Intellectual Property UK

  • December 09, 2024

    What's In A Stripe? Lessons From Adidas' TM Loss

    Global brands must ensure that "position" trademark protections are clear and precise if they choose to enforce them, after a London court tossed Adidas' protections in one of its first-ever rulings involving the niche form of intellectual property.

  • December 09, 2024

    Water Bottle Co. Seeks Injunction Against Chinese Copycats

    Europe's patent court ruled Monday that it will examine a startup's bid to stop a Chinese rival from selling counterfeit flavor-enhancing water bottles, as the company attempts to block a flood of counterfeits.

  • December 09, 2024

    SharkNinja Gets Vacuum Ban Nixed In UPC Clash With Dyson

    SharkNinja has persuaded the EU's Unified Patent Court to remove an injunction blocking sales of its handheld vacuums, convincing an appeals panel that its devices may not infringe Dyson's patent.

  • December 09, 2024

    Shell Beats Payment Tech Provider's Appeal Over QR Patent

    A London appellate court has rejected a payment tech provider's bid to revive its patent for printed QR codes in a battle with Shell, ruling that its key idea of having a "static" code that multiple customers could use was obvious.

  • December 09, 2024

    Big Bar Vape Loses Design Rights To Chinese Rival

    The maker of Big Bar vapes has lost its bid to register a design for an electronic cigarette after European officials ruled that it looked too similar to an existing Chinese design.

  • December 09, 2024

    Tech Biz IP Group To Sell 9 Minority Investments For £15M

    Science and technology company IP Group PLC said Monday that it has agreed to sell its minority stakes in nine British innovation companies to Lexham Partners, an investment firm based in London, for £15 million ($19 million).

  • December 06, 2024

    Chemical Plant Loses Bid For Plastic Compound Patent

    A specialty chemical manufacturer has lost a patent for a heat stabilizer used in construction materials after European officials ruled that other scientists would have found it obvious to use a particular ingredient to keep the color from fading.

  • December 06, 2024

    Volkswagen Nixes Consultancy's 'Roberto Bulli' TM

    Volkswagen has partially won its bid to nix a consultancy firm's trademark for "Roberto Bulli" after European officials held that some shoppers might confuse it with the "Bulli" nickname associated with some of the vehicle-maker's camper vans.

  • December 06, 2024

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

    This past week in London has seen Burberry file a copyright claim against discount store B&M, the former owner of Charlton Athletic file a debt claim against the football club, and British Airways and the U.K. government face a class action brought by flight passengers taken hostage at the start of the First Gulf War. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • December 06, 2024

    Social Care Biz Accused Of Using 'Inicio' TM As 'Weapon'

    An educational trust has denied infringing a social care company's "Inicio" trademark, telling a London court that their services do not cross over and its rival has used the mark as a "weapon."

  • December 06, 2024

    GE's Turbine Blade Patent Revoked In Energy Biz Challenge

    A wind energy company has persuaded a European appeals board to revoke General Electric's patent over a turbine blade feature, as it proved that the blueprint is not inventive.

  • December 05, 2024

    Netgear Seeks Anti-Suit Injunction Over Huawei's Wi-Fi SEPs

    Netgear is urging a California federal judge to block Chinese router-maker Huawei Technologies from seeking injunctions through Wi-Fi patent infringement actions the company pursued in foreign courts, arguing that Huawei is trying to impose excessive royalty rates and is avoiding its commitment to license its patents on reasonable terms.

  • December 05, 2024

    AI Could Prompt Patent System Reforms, Justice Says

    Artificial intelligence could trigger a major rethinking of the patent system if applications end up being deemed uninventive because they are obvious to a skilled person using AI, a Court of Appeal justice said in a speech published Thursday.

  • December 05, 2024

    Veteran UK Car Maker Trims Chinese Co's EU TM

    British car company MG has convinced officials at the European Union intellectual property office to trim IP protections of a Chinese valve maker for the same two letters — but failed to sway the office that it should uphold challenges based on the automaker's reputation.

