Trade Mark Law - Likelihood of confusion cannot be subject to a condition that the overall impression produced by the composite sign be dominated by the part of it which is represented by the earlier mark: General Court therefore not obliged to find that the element ‘so’ was dominant in order to find that the signs at...

Trade Mark Law - General Court did not fail to appraise the figurative elements of the Lubelska mark for which registration was applied. existence of a likelihood of confusion between LUBELSKA and LUBECA  to the requisite legal standard: General Court implicitly ruled that it considered the figurative elements of the...

Statement of the European Commission: “Today, the European Parliament voted in favour of the new Copyright Directive designed to bring tangible benefits to citizens, all creative sectors, the press, researchers, educators, and cultural heritage institutions.

Vice-President for the Digital Single Market Andrus...

Trade Mark law - Article 7(1)(e)(iii) EUTMR (Regulation 207/2009 as amended by Regulation 2015/2424) is not applicable to trade marks registered before the entry into force of the amendment to that Regulation (23 March 2016). Sign consisting of two-dimensional decorative motiffs affixed to goods such as fabrics or...

United Nations Human Rights: "UN human rights expert David Kaye has urged the European Union to bring its Copyright Directive into line with international standards on freedom of expression. “Europe has a responsibility to modernise its copyright law to address the challenges of the digital age,” said the UN’s Special...

Design law - Appeal against General Courts finding that the fact that the contested design is filled with sweets cannot constitute a relevant point of visual comparison, since the contested design is registered merely for the box or container of those sweets dismissed: the appeal amounts in no more than a request for...

In a marketing authorisation procedure, a communication of the package leaflet or summary of the product characteristics of a generic medicinal product, which does not include indications or dosage forms which were still covered by patent law at the time that medicinal product was placed on the market ("carve out")...

Football Club Manchester United has ordered a couple who make their own  football stickers to stop selling their drawings of the team's ex-players. The couple started during the World Cup in 2014 under the name “Panini Cheapskates”. The couple says Manested United got in touch and made them stop selling their drawings...

Geographical Indications - Requirement to package a product covered by a protected geographical indication in its geographical area of production is justified, under Article 4(2)(e) Council Regulation on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, if...

The end-result on copyright is a step back for the digital single market. It fails to strike a balance between protecting right holders and the interests of individual citizens. This is what The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Poland, Italy and Finland claim in a joint statement. They believe that the Directive in its current...

Case C-476/17: Pelham. Opinion A-G Szpunar.

Related rights - Preliminary questions about “sampling”. A-G Spzpunar describes sampling as follows: “Sampling is the process of taking, by means of electronic equipment, a portion or sample (hence the name of the technique) of a phonogram for the purpose of using it...

Trade Mark Law - General Court implicitly held that trade mark in question has a high degree of distinctiveness solely because of its unusual shape, even though that shape is to some extent functional. Trade mark in question has been put to genuine use even though the word mark “Bullerjan” is affixed to the goods. The...

Trade mark law - Appeal against General Court finding that “Cystus” has not been put to genuine use despite being used on the packaging of the goods concerned unfounded: the condition of genuine is not fulfilled where the mark affixed to an item does not contribute to creating an outlet for that item or to...

Trade mark law - Supermac's request for revocation of McDonald’s EU trade mark registration for the word mark BIG MAC is upheld by the Cancellation Division of the EUIPO. According to the EUIPO, has not proven genuine use of the contested EUTM for any of the goods and services for which it is registered, since the...

Press release HGF: "HGF’s expansion continues into 2019 with the arrival of Leythem Wall who joined the firm Monday 14th January 2019, in The Hague office. 

Leythem has particular expertise and substantial experience in Oppositions and Appeals, regularly representing clients in Oral Proceedings before the...

Copyright - In Levola/Smilde, the CJEU ruled that the taste of a food product cannot (yet) be protected by copyright. Hear more from our editor in chief Dick van Engelen, who is also an extraordinary Professor of Intellectual Property Litigation and Transaction Practice with Maastricht University.

Curia press release: "[...] In his Opinion delivered today, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar begins by stating that the provisions of Directive 95/46 should be interpreted in such a way as to take account of the responsibilities, powers and capabilities of a search engine. Thus, he points out that the prohibitions and...

Curia press release: ''[…] In today’s Opinion, Advocate General Maciej Szpunar begins by indicating that the provisions of EU law applicable to the present case do not expressly govern the issue of the territorial scope of de-referencing. He therefore takes the view that a distinction must be made depending on the...

The Telegraph: "China’s State Council Information Office held a press conference on 11 December, focusing on reform and opening-up and intellectual property right (IPR) development. Deputies of IPR protection were invited to the conference, sharing their own experience and stories, and introducing China’s historic...

Independent.co.uk: "Vans and parent company VF Corp is suing Primark for allegedly copying the design of two of its iconic skateboard trainers. Vans claims Primark has been selling "intentional copies" of the trainers since 2017, and had thought the matter was settled last January after asking them to stop. However...