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Europe

Diversity in the legal workplace: interview with the global chair of A&O’s LGBT+ network

This week, Stonewall, an LGBT rights charity, named Allen & Overy one of its Top Global Employers. WTR saw down with Jim Ford, chair of the firms A&Out network, to discusses the importance of LGBT+ diversity and inclusion in law firms.

Diversity in the legal workplace: interview with the global chair of A&O’s LGBT+ network
16 Jul 2019

Yosemite settles, UKIPO needs your help, and Huawei seeks harmony: news digest

In our latest edition, we look at a reminder of the medical risks of counterfeits in Hong Kong, a car air freshener brand taking Ryanair to court, Monaco now using the TMclass list, applications up in Bhutan, and much more.

15 Jul 2019

Reports of law firm phishing attacks serve as reminder of never-ending threat

Recent reports have put a spotlight on phishing directed at law firms and solicitors. While not a new phenomenon, the coverage highlights a significant problem that is not going away, and one that firms must be quick to tackle.

Latest

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Today

Criminal sentence imposed for commercialisation of infringing souvenirs

The Criminal Court No 15 of Valencia has sentenced the managers of a company in the souvenir industry for committing a crime against IP rights under with Article 273 of the Criminal Code. Read more

Today

Court of Appeal partially overturns High Court in advertising passing-off case

A recent decision of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales highlights that the One in a Million case does not provide a remedy against cybersquatting per se: claimants must still demonstrate goodwill or reputation in the mark contained in the domain name. Read more

15 Jul 2019

Brand Protection Online Europe: Coty, Maus Freres and Superdry professionals among first speakers revealed

WTR announces the first speakers for Brand Protection Online Europe, taking place in London on 14 October 2019. Among the first names revealed are trademark experts from Alibaba, BP, Tonino Lamborghini, and more. Read more

15 Jul 2019

General Court: iconic Gibson V-shaped guitar body invalid as 3D mark

In Gibson Brands Inc v EUIPO, the EU General Court has confirmed the partial declaration of invalidity of a three-dimensional sign representing Gibson’s iconic V-shaped electric guitar body. Read more

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Anti-counterfeiting

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10 Jul 2019

Amazon expands Transparency scheme as spotlight falls on anti-counterfeiting efforts

Amazon announces expansion of Transparency, its product serialisation service that “prevents counterfeits at scale”. It comes after a US court decision which considered Amazon as the “seller” in a third-party marketplace transaction. Read more

25 Jun 2019

Plain packaging in Belgium, luxury brands on WeChat, and Nando’s defeathers lookalike: news digest

In our latest edition, we look at a major anti-counterfeiting operation from Interpol, Facebook facing challenges over its new cryptocurrency brand, Egypt updating its new anti-fakes legislation, and much more. Read more

17 Jun 2019

How the Reckitt Benckiser trademark team took restructuring in its stride

Restructuring can cause a number of headaches for a company, but the WTR Household and Consumer Goods Team of the Year, Reckitt Benckiser, has proven that adaptability and effective communication are the secret to ensuring that enforcement efforts remain uncompromised during times of upheaval. Read more

14 Jun 2019

Counterfeit seizures down, threat up: five takeaways from EUIPO Crime Threat Assessment report

A joint report from the European Union Intellectual Property Office and Europol, released this week, sheds new light on emerging trends in the growing counterfeit market across the EU. Here are WTR’s top five takeaways from the assessment. Read more

Brand management

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13 Jul 2019

Huawei seeks to weather political storm and extend brand success story

The Chinese tech giant has penetrated the global market and withstood international political pressure, so what has made its brand so resilient?   Read more

7 Jul 2019

Monzo doubles value; fintech companies maturing to further disrupt the market

Digital banking giant Monzo announced last month it will be launching in the United States. While this is a significant move for the fledgling company, its trademark portfolio shows it is still well in the start-up phase. Read more

5 Jul 2019

Daniel Wellington keeps a minimalistic portfolio to focus on a bulletproof enforcement strategy

With its origins in Instagram, Swedish watch company Daniel Wellington is no stranger to online counterfeit issues. The IP team’s core activity lies in enforcement, working both offline and online to purge fake goods. Read more

28 Jun 2019

Inside Facebook’s trademark portfolio as company reacts to criticism and boosts value

