Worrying cost of C-suit apathy; consolidation and expansion in IP services; PROUD BOYS surrendered; and much more

Monday 15 February

Little has been written about the impact of Brexit on the islands not far off UK shores. In a guest piece, Stobbs founder Julius Stobbs outlined the current requirements for potential trademark registrants in the Crown dependencies and Gibraltar. Read more

In an exclusive interview with WTR, the owner of the PROUD BOYS US trademark registration (and former member of the far-right organisation) revealed why he has surrendered the mark and expects the USPTO to refuse future attempts at registration. Read more

Plus:

• 81,000 ‘.eu’ domain names hang on the Brexit precipice (European Union)
• Revised Trademark Examination Manual: key points highlighted (Thailand)

Tuesday 16 February

Anger over WallStreetBets subreddit marks, a Corona licensing spat, the $3.35 billion Planters brand sale, and much more featured in Tuesday’s news round-up. Read more

We took a closer look at a recent article, in which Chinese president Xi Jinping has made clear the country’s intentions to continue strengthening IP protection for brand owners. Read more

WTR spoke to Duke professors behind a new paper that accuses their own university of trademark bullying and argues the immorality of an educational establishment adopting such a strategy. Read more

Plus:

• General Court confirms lack of likelihood of confusion between BBQLOUMI and HALLOUMI (European Union)
• Ninth Circuit signals shift in arbitration landscape for non-signatories (United States)

Wednesday 17 February

We reported the news that Corsearch has acquired London-based anti-piracy firm Entura in a bid to strengthen the business’ anti-piracy arm by expanding its offerings for fighting copyright infringement through online takedown capability. Read more

This month’s WTR Brand Elite indices witnessed a two-point stock increase in the month ending 31 January, with media, technology and automotive brands delivering strong returns, and Lenovo’s record-breaking revenue driving growth in Asia-Pacific. Read more

Plus:

• Sweet victory for Latvian confectionery producer in wrapper trademark battle (Lithuania)
• The UK’s last Community design case: RCDs, UCDs and guidance on the role of expert evidence (United Kingdom)

Thursday 18 February

IP offices in Australia, the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Mongolia and Vietnam released new measures in response to the latest covid-19 safety requirements. Read more

We announced that NovumIP has launched into the US market amid plans to become “one of the top three IP service providers worldwide”. Speaking to WTR, chair Reinhard Ottway detailed the company’s ambitions, with expansion into Asia in its sights. Read more

New research from Clarivate revealed the commercial cost of C-suite apathy towards the trademark function. WTR examined the key findings, which include a worrying 89% of respondents reporting missed trademark business opportunities due to a lack of C-suite engagement. Read more

Plus:

• CNIPA issues first batch of guiding cases (China)
• Mondelez wins lilac packaging case in Croatia (Croatia)
• Trademark registration in the Seychelles – a global data analysis (International report: Africa)
• Post-Brexit roadmap – restrictions on ‘.fr’ domain registrations explained (International report: Domain name policing and enforcement)
• Why a multifaceted approach is key to protecting jewellery designs in Switzerland (International report: Switzerland)

Friday 19 February

Friday’s news digest saw the EUIPO ditching fax and CDs, the Reebok brand going up for sale, the Japan Patent Office implementing emergency earthquake procedures, Nestlé selling its US bottled water business, and much more. Read more

WTR data analysis gave an early indication that the new local address for service requirement is having a limited impact on the changing UK trademark filing landscape. Read more

We heard from a prominent Indian IP attorney who urged brand owners and trademark professionals to make their voice heard after the Indian government published a “surprise” bill proposing to abolish India’s IP Appellate Board. Read more

Plus:

• Belarus ratifies EAEU Trademark Agreement (Belarus)
• THE KING’S POLO CLUB or the importance of similar figurative elements (Chile)

Saturday 20 February

In our Saturday opinion piece, we considered recent activity in the non-legal IP services market, arguing that consolidation is creating new opportunities for law firms to innovate while also pushing vendors to keep their foot on the gas. Read more

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