Knowledge Hub

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 »

EVENT POSTPONED- NEW DATE TBC Leading UK intellectual property firm AA Thornton IP LLP are delighted to announce that the ‘Opportunities for patenting AI and other computer-related inventions’ seminar will be taking place on Monday 27th March 2023 at The Bradfield Centre, Cambridge in collaboration with Cambridge Wireless (CW), Innovate UK EDGE, Conley Rose PC,… Read more »

As announced in a statement by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Justice on 17 February 2023, Germany has now ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement. This confirms the start date of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and Unitary Patent system as 1 June 2023. Germany’s ratification also provides confirmation that the “sunrise period”, during which proprietors… Read more »

“The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing. One cannot help but be in awe when one contemplates the mysteries of eternity, of life, of the marvellous structure of reality.”—Albert Einstein Einstein echoes a sentiment shared by much of humankind—that wonder is an experience to be cherished, and… Read more »

In one of the first legal cases to assess how trade mark law will apply to digital images protected by non-fungible tokens (“NFTs”), a New York jury has found that the MetaBirkin images produced by Mason Rothschild infringe the trade mark rights of Hermès in its Birkin bag. Artist Mason Rothschild created images of a… Read more »

The UK IPO has issued the first Tribunal Practice Notice (TPN) of 2023, which brings together previous guidance regarding costs in trade mark, patent and design tribunal proceedings and updates the scale of costs. Scale of costs The UK IPO Tribunal will continue to award costs in proceedings in line with the published scale. The… Read more »

In the recent case of Marks and Spencer PLC v Aldi Stores Limited [2023] EWHC 178 (IPEC) (the latest instalment of disputes between the two supermarkets), the IPEC ruled that Aldi had infringed M&S’ registered design rights in respect of the bottle used for their line of festive gin-liqueurs (pictured below). Background After this litigious… Read more »

Back in April 2018, the UK IPO introduced additional claims fees of £20 for each claim of a UK patent application over 25. Prior to this change, a UK patent application or patent could have any number of claims without incurring additional official fees. Canada has now become one of the latest countries to introduce… Read more »

As Trade Mark Attorneys, one of the questions we are asked on an 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… Read more »