The tech giant has managed to withstand the negative impact of criticism over its handling of users’ data and policing of content. The future, though, will bring new challenges. Read more

Enforcement and litigation

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Today

Criminal sentence imposed for commercialisation of infringing souvenirs

The Criminal Court No 15 of Valencia has sentenced the managers of a company in the souvenir industry for committing a crime against IP rights under with Article 273 of the Criminal Code. Read more

Today

Court of Appeal partially overturns High Court in advertising passing-off case

A recent decision of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales highlights that the One in a Million case does not provide a remedy against cybersquatting per se: claimants must still demonstrate goodwill or reputation in the mark contained in the domain name. Read more

15 Jul 2019

General Court: iconic Gibson V-shaped guitar body invalid as 3D mark

In Gibson Brands Inc v EUIPO, the EU General Court has confirmed the partial declaration of invalidity of a three-dimensional sign representing Gibson’s iconic V-shaped electric guitar body. Read more

12 Jul 2019

Trademark solicitation scams: identifying the scale of the issue

In a major upcoming investigation, WTR will look at the scourge of trademark solicitation scams. Today we ask readers to share their experience of spurious trademark invoices. Read more

Goverment/policy

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12 Jul 2019

Ukraine regulates organic food production and labelling

The law regulating organic food production and labelling will enter into force in Ukraine on 2 August 2019. Trademark owners should be cautious when using the word ‘organic’ in product names and trademarks. Read more

8 Jul 2019

UK trademark attorney salaries continue to rise despite Brexit uncertainty

Research reveals that base salaries have risen across the board for UK IP roles. The news will be positively received by those toiling in the trademark trenches while bracing themselves for the possible negative economic impact of Brexit.  Read more

21 Jun 2019

New Ukrainian language law: Ukrainian official language for product labelling and advertising

The new Ukrainian language law, which enters into force on 16 July 2019, will require the use of the Ukrainian language for product labelling and advertising, with the exception of trademarks. Read more

5 Jun 2019

Major changes in Finnish trademark law: what IP practitioners need to know

A new Trademarks Act has come into force in Finland, ushering in significant changes for those seeking to protect brands in the country. We speak with leading experts about what international rights holders should be aware of. Read more

Law firms

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12 Jun 2019

Brand Protection Online: leading industry experts to gather in London

WTR is pleased to announce that our Brand Protection Online event is heading to London in October. As such, the full programme can now be revealed. Read more

28 May 2019

Battle for the BITCOIN mark, China moves closer to Hague accession, and curry conundrum: news digest

In our latest news digest, we look at the $110 million sale of Sports Illustrated’s intellectual property, the expansion of visual search in TMView, a dispute over a curry-related trademark, and much more. Read more

24 May 2019

Elder Scrolls dispute resolved, new UGG litigation launched, and Hogan Lovells tie-up: news digest

In our latest edition, we look at a strategic partnership between Hogan Lovells and Anaqua, Elder Scrolls settling its video game trademark dispute, Siegel+Gale announcing their new head of strategy, and much more. Read more

20 May 2019

Brand protection on TikTok: what rights holders need to know about the fast-growing social media platform

Chinese social network TikTok is growing rapidly, with over 1 billion downloads in the past 12 months. For rights holders, it is a platform that needs to be on the radar, with research from WTR finding issues that brand owners should be aware of. Read more

IP offices

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4 Jul 2019

Protecting GIs in the modern age: takeaways from WIPO’s Worldwide Symposium on Geographical Indications

In an exclusive guest post, António Corte-Real from Simões Garcia Corte-Real & Associados reveals some of the key takeaways from WIPO’s recent geographical indications event.  Read more

19 Jun 2019

Three stripes, you’re out! – adidas loses appeal as EU General Court rules trademark invalid

The General Court of the European Union has upheld the decision of the EUIPO to invalidate the trademark registration for adidas’ three-stripe branding. We analyse the decision and look at reaction. Read more

19 Jun 2019

Trademark application revenue up, expenditure stabilises: five takeaways from the EUIPO’s annual report

The EUIPO has released its latest annual report, detailing its progress across such areas as staff engagement, stakeholder relationships and data protection reforms. Here are our top five takeaways. Read more

14 Jun 2019

EUIPO enforcement portal, most cyber-attacked brands, and ACG anti-counterfeiting award winners: news digest

