UK

Celebrities and influencers have now become 'brands' in their own right, but building a brand around your name and personality does not come without risks.

This year's INTA Annual Meeting in Atlanta (18–22 May) promises to be packed with fascinating discussions. The sessions scheduled at the conference remind us how technology is increasingly so important for trademark practice, as Luke Portnow explains.

In a recent trademark decision in the UK, the Supreme Court considered what constitutes targeting in relation to cross-border e-commerce and infringing use of UK and EU trademark rights on global online marketplaces. We outline what it means for brand owners and global businesses.

The UKIPO recently handed down a favourable decision for the car giant Tesla which successfully invalidated a UK trademark registration for TESLA CHICKEN & PIZZA held by a small fast food shop.

After new case law from the EU courts stopped being binding on UK courts at the end of the Brexit Transition Period, it was only a matter of time before divergent rulings began to emerge. Luke Portnow discusses a recent ruling on trademark acquiescence and what it means for trademark enforcement strategies in the UK. 

After registered protection is obtained, how can an IP right holder further develop and strengthen a brand? One way is by developing a family of marks.

During the last few years, there have been some major world events causing seismic shifts in the global economy and the landscape in which we live and work. As another year starts, it is a good time to reflect on the changes facing the IP sector. Vanessa Harrow outlines three changes that are likely to affect IP owners this year.  

On 1 January 2024, new rules will come into effect concerning the UK IP Address for Service. With recent updates to regulations for IP professionals and also the end of supremacy of CJEU case law in the United Kingdom, Luke Portnow explains what's changing and what it means for IP rights holders and trademark professionals operating in the UK. 

The first successful application under the UK Geographical Indication (GI) scheme has recently been granted to Welsh Whisky. Protection for this product has been brought about by the surge in its popularity and the expansion of the industry in recent years.

IP rights provide an invaluable means for protecting the heart and soul of a brand. That's why identifying what trademarks to protect and proactively maintaining those rights is so crucial to the brand development process.

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?

The sessions scheduled at INTA's 2023 Annual Meeting remind us that trademarks are not the only rights to consider when looking at brand protection.