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The Registration Data Access Protocol (RDAP) became the official source for accessing registration data for generic Top-level Domain (gTLD) names on 28 January 2025, replacing the now obsolete WHOIS service. Marc-Emmanuel Mellet explains what this means in practice.
The recent dispute over the Chanel trademark N°5 raises the question of whether you can register a number as a trademark in the EU. Clarisse Merdy provides some helpful guidance on numeric trademarks and figurative trademark rights.
In the latest legal wrangle between a brand owner and a supermarket chain in the UK, the Thatchers Cider company has successfully challenged Aldi’s lookalike Taurus Cider. Farhan Kazi provides the background to the trademark dispute and explains why it is good news for market leaders.
If a trademark becomes so common that consumers start using the original brand name as a generic term, you might see it as a compliment. However, from a legal perspective, this type of trademark dilution can undermine your rights to that brand name.
Meeting the requirements for trademark distinctiveness is vital for all types of trademarks in the EU but arguing that a mark is distinctive can be even harder in the case of non-traditional trademarks, such as colours and shapes.
What happens if you use a trademark in a virtual, rather than a real-world environment? Omar Hassan shares the practical guidelines released in 2024 by the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property.
Louis Vuitton has successfully opposed an EU trademark application for ‘XL Sporting’ based on the trademark reputation of its iconic LV monogram. The EUIPO’s Opposition Division found that the differences between the signs were eclipsed by similarities in the arrangement of the two letters, thereby creating a similar visual overall impression, as Florence Chapin explains.
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.
In the latest trademark battle of the UK supermarkets, Iceland has filed an application to register ‘King Prawn Ring’. Is this a genuine attempt to protect its iconic dinner party dish or simply a ‘fishy’ marketing ploy to grab headlines, asks Megan Taylor. She explains what the application reveals about trademark requirements and the ‘dos’ and ‘don’ts’ of IP registration in the UK.
When creating a brand extension strategy, IP owners could learn much from the easyGroup’s approach to strategic brand development and effective IP management.
The Indian Patent Office has issued a FAQ document clarifying the time limits and periods covered for declarations of use relating to patents granted in the country. We summarise the key points discussed.
When creating or launching a new product to market, it’s tempting to think in terms only of patent or trademark rights. However, many products comprise a mix of different types of intellectual property, including patent, trademark, design, copyright and related rights.