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Intellectual Property UK
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March 09, 2026
Sign Maker Sues Rival For Exploiting Starbucks Designs
A British signwriting service has accused a former project manager of copying technical drawings made for Starbucks and using them to help his new employer hijack multiple projects, costing it more than £2 million ($2.7 million).
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March 09, 2026
No More 'Mr Nice' TM After Famed Smuggler's Heirs Lose Spat
The heirs of Britain's most famous drug smuggler have lost two trademarks over "Mr. Nice" after failing to prove they had genuinely used the nickname for Howard Marks to market their legal cannabis products, European officials have ruled.
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March 06, 2026
OnlyFans Software Biz Can't Stop Rival Using 'Scraped' Data
A London court has refused to block clients of an OnlyFans software provider from accessing data that the company allegedly took from a rival during a cyberattack, citing the practical difficulties of a blanket injunction.
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March 06, 2026
Lords Call Again For Strong IP Protections Against AI
Peers have once again called for the introduction of significant restrictions on artificial intelligence companies to protect the rights of creatives, as the government remains silent on the topic of AI and copyright.
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March 06, 2026
Retailer Drops Appeal Over Store Shelf Patent Dispute
Dutch company Black Sheep has asked to withdraw its appeal over a Unified Patent Court decision that it was infringing a rival U.K. retailer's patent over a system to firmly secure shelf accessories on store shelves, as the parties appeared to be negotiating a potential settlement.
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March 06, 2026
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
This past week in London has seen British American Tobacco sued by more than 100 investors, the government bring a claim against a COVID-19 supplier of personal protective equipment, Annington Funding sue its new corporate trustees on the Financial List, and Piers Morgan hit with a defamation claim from a pro-Israel barrister he interviewed on his YouTube channel.
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March 06, 2026
UPC Taps Senior Italian Judge For Court Of Appeal
The Unified Patent Court named a senior Italian judge on Friday as its replacement for an outgoing judge at the Court of Appeal, bringing experience from the Supreme Court of Italy to its bench.
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March 05, 2026
Shein Must Share Supplier List Amid Copyright Dispute
Shein lost its bid in the Court of Appeal on Thursday to overturn an order compelling it to hand over a list of its top suppliers to Temu, with the court finding that there were no exceptional circumstances that justify limiting disclosure.
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March 05, 2026
Furniture Biz Drops UPC Case After Patent Challenged At EPO
A Dutch company that sells purpose-built washing machine cabinets has dropped its infringement claim against a rival at the Unified Patent Court shortly after its protections came under fire at the European Patent Office.
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March 05, 2026
Hisense Settles UPC Dispute Over Picture Decoding Patent
Chinese TV maker Hisense has settled Japanese electronics company JVCKENWOOD's claims that it was infringing a patent over a picture-decoding method and device, just a month after settling a similar case with Nokia.
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March 05, 2026
Events Biz Founder Denies Stealing Secrets For Rival Venture
The founder of a business that runs events in the mobile network industry has denied stealing confidential information while scheming to form a competitor, telling a London court that she always acted in the company's best interests.
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March 05, 2026
Swiss Cycling Biz Can't Ax Chinese Carmaker's 'Scoox' TM
Cycling brand Scott Sports has failed to block an automaker's "Scoox" trademark after British officials ruled that consumers are unlikely to confuse the brands as those interested in cars would naturally choose a dealership over a sports shop.
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March 04, 2026
EasyGroup Fails To Prove 'EasyOffice' TM Use For Telecoms
European officials have refused to reinstate easyGroup's "easyOffice" trademark for telecommunications, concluding that the low-cost airline owner's promotion of broadband services to office rentals wasn't enough to merit protection.
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March 04, 2026
US Filmmakers Can't Cash In On Dutch Broadcasts
A Dutch court blocked filmmakers in the U.S. from claiming payment for broadcasts of their work in the Netherlands, ruling Wednesday that the writers and directors routinely assign their copyrights to film studios under U.S. law.
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March 04, 2026
Shein Denies Retailer Owns Copyright In Influencer Posts
Fast fashion giant Shein has denied infringing a clothing retail brand's copyright by replicating more than 500 photographs in digital adverts and listings on its U.K. website.
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March 04, 2026
Microsoft Loses Appeal For Spreadsheet Program Patent
Microsoft has lost its bid to patent a spreadsheet program that allows data objects to float after European officials held that its distinguishing feature was a "minor and obvious modification" of an earlier Excel spreadsheet application.
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March 04, 2026
Viatris Unit Can't Ax Patent For Anemia Drug Evrenzo
Viatris, Teva and Sandoz have lost their challenge to a rival's European patent for anemia drug Evrenzo, failing to convince an appeals panel that the treatment is not inventive enough to merit protection.
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March 03, 2026
Roche Gives Up On Bid To Patent Cancer Fusion Gene Tool
European officials have revoked Roche's patent over a process for detecting hybrid genes associated with certain cancers after the pharmaceutical giant said it "no longer approved" of the text, handing an inadvertent win to an anonymous opponent.
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March 03, 2026
AI Music Co. Loses Bid For UK Patent Over Software Rule
The U.K. Intellectual Property Office has rejected a patent application filed by AI music company DAACI, ruling that the company's digital music generation invention should not receive patent protections as it was a "program for a computer."
