Intellectual Property UK

  • February 06, 2025

    Victorinox Can't Get 'Makers Of Swiss Army Knife' TM

    European officials have partially refused a knife-maker's trademark registration for the phrase "From the makers of the original Swiss Army knife," ruling that it wouldn't help consumers know Victorinox was the company making them. 

  • February 06, 2025

    Lemon Gin Linked To City Not Norwich FC, Maker Says

    A spirits producer has told a court that claims by Norwich City FC that its lemon-flavored gin infringed the football club's trademarks are false because its "Norwich City" drink was created as a souvenir for visitors to the eastern English city.

  • February 06, 2025

    Sony Must Face Hendrix Bandmates' UK Copyright Claim

    A London appeals court held Thursday that Sony must face a claim that it infringed copyrights belonging to the estates of Jimi Hendrix's former bandmates, rejecting the company's latest bid to foil the case.

  • February 06, 2025

    Luxury London Florist Gets Imitator's Assets Frozen

    A high-end London florist has secured an asset freeze against a British national who set up a company allegedly imitating the bouquet delivery service's business.

  • February 06, 2025

    L'Oréal Brushes Off Schwarzkopf's Hair Gel Patent Challenge

    L'Oréal can keep an amended version of its patent over a hair gel compound after the owner of Schwarzkopf failed to show it was not inventive, a European appeals panel said in a decision released Thursday.

  • February 05, 2025

    EU Guidance Clarifies AI Rules, But Key Concepts Lack Detail

    Lawyers broadly welcomed the European Commission's belated guidance on newly enforced laws banning so-called artificial intelligence systems that pose an unacceptable risk Wednesday, but are wary of provisions regarding how AI providers should crack down on the prohibited use of their systems.

  • February 05, 2025

    Research Co. Saves Microwaveable Ink Material Patent At EPO

    European appellate officials have upheld a patent for ink used in microwaveable food packaging, ruling that the invention's components generated tastier and warmer food in a way that wasn't obvious to others at the time.

  • February 05, 2025

    VistaJet Can't Land Trademark Over Airplane Decal In EU

    A European Union court on Wednesday dashed VistaJet's hopes of securing a trademark over a decal for airplanes, ruling that its horizontal red stripe isn't distinctive enough to merit protection.

  • February 05, 2025

    Bathroom Biz Denies Copying Rival's Hidden Cistern Design

    A bathroom company has hit back at its rival's allegations accusing the company of copying its hidden toilet cistern design, arguing that the designs in question are not original and do not qualify for legal protection.

  • February 05, 2025

    Synchronizing Clock Signal Patent Gets 2nd Life On Appeal

    European officials have revived a technology company's patent for synchronizing different electronic devices, ruling that examiners were wrong to conflate the meaning of two terms and decide the invention was obvious. 

  • February 04, 2025

    Haleon Beats Spanish Rival's TM Challenge Over Logo

    The U.K. Intellectual Property Office has tossed a challenge to the trademark for British healthcare giant Haleon's black and green logo after finding that the Spanish skin care challenger did not have a strong enough reputation in the U.K.

  • February 04, 2025

    InterDigital Targets Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ In Patent Claim

    InterDigital Inc. said Monday that it has filed patent infringement claims against The Walt Disney Co. in several jurisdictions, alleging that the entertainment giant is using its video technology without a license.

  • February 04, 2025

    Forestry Co. Loses UPC Bid To Sue Over Invalid Patent

    A forestry-machine maker can no longer sue a rival for selling copycat grinding mills, after Europe's patent court ruled that its patent added nothing new to previously existing technology and was not patentable.

  • February 04, 2025

    Armani Reputation Nixes Rival's Eagle TM For Accessories

    Giorgio Armani has succeeded in blocking a rival's trademark depicting a bird-like figure composed of thick black lines against a white background, after European officials ruled that shoppers would think they were buying products from the Italian fashion house.

