China joins the Hague System
China has been steadily overhauling its IP system for well over a decade. Last week, in the latest development, China joined WIPO’s Hague...
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- Feb 27
- 2 min
When does an arbitration clause apply to trade mark infringement proceedings?
The Court of Appeal recently found that a company which had acquired the BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB trade marks was bound by an arbitration...
- Feb 27
- 2 min
What is the Unitary Patent and why does it matter to you?
The unitary patent represents the biggest change to the IP landscape in Europe since the Community Trade Mark (now EUTM). Even if you’re...
- Feb 27
- 2 min
How should an IP licence agreement be interpreted?
What happens when two parties cannot agree about the interpretation of an IP licence agreement? This question was recently examined by...
- Feb 27
- 2 min
What do you think of the UK designs system?
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has launched a call for views on the designs system. It says this will “help us better...
- Jan 29
- 2 min
Can UK courts grant pan-EU injunctions in proceedings began pre-Brexit ?
In short, yes: the UK courts can grant a pan-EU injunction in proceedings that were pending on 31 December 2020, the day the UK left the...
- Jan 29
- 2 min
What's the risk of filing a takedown notice?
A legal action for unjustified threats is a serious risk that trade mark owners run when making allegations of infringement, including by...
- Jan 12
- 2 min
When is purchasing an old trade mark a good idea?
Trade mark infringement, honest concurrent use and so-called “moribund marks” were the focus of an interim decision in a case concerning...
- Jan 12
- 3 min
How do you interpret a copyright contract?
The Court of Appeal has upheld a ruling by HHJ Hacon in the IPEC (first covered on the blog here) that copyright in a number of literary...
- Jan 12
- 2 min
What's a website blocking order and why is it useful?
Nintendo was granted an early Christmas present by the Honourable Mrs Justice Joanna Smith DBE - a website blocking order (Nintendo Co...
- Jan 12
- 1 min
What are the IP issues facing luxury businesses in the UK?
The latest Luxury Law Jurisdictional Comparison Guide has been released. The Guide provides jurisdictional-specific answers and insights...
- Nov 20, 2021
- 2 min
A Christmas miracle: Designs, confidential information and contracts
What connects Leonardo Da Vinci, a Christmas miracle and the possible award of exemplary damages? The answer lies in a recent High Court...
- Nov 20, 2021
- 2 min
When can Parts of a Ferrari be protected as Unregistered Designs?
When can component parts of a product be protected as unregistered Community designs (UCDs)? The Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU)...
- Nov 5, 2021
- 3 min
Therapists go to court over ARCHANGEL ALCHEMY mark
We recently reported on the Litecoin case where an application to register a trade mark was found to constitute passing off (see blog...
- Nov 5, 2021
- 1 min
The United Arab Emirates to join the Madrid System
Good news for international trade mark filing! On 28 September, 2021, the United Arab Emirates Government and WIPO announced that the UAE...
- Nov 5, 2021
- 2 min
'Green' trade marks on the rise
We’ve all become more conscious of climate change and other environmental issues over the past 25 years – and that can be seen in the...
- Oct 4, 2021
- 2 min
Unreasonable behaviour leads to IPEC costs award
In early 2021, Deputy High Court Judge David Stone (sitting in the IP Enterprise Court, IPEC) in a dispute over the use of the name...
- Oct 4, 2021
- 2 min
A rotten judgment for John Lydon
Who has the power to control the use of the Sex Pistols IP rights? That was essentially the question decided by Sir Anthony Mann in Jones...
- Oct 4, 2021
- 2 min
Moral rights claim bound to fail
Moral rights disputes don’t come to court very often, so Mrs Justice O’Farrell’s judgment in The Front Door (UK) Lt (t/a Richard Reid...
- Sep 27, 2021
- 4 min
Rare defeat for easyGroup
easyGroup, which owns the IP rights for companies such as easyJet and easyHotel, has been active, and largely successful, in bringing...