UK

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

Advance preparation is crucial for any transfer of IP ownership. Yet, no matter how extensive the IP due diligence before a merger or acquisition deal is agreed, the recordal process rarely passes without hitch.

Companies posing as IP advisers are currently targeting UK companies with EU trademark and design registrations, hoping to trick their unsuspected recipients into paying for unnecessary UK registrations.

Latest joint study by the EU Intellectual Property Office and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development estimates the annual value of international trade in counterfeit and pirated goods to have reached €460 billion by 2016.

US TV network HBO has failed in its attempt to oppose the registration of ‘Game of Vapes’, after the UKIPO disagreed with its argument that the similarity of the vaping brand name was likely to cause confusion with the well-known TV series Game of Thrones.

Social media channels, such as Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, are overtaking online auction sites as the biggest online platforms for counterfeit activity.

The ruling follows years of uncertainty for tonic water brands, as a result of the introduction of EU nutrition and health claim regulations, designed to prevent food and drink products from implying positive health benefits.