France

The recent dispute over the Decathlon 'Easybreath' mask offers helpful clarity about the protection provided by EU design rights, says Florence Chapin. She dives into the ruling and the key takeaways for innovators.

Intellectual property (IP) rights play a vital role in helping inventors protect and defend the names of products or services (trademarks), the aesthetic aspects of creations (designs) and the innovations themselves (patents). In this short guide, Matthieu Boulard examines the intersection between IP rights and the process of innovation.

Watch the webinar recording to discover how to effectively protect your brands and consumers from online scams on social media platforms and e-commerce sites.

The '2024 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy' by the US Trade Representative (USTR) reveals some positive developments in anti-counterfeiting by e-marketplaces but an alarming rise in the sale of counterfeit medicines by illegal online pharmacies.

Unfair competition and parasitism are major concerns in trademark law, particularly in the luxury sector, where the visual identity of products is crucial. Florence Chapin explores the topic in the context of a recent ruling by France’s Court of Cassation in the dispute between Van Cleef & Arpels and Louis Vuitton over the use of a four-lobed clover motif.

In January 2025, the French Football Federation (FFF) successfully opposed an EU trademark depicting a highly stylised rooster similar to its distinctive logo. Florence Chapin examines the EUIPO rooster trademark opposition decision, the EU General Court's ruling and the implications for holders of figurative marks.

The EU patent system has changed! We explain how to select the optimal European patent protection strategy for your market needs, budget and business objectives.

Does the use of a fictitious date constitute a deceptive trademark in the EU? This is the question currently before the CJEU. Read our article to find out more.

As the excitement builds for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris, companies across the globe are eager to share their enthusiasm and support for the world's largest sporting event. But, is it possible to do that legally if you are not an official sponsor of the Games?

Who is liable for the sale of counterfeit goods on e-commerce platforms, such as online marketplaces? In our 14 November webinar, our experts took a deep dive into EU case law on liability for the sale of counterfeit goods online and share monitoring and enforcement best practices for online marketplace brand protection.

The Second Board of Appeal of the European IP Office (EUIPO) recently issued a decision confirming the refusal to register an emoji trademark representing ‘I Love You’. The EUIPO had refused to register the pictogram on the basis that it was unable to fulfil the essential function of a trademark, namely to indicate the origin of the products and/or services of a company.

Disclosing an invention before filing a patent, whether by accident or design, may lead to any subsequent patent application being rejected. Adrien Metivet sets out the dangers and consequences of uncontrolled invention disclosure.