Global

The District Court of Amsterdam has found geo-blocking and access-restricting measures sufficient to protect the copyright of Anne Frank’s ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’, despite the fact such measures are not fully airtight.

Businesses and their trademark departments need to react quickly to new global and digital challenges today if they are to secure their brand for the future.

Brands routinely find creative and innovative ways to generate new customers or retain existing ones. A notable recent example of this has been the use of sub-brands to branch out into the same or a new market without jeopardising the parent brand’s existing position. Laura Morrish discusses the trademark implications.

On 24 February 2022, our experts discussed how to effectively manage an international trademark portfolio with the new (virtual) world challenges through the corporate lens, with speakers from GrandVision (AM session) and Luxottica (PM session).

The system for design protection continues to expand with China the latest country to file an instrument of accession. The country will complete this process on 5 May 2022 making now a good time to consider whether your IP rights in China are adequately protected.

Counterfeit activity is a threat to all modern businesses, affecting their profits, their reputation and, in some cases, the safety of their consumers. This white paper sets out five steps to success when targeting the trade in fakes, and provides answers to some frequently asked questions

Download our updated trademark management white paper to find out how to build a trademark strategy that supports your business goals.

In our white paper 'Best practices in trademark auditing: a practical guide', we set out the steps to take to put a trademark auditing programme in place that will help your business to streamline and exploit its portfolio.

The need to file evidence of use can crop up in many cases and the requirement to show historic use can cause problems for businesses. Preparation is critical to success.

Unlike trademark registration systems, which are national or regional by nature, the internet offers a global and potentially limitless market. Businesses with the same or confusingly similar company or product names can face a considerable challenge to mitigate the risks of brand confusion online.

Similarities in packaging between Howler’s stout beer and Nestlé’s MILO® chocolate milk hit the courts in Australia last month, with the case illustrating the need for trademark protection of visual branding elements, says Chantal Koller.

Drinks companies have diversified their products and ranges, and implemented new strategies in response to changing consumer preferences and the impact of both Brexit and COVID-19. But, what do these factors mean for brands' IP strategies moving forward?