UK

The UK’s departure from the EU at the end of this year will change the territorial requirements for genuine use of EU and UK trademarks, as Vanessa Harrow explains.

On 31 December, the Brexit transition period will come to an end and the UK will officially leave the EU. Vanessa Harrow looks in detail at the implications for trademark and design rights, including ongoing contentious proceedings.

Disney, creator of the Toy Story movie franchise, is being sued by the Evel Knievel estate, which claims that its newest character, Duke Caboom, has ripped off the likeness of the infamous stunt performer.

Brexit took place on 31 January 2020, but what happens next? Download our handy checklist of IP actions to take during and after the Brexit transition period.

When budgets are tight, IP expenditure will naturally come under scrutiny, with patent annuity payments often one of the first areas to be identified for cuts.

It takes time, resources and money to create and launch distinctive and effective brands. But how can you be sure that the brand name you have chosen is really yours to use?

The UK IPO's period of 'interrupted days', which resulted in the extension of most deadlines, ends today (29 July 2020). However, aware of the effect of the coronavirus pandemic on applicants and proprietors of intellectual property rights, the Government has introduced a new statutory instrument making temporary amendments to the patent, trademark and design fee rules.

Novagraaf’s Chantal Koller on how businesses can adapt their trademark registration strategies to make best use of the opportunities offered by the EU trademark system.

In its approval of the judgement in Les Grands Chais de France SAS v Consorzio di Tutela della DOC Prosecco, the High Court of England and Wales reminds brand owners that just because a name may resonate well with consumers, it doesn’t mean they should choose it.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed new challenges to companies and their legal advisers, including that of obtaining the necessary signatures for the execution of documents. In response, the Law Commission has issue an updated guidance note.

The UK has recently released a Draft UK-EU Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement which is intended to form the basis for discussions with the EU. We outline the implications for unregistered Community design rights in the EU and supplementary unregistered design rights in the UK.

As a general rule, businesses cannot register generic terms as trademarks when they are directly related to the goods or services being offered. What does that mean for domain names, such as Booking.com?