Corsearch acquires Incopro; mascots and cancel culture; Corona crowned top beer brand; and much more
Everything we covered on WTR over the past seven days – and all you need to know from the world of trademarks to set yourself up for the start of another busy week.
If you have five minutes to spare, why not share with us your experience of the online brand protection environment over the past 12 months, as the WTR benchmarking survey considers how practice is evolving in response to emerging threats.
The Long Read
BakerHostetler’s Robert (“Red”) BG Horowitz takes a closer look at character brands, mascots and cancel culture in a step-by-step guide to creating, policing, licensing and retirement. Read more
Monday 7 June
New Zealand kiwifruit co-operative Zespri is asking growers to explore a deal to address unauthorised plantings in China. The unusual move, IAM editor Jacob Schindler reported, could see the Zespri brand affixed to Chinese-grown fruit. Read more
Newly released data from the EUIPO revealed that detentions of IP-infringing goods at the EU border and within the EU market tumbled by over a fifth in 2019 – although the overall value of detained goods remained largely the same as infringers shifted product focus. Read more
Plus:
- Good news for Ford as General Court confirms likelihood of confusion between KUGA and KUGOO (European Union)
- Authorities seize fake fabric intended to be used for face masks (Peru)
Tuesday 8 June
Tuesday’s news digest saw INTA asking members for their brand stories, International Anti-counterfeiting Coalition staff co-locating at the National IP Rights Coordination Center, Pakistan introducing a number of new GIs, and much more. Read more
A new study conducted by academics at the New York University School of Law criticised a widely used methodology for assessing trademark survey evidence on the grounds that it supresses crucial information. Read more
We presented local reaction to the UK government launching a consultation on the country’s future exhaustion of IP rights and parallel trade regime. Read more
Plus:
- Push for the protection and promotion of GIs in Nigeria (Nigeria)
- Good news for Italian Prosecco makers as application to register ‘Prosecco’ as a GI proceeds to registration (Singapore)
Wednesday 9 June
ICANN responded to the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s concerns over Ethos Capital acquiring a controlling interest in Donuts and its call for the removal of Donuts’ voluntary IP protection mechanisms. Read more
Snyder’s was a dealt a “serious blow” by the Western District of North Carolina in the ongoing saga over the genericness of the PRETZEL CRISPS mark. Read more
We considered how communication, corporate social responsibility and a canny digital presence helped Corona to retain the title of ‘most valuable beer brand’ in this year’s Brand Finance Alcoholic Drinks report. Read more
Plus:
- Success for Red Bull as Delhi High Court grants injunction against use of RED HORSE mark and label (India)
- Appointed person rejects applicant’s DIGIT on appeal (United Kingdom)
Thursday 10 June
Corsearch announced the acquisition of online brand protection provider Incopro in the latest in a series of industry acquisitions by the company. Read more
Among IP office reactions to the pandemic this week, the German Patent and Trademark Office launched a new online support service, while the IP Office of the Philippines stated that a 21% growth in filings could be a positive sign of recovery. Read more
Concerns were voiced as controversial low-cost filer platform Trademark Terminal launches two new offerings: ‘Trademark Kingdom’ and ‘Trademark Nations’. Read more
Plus:
- MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS: an ultimately illusory risk of confusion (European Union)
- Amended trademark regulations come into force: key points highlighted (Uganda)
- Latest amendments to Uganda’s Trademark Regulations come into effect (International report: Africa)
- WATER FRSH and CDY MLN – can ‘disemvoweling’ help to overcome descriptiveness or non-distinctiveness objections? (International report: Germany)
- What are NFTs and how are they protected in Mexico? (International report: Mexico)
- Have you got your EORI number? New requirement for trademark owners interested in customs applications for action (International report: Poland)
- Italian consortium successfully opposes BROSECCO wine mark on the grounds of Prosecco PDO (International report: United Kingdom)
Friday 11 June
Crocs calling out Skechers in an International Trade Commission complaint, LegalZoom gearing up for an initial public offering and SurveyMonkey rebranding as Momentive were among Friday’s news stories. Read more
WTR data analysis revealed why Switzerland is an important consideration for expanding brands, particularly those from the United States. Read more
Plus:
- Trademark owner is no superhero under the UDRP (International)
- Apex court confirms that celebrities may sue for passing off of their own name (Malaysia)
Saturday 12 June
In this week’s opinion piece, HGF’s Lee Curtis and Rebecca Field argued that the United Kingdom could be flooded with cheap branded imports if IP owners do not speak up on the post-Brexit exhaustion of rights regime. Read more
WTR Special Report: The rise of mass filers and register clutter
In April we launched the first of our new WTR Special Reports, focusing on the rise of mass filers and their impact on the trademark ecosystem. Scrutinising the data behind the filing activities of Michael Gleissner, Ikuhiro Ueda and Chinese entities, we explored the real-world effects of these on brand protection and how rights holders and registries can mitigate their impact. Read more