It’s our people that make the difference
Our partners and attorneys are highly qualified and highly experienced to advise you in all areas of Intellectual Property law. We advise start-ups, SMEs, and multinational corporations and ensure that your inventions, brands and designs are expertly protected.
We are thrilled to share that Managing Intellectual Property has shortlisted AA Thornton in two categories at this year’s Managing IP EMEA Awards 2023. Congratulations to our Legal & Litigation team for their nominations. Categories Patent Disputes Trade Mark Disputes The Managing IP annual awards ceremony highlights the achievements made in the IP industry, across… Read more »
The word “Metaverse” has been around for some time. It was coined by Neal Stephenson in the 1992 novel “Snow Crash”, but its wider adoption has been more recent. In 2022, 30 years since the term was first published, “Metaverse” came second-place in the Oxford English Dictionary word of the year. It is fair to… Read more »
Around the world women are building businesses, driving scientific breakthroughs, setting new trends and propelling change. World IP Day 2023 celebrates the achievements of women inventors, creators and entrepreneurs and their ground-breaking work. Led by WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organisation) it also flags an issue: ‘Too few women are participating in the intellectual property (IP)… Read more »
It is not a surprise that the UK IPO has seen an increase in the number of trade mark applications which attempt to protect goods and services offered in the Metaverse. In Tribunal Practice Notice 2/2023 (“TPN 2/23”), which was published in April 2023, the UK IPO issued guidance on the correct classification of non-fungible… Read more »
In the recent case of Vodafone v IPCom [2023] EWCA Civ 113 the Court of Appeal ruled that it would not re-visit a costs order of nearly £1 million following the European Patent Office (“EPO”) subsequently revoking the patent which underpinned the original action. This case highlights the importance of parties to litigation (and their… Read more »
Good news for UK businesses, the UK Government has agreed a deal to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) with a well-negotiated exemption. The CPTPP is a free trade agreement between 11 countries, which reduces trade and investment barriers between members by eliminating tariffs and establishing common rules. The Agreement includes… Read more »
In September 2022, I considered some recent developments in the Iceland trade mark saga in this article. Following those developments, the Grand Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (‘EUIPO’) has dismissed the appeals of Iceland Foods Limited (‘Iceland Foods’) and decided to invalidate its ICELAND trade marks. Background The British chain… Read more »
In a look at some of the latest patent filings in the automotive industry we highlight McLaren’s patent application to a powertrain using three electric motors, and application by Ford for a car that can drive itself away if the owner fails to keep up with repayments! McLaren – Patent Publication no. EP4112349 British supercar… Read more »
The EV revolution In a series of articles, senior associate Stuart Greenwood looks at the current state of electric vehicles, the very latest developments in the field, what lies ahead, and some examples from around the world at how cities and countries are adapting and preparing for the coming of the EV. Electric Avenue –… Read more »
At the end of 2022 the EUIPO Board of Appeal annulled the 2019 decision to revoke McDonald’s BIG MAC mark and allowed the mark to remain on the register (Case R534/2019-4). Background to the case Supermac’s is a popular Irish chain of restaurants dating back to 1978. In 2017, Supermac’s Holdings Ltd (Supermac’s) filed two… Read more »
