26th Feb 2015
Most people are familiar with the appearance of a ‘Rubik’s Cube’. Named after the Hungarian inventor Erno Rubik, the 3D puzzle is thought to be the best selling toy of all time. Over 350 million have been sold worldwide, and the intellectual property rights associated with the cube are therefore extremely valuable. In the UK, […]
25th Feb 2015
It was announced on 13 February 2015 that the US and Japan are to join the Hague system for the international registration of industrial designs. Both countries have deposited instruments of ratification to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement, and the agreement will come into force for these countries on 13 May 2015. International […]
12th Feb 2015
Following the news that Coca-Cola has applied to register two hashtag slogans as trade marks in the US for #cokecanpics and #smilewithacoke, would these be registerable in the UK / Community? Probably yes, on the basis that they contain “Coke”, one of the world’s most well-known trade marks. But what about slogans which don’t contain […]
2nd Feb 2015
If you have registered your trade mark as a plain word but mainly use it in a stylised format – beware! In the UK, an opposition was dismissed recently because the opponent needed to prove use of a prior registered mark but filed evidence showing use in a different format. Tesco Stores Limited (“Tesco”) had […]
2nd Feb 2015
One of the most important UK trade mark decisions of recent years is Specsavers & Ors v Asda Stores [2014] EWCA Civ1294. This was a battle royale between an optician and spectacles supplier, Specsavers, and one of the large UK supermarket chains, Asda, which is owned by Walmart. Many issues were raised during the proceedings […]