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Electric Rebirth: Rise of the Hummer EVs

Hummer EV driving through mud

Originally designed and built to provide the US army with ‘High Mobility Multi-Purpose Wheeled Vehicles’ (HMMWVs), it is believed that Arnold Schwarzenegger was instrumental in getting Hummers to the civilian market after they caught his attention when he was filming a movie. He was so taken with them that he approached the manufacturers and played… Read more »

Amazon and eBay spurious takedown requests – getting de-listed products re-listed

Ebay Amazon takedowns

As a firm, we have recently seen an increase in the number of entrepreneurs whose product listings on e-commerce platforms like Amazon or eBay have been removed due to takedown requests alleging intellectual property infringements. As specialists in intellectual property law, we are used to dealing with situations where the question of infringement is not… Read more »

Trade Mark Enforcement in EU: Opting for a Preferred Jurisdiction

Vogue - Preferred Jurisdiction EU

A recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) confirms that unrelated defendants domiciled in different member states can be sued in a single court if they are connected by an exclusive distribution agreement. The Case: Beverage City Polska v Advance Magazine Publishers (Case C-832/21)   The Claimant Advance Magazine Publishers… Read more »

UK update on AI patentability – High Court overturns refusal for a trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN)

The UK High Court has overturned an earlier UKIPO refusal of a patent application for a trained Artificial Neural Network (ANN).This is encouraging for applicants who are investing in AI patenting in the UK.  The UKIPO quickly confirmed that it is changing its examination practice to reflect the court’s judgement.   The UKIPO’s earlier decision… Read more »

Absolutely Not Registrable: Logos and Emblems

As Trade Mark Attorneys, one of the questions we are asked  almost daily basis is whether new marks are registrable. As UK IPO practice is forever evolving, it can be helpful to conduct regular reviews of the kinds of marks being refused by the UK IPO. In the latest instalment of our seasonal round-up, we… Read more »

‘Whack-a-mole’ Dynamic Website Blocking Order

The Background Sports events are a lucrative business, with the associated intellectual property rights highly guarded by the organisations authorised to broadcast them. However, the allure of easy money has tempted some to exploit sports broadcasts unlawfully. This resulted in the sentencing of five men in May 2023 who had been illegally streaming Premier League… Read more »

Where It’s Made Matters: The EU’s New Non-Agricultural GIs

In an exciting development for brand owners, the EU has this week approved a new regulation that will allow the producers of distinctive craft and industrial products to protect their goods with a Geographical Indication. What is a Geographical Indication? Geographical indication protection rights (“GIs”) have been available for certain types of product in various… Read more »

From Locale to Label: Geographical Indications as Product Passports

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 »

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