Trademarks & Domain Names

As a business grows, so too do the demands on its IP department. Chantal Koller sets out the pros and cons of the fully in-house, fully outsourced and hybrid IP management models.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that apply for patents, trademarks or designs are more likely to experience high growth than SMEs that do not, according to a joint study by the EPO and the EUIPO.

The US Department of Justice considers the Hells Angels to be an organised crime syndicate, yet the motorcycle club is pretty astute when it comes to staying on the right side of IP law.

A recent decision in a dispute over the 'Lumiqs' trademark reiterates the importance of adopting targeted wording for products and services of interest from the outset. Florence Chapin outlines the ruling, and the court's reasoning on distribution channels and the sale of products online.

The UKIPO made a somewhat unexpected decision in a recent dispute between two Scotch whisky brands. Distiller William Grant & Sons, owner of the Glenfiddich label trademark, has been unsuccessful in its opposition to the Glenfield label trademark application. 

The EU General Court ruled today (14 May) in the dispute over the 'Neymar' mark, finding in favour of Paris Saint-Germain’s star footballer Neymar in his trademark cancellation action. Novagraaf’s Casper Hemelrijk sets out the background to the case.

When you think about cocktails, IP is probably the last thing to come to mind, but what's to stop a mixologist protecting a signature concoction? In celebration of World Cocktail Day on 13 May, we took some time out to investigate the heady mix of booze and IP.

EUIPO’s Cancellation Division ruled earlier this month that supermarket giant Iceland’s trademark registration is invalid, following a successful challenge by the nation of Iceland, as Allison Petts explains.

A sign can not be registered as a trademark when it is descriptive for the goods or services for which it is used, or when it is contrary to public policy. The figurative trademark ‘MaK Tea’ has been denied registration on both these grounds.

There is significant hype around the imminent birth of ‘Baby Sussex’, with lots of bets being placed on the baby’s due date, sex and name, as well as rumours that the baby has already secretly been born. It’s only a matter of time before the trademark applications begin.

We have written previously of the importance of providing evidence of trademark use from both a general and EU point of view; here, Chantal Koller provides the Swiss perspective.

The European Commission has awarded geographical indication (GI) protection to Irish Whiskey, as well as Irish Cream Liqueur and Irish Poitín. Vanessa Harrow considers this development and the potential impact of Brexit on GI registrations in the EU.