Region: United Kingdom

IPEC upholds passing-off claim in anti-aging skincare product case

This decision is noteworthy as it is a successful pure passing-off case, when often a ruling on passing off follows a finding of trademark infringement.

31 May 2023

“We are no longer the UK’s counterfeit capital” – why Manchester’s Operation Vulcan should inspire other cities

In an exclusive interview, Detective Chief Inspector Jen Kelly of Greater Manchester Police reveals details of Operation Vulcan, a groundbreaking operation aimed at tackling counterfeit goods.

24 May 2023

Sweet defeat for Lindt: appointed person dismisses appeal in TEDDY v TEDDYLICIOUS dispute

There was no evidence to support the contention that it is common for brand owners in the food sector to add the suffix ‘licious’ to create sub-brands.

19 May 2023

MATCH.COM v MUZMATCH: websites’ date in court leaves a lot to be desired

The decision clarifies that honest concurrent use is not a separate defence, but a factor in the infringement analysis.

17 May 2023

Manchester United crowned trademark world champions, as Erling Haaland obtains first marks

Manchester United continues to hold the biggest trademark portfolio in world football, followed by Tottenham Hotspur, FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, new research from WTR reveals.

15 May 2023

Live updates: IP offices implement measures in wake of coronavirus crisis

WTR provides an updated look at measures that national IP offices conducted in response to the covid-19 pandemic.

05 May 2023

Battle of the retail giants: Tesco’s use of a yellow circle on a blue background found to infringe Lidl’s brand

Lidl was successful in its claims of trademark infringement and passing off against Tesco - despite the court finding that some of the marks relied on by Lidl had been filed in bad faith.

03 May 2023

Lookalikes and copycats: what we have learnt from recent cases

A roster of lookalike cases have come to the fore over the last year in the UK. Hogan Lovells’ Joel Smith and Grace Gladdle present lessons and takeaways from this flurry of cases.

03 May 2023

Online marketplace sales: Umbro’s famous ‘double diamond’ marks not infringed by Dream Pairs’ logo on football boots

The High Court dismissed all claims brought by Iconix, the owner of the Umbro brand, in its dispute with Dream Pairs over the sale of footwear on Amazon’s online marketplace.

21 April 2023

Blow for Instagram as High Court dismisses SOUNDGRAM appeal

The appeal court will not interfere with the decision of a hearing officer unless the decision reached was so beyond reasonableness that it was “plainly wrong”.

18 April 2023

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