15th Nov 2019
October was a bad month for shapes. Not only did the General Court confirm the cancellation Seven Town’s EU Trade Mark Registration for the 3D shape of its mind-boggling ‘Rubik’s Cube’ toy, the EUIPO’s Cancellation Division also declared Gibson Brands, Inc.’s Registration for a 2D depiction of the shape of its ‘Firebird’ or ‘Thunderbird’ guitars partially invalid.
8th Oct 2019
Hot off their memorable 2-0 victory over Tottenham Hotspur in the Champions League Final this summer, Liverpool FC thought it wise to bolster their brand protection to stop others from also benefiting from their success by selling imitation products. And rightly so, but it seems Liverpool FC might have been a little too ambitious in what they thought they could protect as their ‘brand’.
20th Sep 2019
Recent commentary by experts in the fashion industry tells us that 70% of fast-fashion is being dumped in landfill after a handful of wears. In the UK, we are noticing that brands are increasingly becoming more conscious about sustainability.
13th Sep 2019
The EUIPO has faced a number of problems over the years in connection with acceptable specifications for EUTM applications.
31st Jul 2019
After this year’s changes to the UK Trade Mark Act, significantly less than there used to be, it seems.
29th Jul 2019
To all IRONMAN triathletes: If there was ever any doubt that you really are an IRON MAN superhero too, you now have confirmation.
16th Jul 2019
Amazon.com has introduced a new non-profit procedure that allows patent owners to take down listings of infringing goods. Amazon’s Utility Patent Neutral Evaluation Program lets owners of a US utility patent obtain a quick evaluation of patent infringement from a US patent attorney. If the attorney agrees that the item being sold in the product listing infringes the patent, and the patent is prima facie valid, then Amazon will remove the product listing from Amazon.com.
29th May 2019
HBO hit a stone wall enforcing their GAME OF THRONES trade mark against a UK brewery. The reputation that HBO enjoy in their Game of Thrones television show has encouraged other traders to take a nod to its title in their own branding. While HBO have often taken steps to address this, they have not always been successful.