News & opinion

With Halloween just around the corner, it can be fun to get spooked. However, when it comes to trademark protection, you don't want to be...

Discover answers to frequently asked questions about international growth and intellectual property (IP), from how to create a robust international IP strategy to how to achieve global IP protection cost-effectively.

The General Court of the EU has confirmed the partial revocation of the Airbnb trademark for ‘advertising services’ (class 35), finding that a business promoting its own offerings does not constitute an ‘advertising service’ aimed at third parties – a key legal lesson for branding strategies.

Following a recent decision by the Swiss Federal Administrative Court confirming that an artificial intelligence (AI) system cannot be the inventor of a patent, Robert Balsters explores the legal and practical realities of AI-assisted inventions and the future of AI patent inventorship.

After its patent rights expired, the owners of the iconic Rubik’s Cube attempted to use trademark registrations to extend its protection. After decades of disputes, its black and white trademark and now its colour trademark have been found invalid, as Volha Parfenchyk explains.

The recent SKE v BB Crystal Bar trademark dispute in the UK emphasises the importance of robust and relevant evidence when seeking to establish goodwill, as Farhan Kazi explains.

From trade tariffs to changing import regulations, geopolitical uncertainty can cause many issues for international companies. At such times of change, intellectual property offers stability and protection, as Michaël Sumer explains.

The recent dispute over the Decathlon 'Easybreath' mask offers helpful clarity about the protection provided by EU design rights, says Florence Chapin. She dives into the ruling and the key takeaways for innovators.

Intellectual property (IP) rights play a vital role in helping inventors protect and defend the names of products or services (trademarks), the aesthetic aspects of creations (designs) and the innovations themselves (patents). In this short guide, Matthieu Boulard examines the intersection between IP rights and the process of innovation.

Can a product which is marketed but not reproducible/analysable be considered prior art? This is the question at the heart of the decision in G 1/23, says Philippe Vigand. He explains the implications of the Enlarged Board of Appeal’s findings. 

Should ‘applied art’, such as furniture or modular design systems, be subject to a stricter test of originality in copyright law than other works, such as paintings or novels?

With 24 official languages and three official alphabets, considering linguistic diversity within the EU can be a real headache when assessing the risk of trademark confusion, as Louise Péchoux discusses in the context of the recent ruling on the Schweppes May Tea trademark by the EU General Court.