News & opinion
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News & opinion
The importance of IP strategy in the brand development process
IP rights provide an invaluable means for protecting the heart and soul of a brand. That's why identifying what trademarks to protect and proactively maintaining those rights is so crucial to the brand development process, says Trademark Attorney Laura Morrish.
News & opinion
EU General Court provides insights on how to prove genuine use
Does the use of a trademark in a connected sector constitute genuine use of that mark? What if that mark is used in differing forms? Florence Chapin outlines a recent EU General Court ruling that provides some answers.
News & opinion
CJEU rules on jurisdiction in Google Ads trademark infringement dispute
Which court has competency when trademark infringement takes place online? A recent CJEU ruling considered this question in the context of a dispute over meta tag and Google Ads trademark infringement. Volha Parfenchyk outlines its implications.
News & opinion
Blockchain and IP: Time to timestamp your IP rights?
Discover why blockchain and IP are such hot topics, and why you should timestamp your IP rights using blockchain technology.
News & opinion
‘I Love You’ emoji trademark devoid of distinctive character, says EUIPO
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.
News & opinion
In a nutshell: The WIPO UDRP for domain name disputes
Domain names are a valuable commercial asset for many companies and an important element of their IP portfolios. However, protecting domain name rights requires knowledge of completely different enforcement systems, such as the WIPO UDRP.
News & opinion
Invention disclosure: What happens if you disclose an invention before filing a patent?
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.
News & opinion
Supplementary protection certificates and basic patents
For supplementary protection certificates (SPCs) to be filed in the EU, they must be based on a basic patent. Lise Luciani discusses this condition in the context of a recent French ruling.
News & opinion
EUIPO cancels MINISO trademark due to copyright registration in China
EUIPO's cancellation of the MINISO trademark based on a copyright registration underlines that a trademark registration can be cancelled for infringing other IP rights, not simply registered trademarks, says Valerie Annan.
News & opinion
China trademark news: CNIPA issues conditions for suspending trademark reviews
On 13 June 2023, the China National Intellectual Property Administration (CNIPA) published a long-awaited communication regarding the conditions for suspending China trademark review cases. Carole Roger outlines its implications.
News & opinion
EU design reform – A modernising proposal with sustainability goals
The proposed EU design reform package seeks to rejuvenate, harmonise and modernise a system that was originally implemented 20 years ago. Anne-Catherine Schihin sets out its main objectives, including the green goals of the new repair clause.