  • December 05, 2024

    Plastics Maker Sues Makeup Co. Over Mascara Brush Design

     A French plastic products manufacturer has sued a cosmetics company for allegedly selling a copycat version of its registered design for mascara brushes in the U.K.

  • December 05, 2024

    Catering Biz Denies Infringing F1-Inspired Fridge Maker's IP

    A catering equipment company has denied it infringed a rival's patents and trademarks that covered a line of Formula One-inspired energy-efficient fridges, asking a London court to declare the patents invalid.

  • December 05, 2024

    Insulation Biz Fails To Revive Glass Fiber Patent At EPO

    A manufacturing company cannot restore its patent over a quality control system for making glass-fiber insulation because the invention is not sufficiently clear, a European appeals panel held in a ruling released on Thursday.

  • December 04, 2024

    Apple's Beats Headphones Brand Silences Bid For 'P' TM

    Apple's Beats Electronics, the headphones company co-founded by rapper and record producer Dr. Dre, has successfully challenged a Chinese technology company's "P" trademark, with European trademark officials finding that the company would benefit from association with Beats' famous "b" logo.

  • December 04, 2024

    Loudspeaker Designer Trims Rival's 'Audio Vivid' TM

    A loudspeaker designer has convinced British officials to narrow down the products that a rival can stamp with a trademark for "Audio Vivid," because shoppers eyeing the shelves might think the products were related to its "Vivid Audio" brand.

  • December 04, 2024

    Aviation Biz Sued Over Crash Gear Patent In UK

    A company that makes ejection seats has been accused of infringing a rival's patent for a neck protection system by selling several pieces of crashworthy gear to stop fighter jet pilots from suffering neck injuries.

  • December 04, 2024

    Medical Co. Loses Imaging Systems Patent At EPO

    Medical device company Cook Medical Technologies LLC has lost its case at an EU appellate board for its patent on low-profile circuit board connectors for imaging systems as the court ruled that the invention was obvious to a skilled person in the industry.

  • December 04, 2024

    Samsung Says Eye Med Biosimilar Won't Flout Regeneron's IP

    Samsung Bioepis has argued in a London court that its planned eye medicine biosimilar will not infringe Regeneron's patents over the treatment, doubling down on plans to market its own version.

  • December 04, 2024

    Puma Fails To Block 'Li Puma' Trademarks At EU Court

    Puma has lost its latest attempt to stop a company registering two "Li Puma" trademarks for recycling services, failing on Wednesday to persuade a European Union court that it could damage its sporting goods brand.

  • December 03, 2024

    Merck Keeps Patent Over Cancer Drug Keytruda

    Merck has won its bid to amend a patent over its blockbuster cancer-treating drug Keytruda, after European officials ruled that its stabilizing features for long-term refrigeration were inventive.

  • December 03, 2024

    Fresenius Can't Block Baxter Unit's Dialysis Device Patent

    Appellate officials at a European patent authority have refused to nix a Baxter subsidiary's dialysis machine patent, rejecting Fresenius Medical Care's claims that its earlier dialysis machines already featured the essential elements in the patent.

Expert Analysis

  • Takeaways From EU's Draft AI Code Of Practice

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    The European Union AI Office’s recently published first draft of the General-Purpose AI Code of Practice sheds some welcome light on which Artificial Intelligence Act compliance issues the office finds particularly knotty and, importantly, acknowledges where further guidance will be necessary, say lawyers at Akin.

  • The Rising Tide Of EU Antitrust Enforcement In Pharma

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    The European Commission’s recent record-breaking €463 million fine of Teva for abusing its dominant position confirms that European Union competition law enforcement in the pharmaceutical sector remains a priority, with infringements drawing serious financial exposure, say lawyers at Cooley.