  • February 04, 2025

    Chinese Fruit Biz Denies Infringing Rival's 'Pear' TMs

    A Chinese fruit and veg company has denied infringing a rival's "Mountain Pear" and "Yu Lu Fragrant Pear" trademarks, telling a London court that the marks are invalid.

  • February 03, 2025

    'Far-Reaching' EU Ban On High-Risk AI Models Now In Effect

    The European Union on Sunday ushered in key laws to rein in the use of artificial intelligence systems that pose an "unacceptable risk," but a lack of guidance from the bloc has companies in the dark.

  • February 03, 2025

    P&G Fragrance Boosting Patent Savors Aromatic EPO Win

    Procter & Gamble has revived a patent for fragrance capsules used in fabric conditioner after it persuaded European appellate officials to overturn a previously successful challenge by two rivals.

  • February 03, 2025

    Trading Biz Files New Infringement Claim Over 'Joule' Tech

    A software business has accused two German companies in a London court of infringing its intellectual property rights over an electronic trading platform, adding to a similar claim it recently filed against SAP.

  • February 03, 2025

    Baxter Unit Beats Fresenius Attack On Dialysis Patent

    A subsidiary of U.S. healthcare company Baxter International has won its bid to patent technology that enables dialysis patients to plug in their devices during treatment after European officials ruled that other scientists wouldn't have thought to put the transformer in the same advantageous location.

  • February 03, 2025

    Tata's Steel Patent Survives ArcelorMittal Challenge At EPO

    A European appeals panel has upheld an amended version of Tata's patent over a steel treatment that prevents rusting, ruling in a decision published on Monday that the technique is inventive enough to merit protection.

  • January 31, 2025

    Brexit Five Years On: The Legal Landscape After Europe

    Five years after the U.K. formally left the European Union, Law360 looks at how Brexit has changed the legal, regulatory and financial terrain.

  • January 31, 2025

    Ex-IP Co. Director Says Lawyer, Founders Hid $40M Takeover

    A former director of a celebrity intellectual property licensing company has claimed in court filings that two fellow directors, aided by an ex-Russells Solicitors partner, concealed plans for a $40 million takeover to try to convince him to sell his shares on the cheap.

  • January 31, 2025

    Valorem Sues Former CEO For Violating Russia Sanctions

    A luxury perfume group has sued its former chief executive officer, who is accused of bragging to a private investigator about selling his product to Russia in breach of sanctions, for fiduciary and contractual breaches and failure to protect its intellectual property rights.

  • January 31, 2025

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen another claim by Woodford investors against Hargreaves Lansdown in the widening £200 million ($248 million) dispute over the fund's collapse, a solicitor barred for his role in a suspected advance fee fraud face action by a Swiss wholesaler, and The Resort Group, which markets investments in luxury hotel resorts, hit with a claim by a group of investors. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • January 31, 2025

    What Brexit? UK Still Shines At Europe's Patent Court

    Euro-skepticism helped push Britain out of Europe's Unified Patent Court, but intellectual property firms and patent attorneys have wielded significant influence at the new venue — and a recent decision to claim jurisdiction over U.K. patents could enmesh Britain even further.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    AI-Generated Works Should Not Have Copyright Protection

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    The U.S. Copyright Office has correctly determined that works created solely by artificial intelligence do not qualify for protection, as granting exclusive rights to such works would be unwise for a number of reasons, says Thomas McNulty at Lando & Anastasi.

  • Examining The New UK Service Guidance For TM Proceedings

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    A new much-anticipated U.K. Intellectual Property Office practice notice affects situations where there is no valid U.K. address for service of documents in trademark and registered design proceedings, and will mean rights holders are on notice at an earlier stage of proceedings, with limited time in which to respond, says Nina O'Sullivan at Mishcon de Reya.

  • A Look At M&S' Registered Design Claim Win Against Aldi

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    Adding to the long line of cases seeking to restrain Aldi's attempts to mimic market-leading products, Marks & Spencer's recent success in the U.K. High Court based on registered designs demonstrates that supermarket copycat products may no longer be able to sail so close to the wind, says Alex Borthwick at Powell Gilbert.

