Our most-read stories of the past 12 months

The WTR Premium Daily email will be taking a summer break over August, with the full intelligence and daily email service for subscribers recommencing on Monday September 4. As we head into our break, here’s a look at the most popular articles and legal updates we have published over the past 12 months – with coverage of a call for an improved YouTube takedown process just beating the news that Google has become the world’s most valuable brand to top place.

We will continue tweeting and posting occasional articles on the World Trademark Review website throughout August. In the meantime, here are the stories and legal updates that have received the most reads over the past 12 months:

The top 25 World Trademark Review blogs are:

1. “Cure the disease, not the symptom” – prominent critic calls for improved YouTube takedown process following questionable trademark claim
2. Apple no longer top of the tree; Google named world’s most valuable brand
3. Samsung committed the “cardinal sin of crisis management” – now trust in its entire brand is at risk
4. Alibaba plays up its big data anti-counterfeiting credentials; launches alliance to fight fakes “for the entire industry”
5. Evolution of the fakers: how counterfeiters are fighting back against marketplace takedowns
6. Mystery over entertainment tycoon’s web of trademarks, domains and company names
7. Law firm websites hacked due to WordPress exploit; expert warns of reputational risk of cyber security incidents
8. Alibaba-backed Indian marketplace Paytm Mall lacks dedicated IP infringement reporting mechanism; brand owners urged to push for change
9. Groundbreaking study suggests trademark count, rather than patent count, is a better predictor of innovation
10. INTA pledges to investigate complaints over grand finale overcrowding and attendees being refused entry
11. EUIPO ranked world’s most innovative IP office in exclusive research
12. Cyberpunk legend expresses concern over controversial trademark: "I wish someone from CD Projekt Red would contact me"
13. Toll of counterfeiting and piracy predicted to top $2.3 trillion as call made for governments to do more
14. “Simple and correct” or “tremendous damage to minorities”? Opinion split on Matal v Tam decision
15. Specsavers secures SHOULD’VE trademark registration; hits out at inaccurate media coverage
16. Amazon announces expanded anti-counterfeiting programme, but claims arise of fakes being part of Amazon Marketplace's own inventory
17. “I’m the Banksy of trademarks” – millionaire applicant of NASTY WOMAN regards cease-and-desist from Beyoncé as “great marketing”
18. CREEPYPASTA trademark application causes backlash and allegations of harassment
19. ‘Alt-right’ using brand names as racist code words – and companies are powerless to stop them
20. ‘Michaeled’ bags, ‘Okly’ sunglasses; how counterfeiters are using "brand codewords" to get around marketplace filters
21. WTR Industry Awards: the 2017 shortlisted teams and individuals unveiled
22. USPTO pledges international approach to combat growing threat of trademark solicitation scams
23. What a Clinton or Trump presidency could mean for US trademark owners
24. As world awaits WTO plain packaging decision, legislation spreads across the globe
25. A tale of two Squire Patton Boggs: global firm faces battle over its own name in China

 And the top 10 legal updates are:

1. Glaxo’s colour mark invalidated after high bar set by the courts
2. EU General Court confirms ‘chain of priority’ is unlawful
3. 69 in a difficult position as General Court holds it to be descriptive
4. Time for a change – Swatch opposes Apple’s IWATCH mark
5. Low distinctiveness of word element does not preclude it from being most distinctive element of marks
6. FRUIT mark upheld by EU General Court
7. Kit Kat decision sets high bar for proving acquired distinctiveness of shape marks
8. No similarity between the signs: game over!
9. VICTOR/VICTORIA: General Court confirms genuine use of earlier mark and likelihood of confusion
10. High Court issues useful guidance on trademark infringement and passing off in keyword advertising