Trademarks & Domain Names

Surrealist 60s British music group ‘The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band' is fighting to protect its name and logo after they were registered as a trademark by a third-party media company.

It looks as if the year is going from bad to worse for McDonald’s trademark portfolio. After the fast food chain’s EU registration for ‘BIG MAC’ was cancelled in January, the EUIPO has now partially revoked its EU word mark for ‘MC’. Casper Hemelrijk outlines the ruling.

The Court of Justice of the EU dealt the final blow to Red Bull’s trademark registration yesterday (29 July), after it agreed with the EU General Court’s 2017 decision that the colour combinations were not sufficiently ‘clear and precise’, and therefore not able to function as trademarks.

A well-maintained IP portfolio and, just as importantly, a well-maintained record of the IP portfolio can add significant value to a company, as well as making it an attractive proposition.

English football club Sheffield Wednesday has objected to the registration of ‘WAWAW’, an acronym used by fans on social media to signify ‘We’re All Wednesday, Aren’t We’.

Brazil’s accession to the Madrid System, on 2 October this year, is good news for businesses that operate globally/in the Americas.

The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) recently issued a warning to members about scam trademark renewal letters.

Dog-sitting service Hairbnb may be forced to change its name after receiving a cease and desist letter from online rental marketplace Airbnb. An effective trademark watching strategy could have saved both businesses a headache.

Last week, adidas suffered a third loss in its attempt to safeguard its three stripes trademark when the EU General Court dismissed the sportswear manufacturer’s appeal and confirmed EUIPO’s earlier decision of trademark invalidity.

One of the most popular panel discussions at this year’s INTA conference examined possible methods of IP protection for fictional characters. Panelist Chantal Koller sets out the European perspective.

The wine and spirits sector has had a busy first half of 2019 in trademark terms. Florence Chapin picks some highlights from around the globe.

Back in October 2018, the General Court of the EU decided that energy drink Red Bull and alcoholic drink Flügel were not similar products. By calling on its reputation, however, Red Bull has found a way to fight back, as Casper Hemelrijk explains.