News & opinion

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

The Second Board of Appeal of the European IP Office (EUIPO) recently issued a decision confirming the refusal to register an emoji trademark representing ‘I Love You’. The EUIPO had refused to register the pictogram on the basis that it was unable to fulfil the essential function of a trademark, namely to indicate the origin of the products and/or services of a company.

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 enforcement systems, such as the WIPO UDRP.

Disclosing an invention before filing a patent, whether by accident or design, may lead to any subsequent patent application being rejected. Adrien Metivet sets out the dangers and consequences of uncontrolled invention disclosure. 

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.

EUIPO'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 trademarks, says Valerie Annan.

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 Roger outlines its implications.

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 the green goals of the new repair clause.

Component parts of complex objects that are not visible during ‘normal use’ of the object do not enjoy design protection in Europe. But what constitutes a component part of a complex object? Volha Parfenchyk shares a recent ruling by the EU General Court that provides some clarification.   

Just because a patent has been granted does not mean it cannot be disputed. Vincent Robert explains the procedure for patent oppositions in the EU, including when and how it can be used.

In affirming the EUIPO’s decision to refuse the registration of a figurative mark for confectionery containers, the EU General Court has confirmed that the principles developed in the context of 3D trademarks are also applicable to 2D trademarks.

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