Sky v Skykick latest; Mercado Libre exclusive; Olympic brand protection; 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.
The Long Read
Geographical indication, protected designation of origin or traditional speciality guaranteed? Traditional European food and drink producers have a buffet of IP rights to choose from. Baker McKenzie’s Claire France and Jessica Le Gros provide a straightforward guide to making the right selection. Read more
Monday 26 July
Red Points’ Daniel Shapiro shared tips on how brand owners can detect and mitigate the risk posed by the three most prolific brand impersonation methods. Read more
WTR spoke to Mercado Libre head of brand protection Juan Cichero to find out what more the company is doing to differentiate its services and combat evolving counterfeit activity. Read more
The UK Court of Appeal handed down an “emphatic win” for Sky in the latest round of its ongoing dispute with Skykick. Read more
Plus:
- Trademark Office backs Xiaomi in opposition against copycat MI logo (China)
- Significant raid carried out against importer of fake mobile phone accessories (Peru)
Tuesday 27 July
Tuesday’s news digest saw Facebook and Microsoft take an IP diversity pledge, the USPTO publish its new Trademark Manual of Examining Procedure, Sony sell the Crackle platform trademarks, and much more. Read more
We caught up with Gordon Samson, former head of Clarivate Asia-Pacific and now president of the IP group, to hear more about his ambitions for a single Clarivate and how further growth is shaping company strategy. Read more
A number of brand owners have run into problems when filing applications through a subsidiary or associated company in Egypt. Marwan Farid, IP legal counsel at Shield Advocates, provided a clear strategy to avoid refusals. Read more
Plus:
- French Supreme Court issues decision in Morbier case following CJEU’s preliminary ruling (France)
- ‘anticoupang.com’ decision: free speech and the UDRP (International)
Wednesday 28 July
Cannabis brand parodies and a new bad-faith standard featured among this quarter’s Legal Updates from the Americas that you may have missed. Read more
In “an ambitious landmark”, a parliamentary panel in India called for urgent revival of the Intellectual Property Appellate Board. Read more
We unpicked the ever-evolving Olympic brand protection strategy as Jayne Durden, vice president, law firm strategy at Anaqua, revealed what actions the International Olympic Committee, sponsors and advertisers should take through every stage of the four-year cycle. Read more
Plus:
- Chevron unsuccessful in red canopy fascia case (Australia)
- Requirements for proof of use - a textbook treatise by the General Court (European Union)
Thursday 29 July
Recent Legal Updates from Africa and the Middle East saw The Gambia accede to the Banjul Protocol, an Israeli district court hold that an imported Schweppes drink did not infringe the SCHWEPPES mark and the Uganda High Court issue a first-of-its-kind permanent injunction, among other headlines. Read more
The Thai Department of Intellectual Property entered a new lockdown phase due to rising covid-19 infections. Read more
In an exclusive guest post, Remfry and Sagar partner Samta Mehra assessed the rapidly changing regulations for influencer advertising in India. Read more
Plus:
- Sound marks in the European Union: General Court rules for the first time on registration of sound mark submitted in audio format (European Union)
- Supreme Court confirms that use of third-party trademarks for smell-alike perfumes is unlawful (Spain)
- Why Rwanda is the next big opportunity for IP investors (International report: Africa)
- IP court examines Rospatent approach to analysing descriptiveness (International report: Russia)
Friday 30 July
Success for Lindt’s golden bunny, the 75th anniversary of the Lanham Act and the Philippines joining TMclass – Friday’s news round-up had a lot to celebrate. Read more
Analysis of trademark data revealed the top industries in which SMEs thrive. Read more
Plus:
- Kiwis will not confuse port and other wines (New Zealand)
- Priority claims and IP rights in Nigeria: urgent call for action (Nigeria)
Saturday 31 July
In our latest opinion column, we reflected on the contrasting coverage surrounding Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson’s billionaire space race. Read more
WTR Special Report: Inside in-house operations
WTR’s latest Special Report, “Inside in-house operations: how to build world-class trademark functions and portfolios”, takes a deep dive into portfolio, brand and in-house team management – with insight from experts at companies including Facebook, FIFA, Novartis, Verizon and Vodafone. Read more