30th Apr 2015
With the rise of the internet, a disclosure made in one country might be immediately available around the world. This can include countries that have a different calendar date at the instance of disclosure due to their different time zones. We need to know precisely when the disclosure was made in order to assess novelty […]
29th Apr 2015
In the second Court of Appeal decision we have written about this month, the Court reined in attempts to extend a principle established in the earlier Specsavers case (Specsavers International Healthcare Ltd v Asda Stores Ltd). By way of background, both the United Kingdom trade mark statute and the Community Regulation provide that a registered […]
20th Apr 2015
Aidan Robson, Alice Findlay, Helen Wakerley and Tom Sharman will be attending this year’s International Trademark Association conference, in San Diego. If you would like to meet a member of the team, please contact enquiries@reddie.co.uk.
15th Apr 2015
3D printing has been back in the news recently with highlights including the publication of Amazon’s US patent application relating to item delivery via 3D manufacturing on demand and the Kickstarter campaign in aid of the Diamond Hotend print head that has three heating chambers connected to a single nozzle for improved precision and calibration […]
14th Apr 2015
In highly anticipated judgments G 2/12 and G 2/13 (also known as Tomatoes II and Broccoli II), the EPO’s Enlarged Board of Appeal (EBA) has ruled that plants and plant material are patentable in Europe. As a consequence, patents for novel and inventive plants and plant material can continue to be granted by the EPO. […]
13th Apr 2015
In decision G 3/14, the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office has clarified the circumstances in which the clarity of the claims can be examined in opposition proceedings. While lack of clarity is not a ground for opposition itself, it is established jurisprudence that clarity can be contested during opposition proceedings as […]
10th Apr 2015
Recent developments involving, Rihanna, Bob Marley and Robin Williams, have brought further light on the protection of image rights on both sides of the Atlantic. Fenty v Arcadia Group Brands Ltd In February 2015, Rihanna won a landmark case against Topshop before the Court of Appeal of England and Wales (Fenty & Ors v Arcadia […]
9th Apr 2015
In its recent decision in Roger Maier and Assos of Switzerland SA v ASOS Plc and ASOS.com Limited, the English Court of Appeal considered the so-called ‘own name defence’ provided by Article 12 of the Community Trade Mark Regulation (which mirrors section 11(2)(a) of the Trade Marks Act, 1994). This provision says that an otherwise […]