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Intellectual Property UK
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April 21, 2026
Sports Direct Challenges Costs In 10-Year Polo Club TM Spat
Counsel for Sports Direct asked the Court of Appeal on Tuesday to reconsider whether the licensing arm of Lifestyle Equities should be awarded costs for prevailing in a decade-old trademark fight over the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand.
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April 21, 2026
Airbnb Puts Virtual Reality Co.'s 'Vrbnb' Logo TM To Bed
Airbnb has persuaded a European Union panel to revoke a French company's "Vrbnb" trademark after arguing that its opponent has failed to use the mark within the bloc in recent years.
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April 21, 2026
Distillery Denies Infringing Brewery's 'Titanic' TM
A British distillery has denied infringing a brewery's "Titanic" trademark covering beers, telling a London court that its own Titanic brand has "peacefully coexisted" in the separate market for gin.
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April 21, 2026
Apple Sues Tech Biz In Wireless Charging Licensing Row
Apple has accused an Israeli tech company of demanding excessive fees for wireless charging patents and using parallel litigation in the U.S. to pressure the iPhone maker into accepting an unfair licensing deal.
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April 21, 2026
TomTom Rebuts £5.2M Royalties Claim From Parking Biz
TomTom has denied owing £5.2 million ($7 million) in royalties under a licensing agreement with a company that indexes car park locations, arguing at a London court that its opponent owes money under the deal.
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April 27, 2026
The 2026 UK Lawyer Satisfaction Survey: Where Do You Stand?
How is your work-life balance? Are you content with your compensation and opportunities for advancement at work? Take the 2026 Law360 UK Pulse Lawyer Satisfaction Survey and share your thoughts.
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April 20, 2026
Abbott Wins Glucose Monitor Sales Ban On Appeal At UPC
Abbott has persuaded appellate judges at the Unified Patent Court to stop Sinocare selling certain glucose monitoring displays in Europe, proving that its Chinese rival's devices are likely to have infringed its patent.
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April 20, 2026
Royal Family Textile Supplier Denies Copying Fern Print
A fabric and wallpaper supplier for the British royal family has denied claims that it stole a rival's copyrighted designs, arguing that it had independently come up with a wavy pattern of ferns.
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April 20, 2026
Ronaldo's Perfume Gets Red Card In 'Origins' TM Dispute
A subsidiary of Estée Lauder Companies has blocked a "Cristiano Ronaldo Origins" trademark application in the U.K. by showing that the mark could take unfair advantage of its existing "Origins" skincare brand.
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April 20, 2026
EU 'Pastiche' Ruling Offers New Tool For Copyright Defense
The European Union's top court has in principle opened the door for creatives to skirt copyright protections if the use of another's work is considered pastiche, and lawyers expect to see the previously obscure copyright exception become a popular defense.
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April 20, 2026
Ferrari Puts Brakes On F355 Kit Car Sales In Netherlands
Ferrari has persuaded a Dutch court to prevent an opponent from selling kit-car versions of the F355 sports car as it proved that the replica models infringed its copyright over the design of the vehicle.
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April 17, 2026
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen Aston Martin file an appeal in a row with Chinese carmaker Geely over its winged logo for London black cabs, Ineos sue Ben Ainslie's America's Cup team for a £180 million ($244 million) boat, White & Case face a claim from two energy storage companies, and a golf tour company bring a claim against Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund after the fund invested in its rival.
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April 17, 2026
Maastricht University Loses Cryogenic Patent To IP Firm
European appellate officials have nixed a university's patent for a method of freezing biological samples, ruling that it required "extensive experimentation" for a skilled inventor to carry it out and lacked clarity.
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April 17, 2026
Aston Martin Sues Shareholder After Wing Logo Row
Aston Martin has sued in a London court a Chinese rival that uses a winged logo for its electric car brand it failed to convince U.K. IP examiners to nix the trademark, ramping up a dispute between the luxury carmaker and its third-biggest shareholder.
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April 17, 2026
EU Updates Tech Licensing Rules For Data-Heavy Economy
The European Commission has updated 12-year-old rules governing technology licensing agreements, with major changes meant to reflect new market practices following an explosion in data-focused transactions.
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April 17, 2026
UPC Tells TCL To Stop Selling TVs That Infringe Glass Patent
The Unified Patent Court has ordered electronics company TCL to stop selling any televisions in Germany that might infringe a glassmaking patent belonging to U.S. materials business Corning.
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April 16, 2026
Rolex Wins Patent Row For Mechanical Watch Part
Rolex SA has successfully blocked a challenge from rival Horage SA to its patent for a watch mechanism designed to reduce energy consumption when telling the time, with European officials finding that the design was not obvious to a skilled person.
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April 16, 2026
Imax Nixes Chinese Co.'s 'Imaxsmart' TM Over TVs
Film production technology giant Imax has convinced European officials to revoke a Chinese company's trademark for "Imaxsmart" over LED screen displays, televisions and video projectors but failed to stop the rival from marketing a range of other products with the "Imax" name.
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April 16, 2026
EU Says Farmers In N. Ireland Can Use 'Irish Beef' Label
A European Union court has rejected an Irish farming coalition's attempt to void a protected geographical indication for "Irish Grass Fed Beef" that covers products in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
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April 16, 2026
Pharma Biz Can't Prove 'Ibumax' TM Can Live With Rival IP
A Finnish pharmaceutical company has failed to convince a European court that it deserves to stamp painkillers with the trademark "Ibumax-Lysin" because it would confuse shoppers already accustomed to a Polish rival's Ibum-branded medicine.
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April 16, 2026
Heineken's 'Leonhart' TM Victory Upended At EU Court
A European Union court has overturned a successful challenge by Heineken against a Polish coffee company's "Leonhart" trademark application, ruling that shoppers would not confuse the mark with the brewery's earlier "El Leon" sign.
