Insights

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.

The revised Rules of Procedure at the EPO’s Boards of Appeal (RPBA), known as ‘RPBA 2020’, came into force on 1 January 2020. The revised rules apply to any appeal pending on, or filed after, this date.

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. 

A recent judgement by the District Court of The Hague shows the importance of documenting comprehensive and consistent evidence of trademark and trade name use.

Announcement last week that the UK ‘will not be seeking involvement’ in the Unified Patent Court and Unitary Patent system is the latest blow for the much delayed EU patent, as Robert Balsters explains. 

Such has been the success of the comedy movie Fack ju Göthe, its production company sought to register the title as a word mark. Casper Hemelrijk examines the public policy and morality objections within both the European and Benelux trademark contexts.

France’s new PACTE law has set out to modernise utility certificates by increasing their term of protection and adding new provisions to allow applicants to transform utility certificate applications into patent applications.

Celebrities are advised to protect their names as trademarks if they are to take action against unauthorised use by third parties, as Megan Taylor explains.

As Liverpool Football Club recently discovered, there are barriers to registering the name of a town, city or other geographical place name as a trademark.