Knowledge Hub

In the evolving landscape of branding, a new trend is emerging where brands are embracing more than names, logos and packaging to differentiate their products. Imagine products having their own passports, which share stories about their origins and what makes them truly distinctive. These passports exist and they are known as Geographical Indications or simply… Read more »

The partners of AA Thornton wish to thank our clients for their positive feedback and endorsements that have led to recent awards and our continued ranking as one of Europe’s leading patent firms. Our attorneys, Adrian Bennett, Craig Turner and Mike Jennings have been recognised for their patent expertise in the IAM Patent 1000 – The… Read more »

We are delighted to announce AA Thornton and our excellent team of patent attorneys have been recognised once again in Financial Times Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms 2023. The Financial Times and Statista provides a report of the most recommended patent law firms across Europe each year, recommended by clients and peers. We are pleased… Read more »

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 »