Insights

Must a compound be shown to be suitable for each disease for first medical use claims to be sufficiently disclosed in applications for European patents, asks Matthieu Boulard. 

A new edition of the Nice Classification system for international trademark registration will become available on 1 January 2023. We outline the changes and their implications for trademark applicants.

The short answer is ‘yes’, you can own a fictional character, says UK Trademark Attorney Luke Portnow, and this summer the UK saw a particularly interesting case law development in copyright protection. 

Such has been the success of hard seltzers in the past five years, their consumption has now overtaken that of many strong beers and spirits in homes in the US and other countries worldwide. But, what are hard seltzers and why has this popular drinks craze fallen foul of global regulators? Florence Chapin provides the answers. 

As the Advocate General issues its opinion in a case concerning design registration of a bike saddle, Volha Parfenchyk discusses what is meant by ‘normal use’ in the context of EU design rights.

Stop the Press! 'HOUSE OF ZANA' has been found to be different from 'ZARA'.  To many, this will not have come as a surprise.  When trademark applications are opposed, applicants (and/or their representatives) are familiar with the argument “the marks only differ by one letter”.  Increasingly, that argument does not bear much weight at the UK IPO Tribunal Section.

Should the trademark owner be held liable for a product defect, even if they did not manufacture the goods? That was the question at the heart of a recent dispute before the Court of Justice of the EU. Noa Rubingh examines the ruling and its implications for trademark owners. 

From patents protecting core innovation to trademark and design rights, IP registrations have been a vital cog in the success of the watch industry, not least when it comes to stamping down on counterfeits and other forms of trademark infringement.

Caterpillar, Inc has successfully challenged the August 2020 European trademark application for ‘FLOWERCAT’ on the basis that the mark infringes its earlier rights to both the word and figurative (device) marks for ‘CAT’. Noa Rubingh reviews the recent ruling.