Hot topics

Is posting a mark merely communication, or does it constitute actual evidence of use? We examine a recent EU ruling on trademarks and social media.

It cannot have escaped your attention that the Summer Olympic Games will start this 26 July in Paris, followed by the Paralympic Games on 28 August 2024. We’ve recapped the main IP dos and don’ts below to help you prepare your branding strategy for this important global event.

Amazon is to become the first online marketplace to join the IP Enforcement Portal (IPEP), a centralised platform created by EUIPO to exchange information related to IP enforcement. 

The Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) at the European Patent Office (EPO) has issued its much-awaited decision in the consolidated cases G1/22 and G2/22. Chris Poll summarises the ruling and its implications for patent holders. 

More than 18 months after Russia invaded Ukraine, the war continues to ravage the region. Marion Mercadier considers the situation from a trademark law perspective by examining related trademark refusals and registrations.

Thanks to AI art generators, it’s easier to be ‘creative’ than ever before, but who owns the copyright for art that has been created by a machine? Niké Mion examines recent case law on artificial intelligence and copyright.

Trademark availability and clearance checks are a vital part of the brand development process. Mona Asgari explains how to build a strong IP foundation for brand development from identifying IP assets to trademark clearance searching.

Tracking and recording decisions relating to new trademarks and branding is a vital but often overlooked part of the IP management process. In the first article of our new series on brand development, Vanessa Harrow explains why and offers a practical guide on where to start.

Counterfeiting and piracy are constant challenges for brand owners in both online and offline channels. The Anti-counterfeiting Benchmarking Report released by the International Trademark Association (INTA) in May provides valuable insights and counterfeiting statistics that illuminate the scale of the problem and the resources necessary to address it.

Parallel imports, also known as ‘exhaustion of trademark rights’ or the ‘first sale doctrine’, is a well-known limitation to the rights of trademark owners. Volha Parfenchyk discusses the practice in the context of two recent EU rulings on the branding of generic medicinal products.

Non-traditional trademarks, such as those protecting shapes, smells and sounds, are becoming an increasingly popular way for companies to distinguish their products and services. Savvy Kaushal explains how to register a sound mark in the EU.

The 2022 Review of Notorious Counterfeiting and Piracy Markets by the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) has assessed the volume of online marketplace counterfeiting and ranked sites by worst offender.