Knowledge Hub

Litigation by STEALTH not permitted by Court of Appeal Introduction It is not uncommon for trade mark owners to purchase old, and unused, trade mark registrations as part of their commercial IP strategy, but what happens when a party acquires a right during the course of litigation and deliberately conceals the fact it has done… Read more »

Even if your name is as famous as Ronaldinho, the UK IPO cannot raise ex officio bad faith objections Mr Geoffrey Hobbs QC, sitting as the Appointed Person, assessed the legal competence of the UK IPO to raise bad faith as a ground of refusal of its own motion,  finding their approach “legally deficient”. The… Read more »

The Agri-Tech Centres and their contribution to the UK’s net-zero initiative The advent of COVID-19 brought about a lot of change—some welcome (showcasing your new Zoom background) and some less welcome (not knowing how to stop showcasing your new Zoom background)—but perhaps one of the more profound changes has been a newfound appreciation for the… Read more »

Concrete and its devastating impact on the environment When people consider what is the most consumed product on earth, few would consider concrete. In fact, concrete is the second most consumed product on Earth, second to water1. It is used as the foundation for most of our modern building infrastructure – houses, tower blocks, roads… Read more »

Making Walking Greener with Intellectual Property The recent pandemic has changed the daily commute for many from a time consuming journey to the office using a car, train and / or bike into a slipper-clad wander from kitchen to study (or makeshift bedroom office).  Hopefully those that can will continue to use their feet to… Read more »

Our Evolving Relationship with Plastic We have a complex relationship with plastic. Plastic has long been viewed as a ‘wonder material’ due to its useful durability, moldability, and low cost.  The commercialisation of plastic products began in the early 1900s with the invention of Polyoxybenzylmethylenglycolanhydride which will be known by many as Bakelite. The method… Read more »

Ed Sheeran Granted Declaration of Non-Infringement in “Shape of You” copyright case Ed Sheeran has successfully defended a claim for copyright infringement for his song “Shape of You” and was granted a declaration of non-infringement of copyright (Sheeran v Chokri [2022] EWHC 827 (CH)).   Background The song “Shape of You”, which Ed Sheeran co-wrote… Read more »

Freedom to Operate – Understanding the risks   There are many factors to be considered for a project developing a new product or process, but Freedom to Operate should not be overlooked. What is Freedom to Operate? Freedom to Operate, or “FTO”, is the ability to carry out commercial plans without infringing third party Intellectual… Read more »

A.A. Thornton & Co conversion to AA Thornton IP LLP We are delighted to share that, on 1 April 2022, A.A. Thornton & Co (“the Partnership”) converted from a partnership, under the Partnership Act 1890, to AA Thornton IP LLP (“the LLP”).   What this means for us Limited liability partnerships are a favoured structure amongst… Read more »

Ongoing UK Involvement In The UPC The UPC is not relevant in the UK anymore, right?  Wrong. Following the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union there has been a subsequent UK withdrawal from the UPC.  On 20 July 2020 the UK deposited a notification of the withdrawal of its ratification of the UPC Agreement meaning… Read more »