Insights

English football club Sheffield Wednesday has objected to the registration of ‘WAWAW’, an acronym used by fans on social media to signify ‘We’re All Wednesday, Aren’t We’.

The trade in counterfeit alcohol threatens the safety of those that consume it, as well as the reputation of the rightful brand owner. In this article, we assess the threat and set out tools for protection.

Regulation (EU) 2019/933 on Supplementary Protection Certificates (SPCs) entered into force on 1 July 2019. It amended Regulation (EC) No 469/2009 on SPCs by introducing a manufacturing waiver for generics and biosimilars within the EU.

Brazil’s accession to the Madrid System, on 2 October this year, is good news for businesses that operate globally/in the Americas.

The Chartered Institute of Trade Mark Attorneys (CITMA) recently issued a warning to members about scam trademark renewal letters.

Dog-sitting service Hairbnb may be forced to change its name after receiving a cease and desist letter from online rental marketplace Airbnb. An effective trademark watching strategy could have saved both businesses a headache.

Last week, adidas suffered a third loss in its attempt to safeguard its three stripes trademark when the EU General Court dismissed the sportswear manufacturer’s appeal and confirmed EUIPO’s earlier decision of trademark invalidity.

One of the most popular panel discussions at this year’s INTA conference examined possible methods of IP protection for fictional characters. Panelist Chantal Koller sets out the European perspective.

The criteria for a mark to be ‘well known’ is higher than the assessment criteria for trademarks with reputation, and decisions can vary considerably between EU member states, as Casper Hemelrijk explains.