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April 15, 2026
Typeface Designer Appeals Unpaid Royalties Claim Loss
A font designer told a London appeals court Wednesday that a judge wrongly struck out her claim against a type foundry for unpaid royalties as an abuse of process, arguing she was entitled to bring the case after settling earlier copyright litigation with the company.
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April 15, 2026
Historic Singaporean Tea Co. Loses TMs In Clipper Fight
A historic family tea business has lost a handful of trademarks incorporating the imagery of a classic 19th century clipper sailing ship, after a rival tea brand convinced British officials that it had already cornered the tea market with its "Clipper" brand of organic tea.
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April 15, 2026
Re-Uz Sues Rival Over 'Eco Cup' Marks, Client Data
A group of companies specializing in sustainable cups has sued a competitor, accusing it of infringing its marks in branding for its reusable cups and misusing its trade secrets to poach clients.
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April 15, 2026
Ocado Wins Patent Appeal For Robot-Handling System
Ocado has persuaded European officials that its patent for a robot-handling system is inventive, with an appeals board finding that its use of sensors on either side of the robot improved tracking and operating speeds when carrying storage containers.
Expert Analysis
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5 Ways To Address The Legal Risks Of Employee AI Use
Employees’ use of unauthorized artificial intelligence tools has become a regulatory issue, and in-house legal counsel are best placed to close the gap between governance controls and innovation, mitigating the risk of organizations' exposure to noncompliance with European Union and U.K. data protection requirements, say lawyers at MoFo.
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EU-US Data Transfer Ruling Offers Reassurance To Cos.
The European Union General Court’s recent upholding of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework in Latombe v. European Commission, although subject to appeal, provides companies with legal certainty for the first time by allowing the transfer of European Economic Area personal data without relying on alternative mechanisms, say lawyers at Wilson Sonsini.
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Between The Lines Of EPO's Adoption Of Color Drawings
The European Patent Office's decision to accept patent drawings in color starting in October may enhance clarity in technical disclosures and streamline the examination process, and could also enable new patent filing strategies for international applicants, say attorneys at Miller Canfield.
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How WTO's Anti-Suit Injunction Ruling Affects IP Stakeholders
The World Trade Organization's recent ruling in favor of the European Union's challenge to Chinese courts' anti-suit injunction practices should hearten holders of standard-essential patents, while implementers can take solace that they retain mechanisms to distinguish the WTO decision when seeking anti-suit injunctions in U.S. courts, says Michael Franzinger at Dentons.
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How Logo Confusion Ruling Expands TM Protection
The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Iconix v. Dream Pairs confirms that postsale confusion is actionable in trademark infringement claims, and also warns appellate courts to not rewrite lower courts' factual analyses, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
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IP Considerations As UK Maintains Exhaustion Regime
The U.K. government's decision to keep its existing regime of exhaustion of intellectual property rights means IP owners should review their existing and new European distribution agreements to account for the different regimes in the U.K. and European Union, says Rebecca Anderson-Smith at Mewburn Ellis.
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EPO Ruling On Claim Interpretation Will Have Broad Impact
The European Patent Office Enlarged Board of Appeal’s recent decision, finding that the description and drawings in a patent should always be consulted to interpret claims, will fundamentally change how the EPO interprets patent claims in both examination and opposition proceedings, say lawyers at Finnegan.
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Challenges Law Firms Face In Recruiting Competitor Teams
Since the movement of lawyer teams from a competitor can bring legal considerations and commercial risks into play, both the target and recruiting firms should be familiar with the relevant limited liability partnership deed to protect their business, say lawyers at Fox & Partners.
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Fashion IP Lessons From UK Design Rights Ruling
The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court’s recent ruling in Edwards v. Boohoo.com illustrates the challenges that independent designers face when attempting to enforce unregistered design rights in an era dominated by fast fashion, while also highlighting the utility of the IPEC, say lawyers at Finnegan.
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Should Patent Disputes Be Filed In The ITC Or UPC?
When companies must choose between initiating patent litigation in the U.S. International Trade Commission or the European Union's Unified Patent Court, the ITC may offer a few distinct advantages, but ultimately the decision requires consideration of case-specific factors, say attorneys at White & Case.
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Prospects And Challenges For Expert Evidence At The UPC
Expert testimony on economic or damages-related issues will likely play a larger part in Unified Patent Court proceedings in the near future, potentially presenting unique challenges for experts, counsel and judges alike, say analysts at Charles River.
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Strategies For Litigating In The Unified Patent Court
Since opening its gates two years ago, the European Unified Patent Court has transformed the patent litigation landscape and global litigation strategies, but parties seeking to take advantage of the court's robust processes must be prepared for the front-loaded character of UPC proceedings, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Incorporating UKIPO Guidance Into AI Patent Strategies
Updated guidance from the U.K. Intellectual Property Office sheds light on how it assesses patents for artificial intelligence inventions and highlights approaches that improve applicants' options for demonstrating that AI provides a technical contribution, say lawyers at Finnegan.
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Clarity On Knotty Patent Jurisdiction Questions From CJEU
The recent ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union in BSH v. Electrolux sheds light on how the jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court competes with that of the EU member state courts over infringement and validity actions, and could extend international jurisdiction of the EU courts in several ways, say lawyers at August Debouzy.
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Russia Sanctions Spotlight: Divergent Approaches Emerge
With indications of greater divergence and uncertainty in Russia sanctions policy between the U.K., European Union and U.S., there are four general principles and a range of compliance steps that businesses should bear in mind when assessing the impact of a potentially shifting landscape, says Alexandra Melia at Steptoe.