashion brand fails to provide adequate proof of use for the stylised capital D it registered as an EU trademark in 1999. Ardine Siepman examines the decision.

If you build a brand or reputation around your own name, what happens if a third-party owns the trademark registrations to that name, rather than you?

When seeking to expand into new markets or territories, it’s important to ensure IP protection is first in place. Dr Peter Wilson sets out the IP elements to consider when developing or updating an ex...

It is crucial to act promptly when submitting objections (or oppositions) to challenge potentially conflicting trademark applications. But, what is the opposition procedure – and how can brand owners ...

Chantal Koller, Managing Director – Trademarks at Novagraaf Switzerland, shares some of the approaches used by leading Swiss companies to achieve both brand dominance and market success.

We recently set out guidance on marking products with patent and design numbers, including examining the benefits and risks of doing so. Here, we look at packaging and product marking from the tradema...

The recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU represents yet another knock back for Nestlé in its attempt to prove its chocolate bar shape distinctive enough to warrant trademark protection. Nov...

The French government is in conflict with another company over trademarks containing the word ‘France’. Novagraaf’s Ardine Siepman examines a recent ruling by the General Court of the EU, which consid...

As social media becomes an everyday part of corporate marketing practice, there has been a notable increase in hashtag-based brand names. Stormzy’s label #Merky Records (as listed with hashtag at Comp...

It is good practice to monitor trademark registries for potentially infringing trademark applications. The challenge is in developing the right watching strategy to avoid being swamped with results. T...

The copying of fashion and clothing designs is so endemic it appears almost accepted. But, a designer’s creative output is their intellectual property and should be protected as such. We set out tools...

A recent spat over a recipe image used on Instagram highlights the importance both of clearing images for use before posting, and of protecting your own images using copyright symbols and watermarks, ...

The UKIPO’s recent report on patent, trademark and design applications, publications and grants 1995–2017 has identified some interesting filing trends. Meanwhile, the UK government has confirmed that...

A recent decision by the High Court of England and Wales considered whether fresh evidence was admissible for use on appeal following a successful non-use revocation at the UKIPO. Vanessa Harrow exami...

The European Commission is seeking to make it easier to place generic drugs on the market on expiry of SPC protection. Eric Enderlin outlines the implications.

Novagraaf’s Trecina Surti outlines a recent success story in a dispute brought on behalf of a leading French wine producer. The case highlights the benefits of bad faith claims in opposition proceedin...