Trademarks & Domain Names

Watch an exclusive webinar where our experts Alissia Shchichka and Marc-Emmanuel Mellet will guide you through best practices for managing and defending your domain portfolio.

In the latest legal wrangle between a brand owner and a supermarket chain in the UK, the Thatchers Cider company has successfully challenged Aldi’s lookalike Taurus Cider. Farhan Kazi provides the background to the trademark dispute and explains why it is good news for market leaders.

If a trademark becomes so common that consumers start using the original brand name as a generic term, you might see it as a compliment. However, from a legal perspective, this type of trademark dilution can undermine your rights to that brand name.

Meeting the requirements for trademark distinctiveness is vital for all types of trademarks in the EU but arguing that a mark is distinctive can be even harder in the case of non-traditional trademarks, such as colours and shapes.

What happens if a brand owner applies for a trademark with an overly broad specification of products or services? Aaron Wood shares insights from a recent UK ruling on broad trademarks and bad faith that looks set to impact European trademark holders, too.   

Recent UK court decisions – SkyKick and Adidas – are raising critical questions about trademark strategy. This on-demand webinar explores the implications for trademark protection, enforcement and best practices. 

What happens if you use a trademark in a virtual, rather than a real-world environment? Omar Hassan shares the practical guidelines released in 2024 by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.

IP licensing can provide companies with additional (or core) revenue streams, enable them to raise brand awareness and enhance their reputation, and extend their brands into new markets and geographies. However, if IP ownership or validity is unclear, it can also pose significant financial and business risk.

Louis Vuitton has successfully opposed an EU trademark application for ‘XL Sporting’ based on the trademark reputation of its iconic LV monogram. The EUIPO’s Opposition Division found that the differences between the signs were eclipsed by similarities in the arrangement of the two letters, thereby creating a similar visual overall impression, as Florence Chapin explains. 

Counterfeit purchases spike before seasonal holidays and during designated sales periods, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the January sales. Protect your brand, products and consumers effectively this year by targeting your online brand protection efforts on the most critical channels. 

Does the use of a fictitious date constitute a deceptive trademark in the EU? This is the question currently before the CJEU. Read our article to find out more.

In the latest trademark battle of the UK supermarkets, Iceland has filed an application to register ‘King Prawn Ring’. Is this a genuine attempt to protect its iconic dinner party dish or simply a ‘fishy’ marketing ploy to grab headlines, asks Megan Taylor. She explains what the application reveals about trademark requirements and the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of IP registration in the UK.