In our latest edition, we look at changes to Canadian registrations occurring next week, Unilever seeing a pay-off from purpose-led brands, brands being reminded to renew marks in Rwanda, and much more. Read more

Online

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10 Jul 2019

Highest court ends judicial dispute involving Saône-et-Loire department

The Cour de Cassation – the highest French court – has confirmed the Versailles Court of Appeal decision ordering the transfer of three domain names infringing the trademark of the French department of Saône-et-Loire.   Read more

31 May 2019

Natura attempts to further consolidate Brazilian cosmetic market with a bid for Avon

In this week’s exclusive data analysis, we explore how Natura’s keen understanding of its consumer base, combined with previous acquisitions, has it poised to take on international expansion. Read more

23 May 2019

“Heroes of the European economy” – major new study reveals link between IP protection and SME success

A joint study between the European Patent Office and the EU Intellectual Property Office has evidenced a clear correlation between the success of small to medium-sized businesses and their utilisation of intellectual property.  Read more

22 May 2019

“Consolidation is powerful” – no slowdown in takeovers expected in IP service providers sector

The non-legal trademark services industry has been the focus of increased investment and M&A activity in recent years. WTR spoke to a number of major players to ask whether they expected consolidation or collaboration to be the norm in future. Read more

Portfolio management

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9 Jul 2019

Appeal court confirms cancellation of TOPPÍS mark in long-running ice-cream war

A ruling from the First Appeal Court of Iceland cancelling the trademark TOPPÍS brings to an end a years-long dispute between two manufacturers of ice cream. Read more

9 Jul 2019

adidas decision: General Court reiterates importance of evidence in trademark disputes

In adidas AG v EUIPO, the EU General Court has confirmed that adidas’ three-stripe mark was invalid as a result of its lack of distinctiveness, whether inherent or acquired through use. Read more

8 Jul 2019

No go for GO-KIDZ mark

The appointed person has upheld a UKIPO decision finding that there was a likelihood of confusion between GO-KIDZ in Classes 3, 5, 10 and 21 and earlier GO marks in Classes 5 and 21. Read more

7 Jul 2019

Monzo doubles value; fintech companies maturing to further disrupt the market

Digital banking giant Monzo announced last month it will be launching in the United States. While this is a significant move for the fledgling company, its trademark portfolio shows it is still well in the start-up phase. Read more

Trademark law

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2 Jul 2019

“Greatly beneficial” – IP provisions of EU-Vietnam free trade agreement praised by experts

The landmark EU-Vietnam Trade Agreement has been officially signed. Talking to WTR, IP practitioners claim that the agreement will lead to significant changes to the trademark, design and GI system in Vietnam. Read more

27 Jun 2019

Too simple? Lessons from adidas’ three stripes trademark battle

Last week the General Court of the European Union upheld the decision of the EUIPO to invalidate the registration for adidas’ three-stripe figurative mark. In this exclusive guest post, the takeaways for trademark owners are presented. Read more

26 Jun 2019

FIFA reflects on scoring an IP enforcement win at the 2018 World Cup in Russia

Daniel Zohny, IP head at FIFA, looks back at the intense workload taken on by his team during the 2018 World Cup and looks forward to the next tournament as the worthy winner of WTR’s Sports, Entertainment and Media Team of the Year. Read more

19 Jun 2019

The Scotch Whisky Association faces Brexit and GI infringement with a stiff upper lip

Lindesay Low, deputy director – legal at the Scotch Whisky Association, reveals how the company has upheld enforcement efforts amid Brexit chaos and why it remains confident in the face of international infringement, proving itself the worthy winner of WTR’s Not-for-Profit Organisation Team of the Year. Read more

trending

1

UK trademark attorney salaries continue to rise despite Brexit uncertainty

2

Huawei seeks to weather political storm and extend brand success story

3

Monzo doubles value; fintech companies maturing to further disrupt the market

4

Amazon expands Transparency scheme as spotlight falls on anti-counterfeiting efforts

5

Trademark solicitation scams: identifying the scale of the issue

latest

1

Criminal sentence imposed for commercialisation of infringing souvenirs

2

Court of Appeal partially overturns High Court in advertising passing-off case

3

Brand Protection Online Europe: Coty, Maus Freres and Superdry professionals among first speakers revealed

4

General Court: iconic Gibson V-shaped guitar body invalid as 3D mark

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John Cotter
Partner
Toronto ON, Canada
Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
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