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Unitary Patent Court – Next Steps towards Ratification in UK Parliament
Further to our earlier posts the make up of the committee of UK Members of Parliament (MPs) who will review and scrutinise the draft Statutory Instrument (‘SI’) which will if granted give the UK green...
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BREXIT takes on a brand new meaning as EU Trade Mark is granted
A UK Drinks company (the Brexit Drinks Company) has been successfully awarded an EU Trade Mark for the word BREXIT. The application process was not without its hiccups with the case going all the way...
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Another blow for Shape trademarks- London Cabs not distinctive?
While UK and EU trade mark law and legislation does allow shape marks to be registered and there are good examples of this – the shape of the Coca Cola bottle is one – it is nonetheless still...
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GDPR: six months to go – new resources to help you prepare
With just six months to go until the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) comes into force, we have put together a number of handy guides to help you prepare, including sector and industry...
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Data controllers can be responsible for data breaches by rogue employees
The High Court has today issued its eagerly awaited judgment in group litigation arising out of a data breach affecting 100,000 employees of the Morrisons supermarket chain. The judgment, for which...
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DP Bill amended to provide clarity on legitimate interests and public...
The House of Lords yesterday passed an amendment to the Data Protection Bill which provides welcome clarity in relation to the legitimate interests condition for processing personal data. The amendment...
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Luxury brand owners secure long awaited victory against online retailers
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) recently handed luxury brand owners a victory against online marketplaces in their much anticipated decision in the case of Coty Germany v Parfumerie...
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Intellectual Property Rights post Brexit – a call to arms
Intellectual Property Rights (IP) are often the most valuable assets owned and commercialised by businesses, whether in the form of product designs, software or brand names. For decades the UK has...
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Another blow for colour trade marks? Red Bull decision ‘coloured’ by the...
Since as long ago as 2002 Red Bull have been attempting to obtain, but more importantly retain a registered EU trade mark (‘EUTM’) for a combination of blue and silver for its famous energy drink...
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When is an exclusive licence not an exclusive licence? – Common sense and the...
A recent judgement of the English High Court decided an important new point on what amounts to an exclusive patent licence. In the case of Oxford Nanapore Technologies Limited and another (‘ONT’)...
View ArticleEncouraging Signs Across a Reinvigorated North-East
Since 2014/15, the North-east of Scotland has been forced to endure a period of great challenge. Now, as we enter a period of recovery, there is an opportunity for investment and growth throughout the...
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Elvis v Brewdog -trade mark battle round 2
Brewdog are likely to be raising a Brewdog Elvis Juice filled pint glass to the Appeal Officer who decided that they could register a trade mark for Brewdog Elvis Juice. So Elvis or at least Brewdog...
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Government publishes details of new data protection fee regime
The Government has published draft regulations to implement a new charging regime to replace the current notification process under the Data Protection Act 1998. The current notification fees help to...
View ArticleCopyright in Cream Cheese
At the end of last month, Attorney General (AG) Wathelet issued his opinion to the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), advising that no EU copyright protection should vest in the taste of...
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#Infringement – How social media dealt a blow to Nike’s latest marketing...
The recent decision of the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court, in the case of Frank Industries Pty Ltd v Nike Retail BV, has highlighted the increased role social media plays in cases of modern...
View ArticleIt’s a Knockout! McGregor vs McGregor
A fashion label in the Netherlands, McGregor IP BV (MIB), has won its recent trade mark battle against Adidas and the famous MMA fighter Conor McGregor (McGregor).The District Court ruled that their...
View ArticleNot all plane sailing
The easyGroup publicise that they take a hard line approach against “brand thieves” allegedly piggybacking off the goodwill and reputation they have built up in their easy brands. A recent legal action...
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Stopping sports cheats and corruption is vital. So why does integrity matter...
Everyone hopes that the sports people they admire succeed by training hard and playing fair. Such belief in sport is a reason why integrity and honesty are so highly valued, and why fans cannot help...
View ArticleScottish sporting starlets need a lesson on law from Usain Bolt
Gold medals are only part of the equation for young sports stars. What should they think about in legal terms? When Mo Farah does his famous Mobot and Usain Bolt performs his signature lightning strike...
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The Government’s no deal notices and data protection
As announced earlier this summer, the UK Government has been publishing a series of Brexit ‘no deal’ technical notes. The notices contain information about some of the potential impacts of a ‘no deal’...
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