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With the aim of promoting the use of the French language in commerce, the Quebec government adopted a bill on 24 May 2022 entitled ‘An Act respecting French, the official and common language of Québec’. Volha Parfenchyk explains the contents and implications of the new law.
When you choose to file a trademark registration can have a direct impact on its validity. Too soon and it could lapse for non-use; too late and it could be invalid. Sigolène Pellet discusses the key elements to consider when determining the right time to register a trademark.
Model and socialite Hailey Bieber is just one of a long list of celebrities to have registered trademarks to maximise the brand and business opportunities that can come with fame. But fame alone is not enough to guarantee a straightforward trademark registration.
On 8 June, the European Court of First Instance ruled on a dispute that has been ticking over between two famous companies for more than five years: the Californian Apple Inc and the Swiss watchmaker Swatch AG.
When it comes to protecting software innovation, copyright can appear to be the only applicable right. Sylvain Chaffraix explains how to include software patents in innovation management strategies in Europe.
Choosing a ‘strong’ brand name for your business can be a challenging undertaking. Depending on your market and industry, there is a risk that your preferred name will have already been registered as a trademark by a third party. But what if you choose a similar logo?
Can you own the copyright to a song title? That’s the question at the heart of the recent dispute over Mariah Carey’s seasonal chart topper 'All I Want for Christmas is You'.
As part of its initiative to curb illicit trade in counterfeit goods, the Kenyan government has introduced the compulsory recordation of IP rights at the Kenyan Anti-Counterfeit Authority. With the new requirement due to come into effect on 1 January 2023, Volha Parfenchyk explains the procedure.
Generic and ordinary terms, such as ‘very’, ‘most’ and ‘like’, are normally considered to lack the distinctive character necessary for trademark registration. In finding likelihood of confusion between two trademarks using the word ‘so’, the EU General Court’s recent ruling is remarkable.
Racing car driver Max Verstappen hopes to continue his winning streak in the courts as he seeks to protect his portrait (image) right against the use of a lookalike. Julia Schefman explains the background to the Dutch case, while Marine Dissoubray and Luke Portnow provide the French and UK perspectives.
Trademark assignment recordals against UK rights have been on the rise since Brexit, as EU trademark owners are now required to manage these rights separately.
The number of countries joining the Madrid System for international trademark registrations continues to grow, with Chile and Cape Verde the latest to deposit instruments of accession. Applicants will be able to designate the countries in their international trademark registrations (IR) as of July this year.