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March 03, 2026
Philips Axes Sleep Apnea Patent At UPC After Failing At EPO
Philips persuaded the Unified Patent Court on Tuesday to void a U.S. medical technology company's patent for a device that treats sleep apnea, succeeding second time around after falling short at the European Patent Office.
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March 03, 2026
Energy Data Co. Settles Supply Cutoff Fight With Startup
An energy data supplier owned by a consortium of British power companies and an energy startup have settled the dispute that erupted after the data supplier cut off the startup for allegedly passing on data to third parties.
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March 03, 2026
Wrigley Gum Loses Bid To Nix Rival's 'LifeSavers'-Like Candy
Candy maker Wrigley has lost its bid to nix a rival's patent for a candy offering a "multi-flavor experience," after European officials ruled that the Mars unit's 16-year-old gummies didn't make the rival's two-layered candy obvious to make.
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March 03, 2026
Google Hit With Cloud Computing Patent Claim In UK
A Virginia-based tech business has told a London court that Google's cloud computing technology infringes its data processing patent, adding to its parallel claim against Amazon that hinges on the same patent.
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March 02, 2026
Total Electric Is Told Breach Claims Need More Specificity
A London judge has ruled that Total Electric must redraft its breach claims against former business partner Nortek if it wants to rely more heavily on a 2017 agreement, after earlier arguments based on a 2010 deal failed.
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March 02, 2026
Philips' Computer Chip Patent Invalidated In German Case
Germany's Federal Patent Court has invalidated Philips' already-expired patent covering a kind of circuitry for computer chips, ruling that the technology was not inventive when the Dutch company filed for protections.
Expert Analysis
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How EU Reforms May Affect Copyright, AI Balance
The European Parliament’s recently proposed resolution calling on the European Commission to address the intersection between copyright and generative artificial intelligence will have implications for companies developing technology, whose compliance costs will soar, and rights holders, for whom great opportunities may lie ahead, says Pasquale Tammaro at BonelliErede.
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EU Foreign Subsidies Guide Brings Clarity And Questions
The European Commission’s long-awaited EU Foreign Subsidies Regulation guidelines provide helpful clarifications for companies, but with many areas remaining broadly framed, uncertainty may continue to deter investments and increase the compliance burden on organizations, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
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USPTO Initiatives May Bolster SEP Litigation In The US
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's recent efforts to revitalize standard-essential patent litigation face hurdles in their reliance on courts and other agencies, but may help the U.S. regain its central role in global SEP litigation if successful, say attorneys at Axinn.
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How To Navigate AI M&A Risks, Compliance In Europe
As the artificial intelligence industry continues to witness substantial M&A transactions in Europe, parties should be mindful of the unique challenges posed by the acquisition of intangible AI technologies, monitor the evolving regulatory landscape, and establish optimal mechanisms for risk allocation, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
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Judicial AI Guidance Update Shows Caution Still Prevails
The judiciary’s recently updated guidance on the use of artificial intelligence warns judges and tribunal members about misinformation and white text manipulation, providing a reminder that AI tools cannot replace direct engagement with evidence and reflecting a broader concern about their application when handling confidential material, say lawyers at Hogan Lovells.
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Navigating Legal Privilege Issues When Using AI
The recent explosion in artificial intelligence has led to prompts and AI outputs that may be susceptible to disclosure in proceedings, and it is important to apply familiar principles to assess whether legal privilege may apply to these interactions, say lawyers at HSF.
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UK Getty Ruling Tests Balance Of IP Rights And AI Industry
The recent Getty Images v. Stability AI High Court decision, rejecting copyright claims while upholding limited trademark infringement, will influence the creative community and U.K. artificial intelligence industry alike, and the training of AI models in the U.K. is still a risk, say lawyers at Powell Gilbert.
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Role Of UK Investment Act Is Evolving In M&A Deals
With merger and acquisition activity likely to increase in light of the government’s new defense industrial strategy, the role of the National Security and Investment Act will come into sharper focus, and its recent annual report confirms that scrutiny is intensifying, say lawyers at Kingsley Napley.
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Growth, Harmonization In Focus As Hague System Turns 100
One hundred years after its establishment, the Hague System has grown into an important pillar of international design protection, offering a promising path toward even greater harmonization in design law as its geographic reach continues to expand, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.
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EPO Referral May Shift Patent Description Amendment Rules
The European Patent Office’s recent referral G 1/25 to the Enlarged Board of Appeal seeks to offer clarification on inconsistencies concerning requirements for description amendments, which could bring a change in direction for the EPO that potentially harmonizes its prosecution process with those of other countries, say lawyers at Finnegan.
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What To Know About Interim Licenses In Global FRAND Cases
Recent U.K. court decisions have shaped a framework for interim licenses in global standard-essential patent disputes, under which parties can benefit from operating on temporary terms while a court determines the final fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms — but the future of this developing remedy is in doubt, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.
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EU Act Establishes Data Sharing Rules, But Hurdles Remain
The recently effective European Union Data Act provisions establish harmonized rules to unlock the use of data generated by technology-embedded software, but leave practical challenges that organizations will need to navigate to comply with cross-border requirements, say lawyers at King & Spalding.
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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.