  • UK Teva Ruling Brings Patent Remedy Into Question

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    Arrow declarations have been considered an extremely effective tool for patent litigators, but following the recent U.K. Court of Appeal decision in Teva v. Novartis it appears that courts are looking to take a more conservative view, say David Holt and Tony Proctor at Potter Clarkson.

  • How CJEU Case Shifts TM Liability For Platforms Like Amazon

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    The EU Court of Justice's recent ruling on Amazon's liability for trademark infringement in relation to fake Christian Louboutin shoes advertised by third parties on its website may leave web platforms that sell third-party vendors' products alongside their own brands more vulnerable to infringement claims, say Louisa Chambers and Helen Reddish at Travers Smith.

  • Europe's New Unitary Patent System Will Affect IP Agreements

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    Marco Stief at Maiwald discusses key points in intellectual property agreements that legal practitioners will need to consider in Europe's soon-to-open centralized patent court, including regional exclusivity in different contracting member states.

  • EU Medicine Reboxing Ruling Gives Guidance To Pharma Cos.

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    The recent landmark decision of the Court of Justice of the EU in Novartis Pharma on repackaging medicines has provided pharma companies with a much-needed framework, with better protections for trademarks and clearer protocols for handling imported products, say Ulf Grundmann and Elisabeth Kohoutek at King & Spalding.

  • A Look Ahead At Key UK Intellectual Property Cases

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    Anticipated 2023 U.K. intellectual property decisions include robotics, artificial intelligence, and clean energy matters that have also been heard in the U.S., while other areas to watch include global fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory issues, as well as COVID-19 patent litigation, say Tom Oliver and Claire Robinson at Powell Gilbert.

  • Lessons That May Be Learned From The Demise Of Made.com

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    With Made.com going into administration, companies that may face similar challenges should take on board that the earlier adequate preemptive planning is considered, the more financial and legal options there will be to avoid last minute firefighting and to focus instead on strengthening the business, says Eleni Michaela at Faegre Drinker.

  • Teva Case Aims Europe's Pharma Crackdown At IP Loophole

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    The European Commission's recent allegations against Teva signal not only the EU competition watchdog's continued focus on intellectual property violations in the pharmaceutical sector but also its new enforcement interest in exclusionary disparagement, say Robert Bell and Malgorzata Janiec at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Determining Whether To Opt Out Of New Unified Patent Court

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    The new United Patent Court, made up of judges from all European Union member states, will cover the new unitary patent and European patents unless the owner chooses to opt out during the transition period, so patent proprietors must consider whether to opt out for each patent family, say Steffen Steininger and Anna-Katharina Friese-Okoro at Hogan Lovells.

  • 10 Things To Know About The Coming EU Unified Patent Court

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    When the Unified Patent Court opens next year, it will represent a paradigm shift for adversarial patent proceedings in Europe, and practitioners should familiarize themselves now with this new, centralized litigation system, say Fabian Koenigbauer at Ice Miller and Thomas Kronberger at Grünecker.

  • 7 Key Takeaways For Litigating Willful Patent Infringement

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    Brian Nolan and Manuel Velez at Mayer Brown explore the impact of the Federal Circuit's 2021 SRI International v. Cisco Systems decision, and six other areas recent parties have focused on when litigating willful infringement in the latest case law.

  • Trademark Ruling Brings Clarity To Product Defect Liability

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    The recent Court of Justice of the EU ruling in Fennia v. Philips, its first concerning the trademark aspect of producer liability in Article 3(1) of Directive 85/374, brings greater clarity to the question of compensation in the event of a claim for defective products, say Radboud Ribbert and Thomas van Weeren at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Appointments Shape EU Unified Patent Court Before Launch

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    A series of judiciary appointments at the EU Unified Patent Court help put the court on track for its April opening, while also reflecting a patent-friendly enforcement system, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

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