Trademarks & Domain Names

In Gömböc, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has provided some welcome guidance on trademarking designs in the EU.

COVID-19 has changed the ways in which trademark professionals manage routine tasks. While technology has enabled many of us to rapidly transition to working from home, obtaining necessary signatures now requires even more advance planning.

Novagraaf is very proud to be working with Gabicci, a heritage brand from the 1970s. We explain the role of IP in the revival of a beloved fashion brand.

On 29 April 2020, we brought together a team of experts to explore the risks and opportunities posed to both brands and consumers online, in general and also in the context of new threats caused by our transition to remote working.

Pandemic panic has driven acute increase in demand for goods, services and information online. We set out the IP implications for brand owners.

Websites that provide a platform for third parties to sell products now represent some of the world’s most successful businesses. But, the fast-moving nature of e-commerce means that issues around trademark infringement are only now being addressed.

The full impact of COVID-19 on businesses, individuals and world economies is still unknown, but where some see challenges, others see opportunities or chances to help, as Novagraaf's Vanessa Harrow explains.

Although not impossible, seeking trademark protection for slogans in the European Union can prove difficult. What can be learned from those slogans that have achieved success?

Despite holding a EU collective trademark, the EU General Court ruled that ‘Halloumi’ was too descriptive, and thus lacking in distinctive character, to successfully oppose a EU trademark application for ‘BBQloumi’. Now, the CJEU has set aside that decision.

As the coronavirus spreads, so too do related trademark applications. It’s only the latest example of how registrations follow medical and political news.

In a new twist to the ‘Royal’ trademark saga, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have retracted their application for the ‘Sussex Royal’ marks. Megan Taylor outlines the barriers to obtaining a Royal trademark.

If a trademark office deems a potential trademark to be contrary to public policy or accepted principles of morality, it can refuse to register the mark. Following a recent CJEU decision, concrete evidence will be necessary to substantiate that decision, as Casper Hemelrijk explains.