Insights

Does the use of a trademark in a connected sector constitute genuine use of that mark? What if that mark is used in differing forms? We discuss a recent EU General Court ruling that provides some answ...

Which court has competency when trademark infringement takes place online? A recent CJEU ruling considered this question in the context of a dispute over meta tag and Google Ads trademark infringement...

Discover why blockchain and IP are such hot topics, and why you should timestamp your IP rights using blockchain technology.

Thanks to AI art generators, it’s easier to be ‘creative’ than ever before, but who owns the copyright for art that has been created by a machine? Niké Mion examines recent case law on artificial inte...

EUIPO BoA decision confirms refusal to register an emoji trademark for ‘I Love You’ because it does not fulfil a trademark's essential function.

Domain names are a valuable commercial asset for many companies and an important element of their IP portfolios. However, protecting domain name rights requires knowledge of completely different enfor...

Trademark clearance is a vital part of brand development. We explain why trademark searching is so important and what to clear.

Disclosing an invention before filing a patent, whether by accident or design, may lead to any subsequent patent application being rejected. We discuss the dangers and consequences of uncontrolled inv...

For supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) to be filed in the EU, they must be based on a basic patent. Lise Luciani discusses this condition in the context of a recent French ruling.

Tracking and recording decisions relating to new trademarks and branding is a vital but often overlooked part of IP management, as Vanessa Harrow explains.

EU IPO's cancellation of the MINISO trademark based on a copyright registration underlines that a trademark registration can be cancelled for infringing other IP rights, not simply registered trademar...

On 13 June 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) published a long-awaited communication regarding the conditions for suspending China trademark review cases. Carole Rog...

Trademark renewals must be instructed in a timely manner to ensure compliance with relevant deadlines and formalities. To facilitate this process for our clients, Novagraaf has added a new ‘reminder’ ...

The proposed EU design reform package seeks to rejuvenate, harmonise and modernise a system that was originally implemented 20 years ago. Anne-Catherine Schihin sets out its main objectives, including...

Counterfeiting and piracy are constant challenges for brand owners in both online and offline channels. INTAS Anti-counterfeiting Benchmarking Report provides valuable insights and counterfeiting stat...

Find out what constitutes a component part of a complex object when it comes to design protection in Europe, since a recent EU General Court ruling.

Can a patent that has been granted be disputed? Discover the procedure for patent oppositions in the EU, including when and how it can be used.

Rebekah Vardy has successfully registered UK mark WAGATHA CHRISTIE after a libel case hit the tabloids, but is the trademark vulnerable to bad faith?

The EU General Court affirmed the refusal of figurative marks for flat containers. Find out about the principles in relation to 3D and 2D trademarks.

The EPO ruled on sufficient disclosure for a patent application related to wind turbines. Find out what the decision means for mechanical patents.