  • What The Future Of AI In Financial Services Looks Like

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    Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the global financial services industry, with a hybrid model likely to evolve where AI handles routine tasks and humans focus on strategy and decision-making, so financial institutions should work with regulators to establish ethical standards and meet regulatory expectations without stifling innovation, say lawyers at Womble Bond.

  • The EU Design System Changes US Cos. Need To Know About

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    With a number of major reforms to the European Union's design protection system set to take effect in the first half of 2025, U.S. companies need to stay informed about specific details to maintain effective intellectual property management in the EU market, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • What New Int'l Treaty Means For Global AI Regulation

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    Lawyers at Bird & Bird consider how global artificial intelligence regulation will be affected by the first international AI treaty recently signed by the U.S., EU and U.K., as well as its implications for business and several issues that stakeholders should be aware of.

  • HMRC Transfer Pricing Guide A Vital Resource For Businesses

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    HM Revenue & Customs' recent guidelines on common transfer pricing compliance risks should be required reading for affected businesses in indicating HMRC's expected benchmark for documents and policies, say Tomoko Ikawa and Kapisha Vyas at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Comparing Apples To Oranges In EPO Claim Interpretation

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    A referral before the Enlarged Board of Appeal could fundamentally change the role that descriptions play in claims interpretation at the European Patent Office, altering best drafting practices for patent applications construed there, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • Why India May Become A Major Patent Litigation Forum

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    India is reinventing itself with the goal of becoming a global hot spot for patent litigation, with recent developments at the Delhi High Court creating incentives for plaintiffs to assert patent rights in India, say Ranganath Sudarshan at Covington and IP litigator Udit Sood.

  • Takeaways From UPC's Amgen Patent Invalidity Analysis

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    The Unified Patent Court Central Division's decision in Regeneron v. Amgen to revoke a patent for lack of inventive step is particularly clear in its reasoning and highlights the risks to patentees of the new court's central revocation powers, say Jane Evenson and Caitlin Heard at CMS.

  • UK Approach To AI Patentability Appears Settled For Now

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    After a High Court ruling upended the status quo last year, the Court of Appeal’s recent decision that Emotional Perception’s artificial neural network is not patentable represents a return to the U.K.’s familiar, albeit often complex, approach to patentability of artificial intelligence technology and computer programs generally, say lawyers at Potter Clarkson.

  • AI Reforms Prompt Fintech Compliance Considerations

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    With the EU Artificial Intelligence Act's Aug. 1 enforcement, and the U.K.'s new plans to introduce AI reforms, fintech companies should consider how to best focus limited resources as they balance innovation and compliance, says Nicola Kerr-Shaw at Skadden.

  • 10 Ways To Manage AI Risks In Service Contracts

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    With the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act coming into force on Aug. 1 and introducing a new regulatory risk, and with AI technology continuing to develop at pace, parties to services arrangements should employ mechanisms now to build in flexibility and get on the front foot, says James Longster at Travers Smith.

  • What Future May Hold For AI Innovation In UK Under Labour

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    Labour’s recent King's Speech was notable in its absence of discussion of a comprehensive artificial intelligence bill, and while this may indicate to many that the UK is open for business, the party’s approach to cross-sectoral engagement will be critical for shaping Britain's AI landscape in the near term, says Alexander Amato-Cravero at Herbert Smith.

  • Don't Wing Settlements: Lessons From Morley's TM Ruling

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    In Morley's v. Sivakumar, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court recently found that a fast-food franchiser had breached a fried chicken franchise's trademark rights, despite a prior settlement agreement, offering lessons on drafting express terms to ensure IP protection, say Nessa Khandaker and Clare Cornell at Finnegan.

  • Use Or Lose It: European TM Ruling Stresses 'Genuine Use'

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    The European Union General Court recently dismissed an action to revoke trademark protections for a lack of use in Sta Grupa v. EU Intellectual Property Office, offering significant insight into the intricacies of assessing evidence of genuine use in revocation actions, says Sumi Nadarajah at FRKelly.

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