EU

In June 2022, the World Trade Organization approved the temporary lifting of patents for COVID-19 vaccines. Robert Balsters explains what this means in practice. 

When you choose to file a trademark registration can have a direct impact on its validity. Too soon and it could lapse for non-use; too late and it could be invalid. Sigolène Pellet  discusses the key elements to consider when determining the right time to register a trademark.

On 8 June, the European Court of First Instance ruled on a dispute that has been ticking over between two famous companies for more than five years: the Californian Apple Inc and the Swiss watchmaker Swatch AG.

When it comes to protecting software innovation, copyright can appear to be the only applicable right. Sylvain Chaffraix explains how to include software patents in innovation management strategies in Europe.  

We celebrate World Gin Day (11 June) by examining the intellectual property considerations surrounding the popular spirit.

Generic and ordinary terms, such as ‘very’, ‘most’ and ‘like’, are normally considered to lack the distinctive character necessary for trademark registration. In finding likelihood of confusion between two trademarks using the word ‘so’, the EU General Court’s recent ruling is remarkable.

Registering your chosen name as a trademark helps safeguard that brand value by providing a mechanism to act against third parties seeking to profit from your name and hard work. But, choosing and protecting a 'strong' brand name isn't always as easy as it may appear! In our latest factsheet, we share seven key steps to success.

When businesses merge with or acquire other businesses, the challenge for IP professionals doesn’t stop once the deal is complete. For IP rights to be properly updated and maintained, the question of how to brand and structure the newly merged business first needs to be addressed.

Have you ever thought about using a well-known painting or work of art as a trademark? It is a strategy that has proved successful in the past, as illustrated by Nestlé’s adoption of the Johannes Vermeer painting Milkmaid. However, there are a number of pitfalls that must first be identified and overcome, as Volha Parfenchyk explains.

On 1 June 2022, Novagraaf's Luke Portnow and Thomsen Trampedach's Markus Rouvinen provided useful take-home points and experiences on implementing smart solutions to current IP challenges in private practice and in-house.

The joint study released in March also discusses how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated existing problems by opening new opportunities for illicit trade.

If you registered your brand name as a trademark, you can oppose the (more recent) use of a similar name for similar products and/or services if that use could cause confusion among the relevant public. To exercise your trademark rights, you must first monitor and identify for conflicting use.