Insights

In response to a preliminary question referred by the French Court of Cassation, the CJEU has clarified the principle that a trademark bearing a designer’s name may become deceptive due to its use aft...

EUIPO and INPI decisions concerning trademark revocation and invalidity may include provisions requiring the losing party to bear the costs incurred by the winning party. Pauline Pilaudeau explains wh...

We’re excited the 2026 Annual Meeting of the International Trademark Association (INTA) will take place from 2–6 May at ExCeL London, UK. Our London team is on hand in case you have any questions abou...

For brand owners, control over distribution, pricing and brand reputation is essential. Parallel trade – in particular, parallel imports – can put this control under pressure. Niels van der Lee explai...

By registering a sound trademark to protect his iconic phrase “Alright, alright, alright”, the actor Matthew McConaughey has chosen a striking legal route to defend himself against unauthorised use of...

As of 1 February 2026, new rules came into effect for patent applicants using the EPO’s PACE programme. Marion Bénetière explains what has changed.

Commercial concepts, such as ‘quiet luxury’, can easily catch the public’s imagination, but that doesn’t mean they can be registered as trademarks, says Laetitia Maufroy. She shares key lessons from t...

Many specialists do not consider intellectual property when creating new games, yet it plays a vital role in securing creativity. Alban Radivojevic provides a practical introduction to the core video ...

A recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union has clarified the design concepts of creation and individual character. Ericka Winogradsky explains the background to the case and its imp...

Two recent decisions by the Court of Appeal of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) clarify the approach now adopted by the UPC bodies to assess inventive step. Sylvain Dubois reviews the two decisions and ...

The priority rule is an essential tool for EU trademark owners, since it allows applicants to obtain protection retroactively. However, a recent judgment by the EU General Court has reaffirmed that it...

Is a sign consisting of a date sufficiently distinctive to be registered as a trademark in the watch and jewellery sector? In September 2025, the General Court of the European Union answered this in t...

The ChatGPT Instant Checkout ushers in a new era of conversational commerce. Brands need to adapt their brand protection and anti-counterfeiting strategies to secure their sales in the AI era.

With the end of the transitional period for Brexit cloned trademarks fast approaching, cloned UK marks could become vulnerable to cancellation for non-use.

The UKIPO fee increase recently announced will apply to patents, trademarks & registered designs services from 1 April 2026, subject to parliamentary approval.

For successful companies, growth rarely occurs by chance. Expansion requires sharp choices, market insight and the ability to turn assets – such as trademarks and technology – into competitive advanta...

What will be the impact of the Lost Mary case on the Oki Data criteria, as set out in the WIPO UDRP case? Read our analysis of these domain name disputes.

Adding ‘by’ is not enough to break the link to a well-known trademark even in a different market, as the recent EU OMV AG decision illustrates.

Too simple to succeed? Discover what the recent EU Court ruling means for Haribo and its gummy bear figurative trademark application.

Since October 2025, colour and greyscale patent drawings have been accepted for European patent filing. Find out what the changes mean for electronic filing.