Trademarks & Domain Names

In this special 130-year anniversary issue of Perspectives, produced for this year's INTA Annual Meeting, we look in detail at some of the key issues facing IP professionals today.

The production and trade of counterfeit goods in and from the People’s Republic of China is the thorn in the side of many well-known brands, but it’s not only the global giants that are affected.

With Prince Harry set to wed Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018, it will be no surprise that brand owners and retailers will seek to capitalise on the hype and goodwill around the latest royal wedding.

The number of countries and regions joining the international system for trademark registration on the basis of the Madrid Convention and its Protocol, continues to grow.

While the entry into effect of the GDPR at the end of May might be music to the ears of privacy advocates, brand owners and trademark attorneys could be hearing a rather less pleasant tune.

The courts in the US and EU have differed in their approach to the sensitive issue of potentially offensive or immoral trademarks.

It is now only 12 weeks until the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, with the hosts taking on Saudi Arabia match on 14 June. Novagraaf’s Claire Jones examines the IP implications of this headline-grabbing event.

Patents, trademarks, designs and other forms of intellectual property (IP) play a key role in the success of all modern businesses.

The Scotch Whisky Association (SWA) has encountered a setback in its attempt to bar non-Scottish distilleries from using the word ‘Glen’ in their product names.

AB InBev has announced plans to temporarily rebrand ‘JUPILER’ as ‘BELGIUM’ in support of the ‘Red Devils’, Belgium’s national football team, in the forthcoming 2018 World Cup. Novagraaf examines the trademark implications.

Danish dairy cooperative Arla has recovered the domain name castellocheese.co following a ruling by the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center.

In some cases, national registrations may be preferable to European trademark (EUTM) registrations explains Novagraaf’s Florence Chapin.