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On 8 December 2024, the EU Design Reform package finally entered into force. Volha Parfenchyk explains what the changes mean for design owners in the EU.  

What happens if a brand owner applies for a trademark with an overly broad specification of products or services? Aaron Wood shares insights from a recent UK ruling on broad trademarks and bad faith that looks set to impact European trademark holders, too.   

IP licensing can provide companies with additional (or core) revenue streams, enable them to raise brand awareness and enhance their reputation, and extend their brands into new markets and geographies. However, if IP ownership or validity is unclear, it can also pose significant financial and business risk.

Counterfeit purchases spike before seasonal holidays and during designated sales periods, such as Black Friday, Cyber Monday and the January sales. Protect your brand, products and consumers effectively this year by targeting your online brand protection efforts on the most critical channels. 

Find out more about prior art and freedom to operate (FTO) searching, two types of patent searches with distinct objectives at different phases of innovation.

Are intellectual property and traditional knowledge friends or foes? Discover the IP mechanisms that protect folklore and indigenous knowledge this Halloween.

Unique to European law, trademark seniority claims provide a practical and economical tool for trademark owners looking to consolidate national registrations. Nonetheless, seniority claims should be handled with caution to avoid irreversible consequences, as Pauline Pilaudeau explains. 

Starting your intellectual property audit now will provide the insights and foundation necessary to prepare your budget and activities for the coming year. Get started today with our helpful checklist of trademark auditing activities.  

With trademark attorneys uniquely placed at the cross-section of legal, product and business consulting, a broader range of skills is required to support clients and adapt to new industry trends and technologies. Little wonder this year’s MARQUES conference takes as its theme the ‘many traits of the trademark expert’, says Luke Portnow.  

IP isn’t always the first priority for a business preparing for an initial public offering (IPO); however, the sooner you start thinking about your IP assets, the better prepared you’ll be.

Connecting trademarks and brands can enable IP owners to identify ways to save costs and build value. Maartje Broekmans explains how to match trademark and brand portfolios, assess gaps in protection and build a brand hierarchy with an IP audit.

Marketing teams and their legal advisers naturally differ in their approach to brand and trademark creation. The former often preferring product names that their more risk-averse legal colleagues consider too ‘descriptive’ from a trademark perspective. How do you find the right balance?