Blog & News

Udderly Bovine

The last few years have seen a massive rise in consumer interest in alternatives to traditional dairy products (for both health and conscience reasons). This has led to an explosion…

Corked! Trade Mark Application for ‘McBaileys’ Opposed

The makers of Bailey’s (the delicious Irish cream liqueur that goes down like water) have successfully opposed a trade mark application from Childrens Cancer Aid Limited (CCAL) for ‘McBaileys’. R…

IMDb credits in the Intellectual Property and Enterprise Court

The IMDb (Internet Movie Database), as the name suggests, is an online database of information relating to films, TV and online content. It claims to be the world’s most popular…

Does the name ‘Miley Cyrus’ ring a bell?

In 2014 Smiley Miley Inc. (Miley Cyrus’s company) applied for the EU trade mark for, perhaps unsurprisingly, ‘Miley Cyrus’ to be used on CDs, software, calendars, and clothing among other…

Fighting against counterfeit items – can online marketplaces be held directly responsible for their sellers’ IP infringement?

Under UK and EU, the act of selling, advertise, stock, offer goods carrying a sign identical or similar to a registered sign amount to infringement. Even when the law is…

Monkey Business

In the latest of a series of ongoing related cases, the renowned UK street artist Banksy has recently lost another case regarding his famous “monkey” images. Background One of his…

IP Audit For Start-Ups

Every business owns some form of intellectual property (IP). IP encompasses various forms and generally includes five areas: Trade marks protect brand names, logos, etc.; Copyright protects various original creations…

You meme there’s a risk of copyright infringement when I use a meme?

Thanks to social media, it is becoming extremely difficult to get through a day without coming across a meme, and there seems to be an appropriate meme for every occasion.…

Different Domain Dispute Decisions: back to basics

A requirement of most domain name dispute resolution procedures is that the complainant (the person bringing the complaint) must have trade mark rights in the disputed domain name. In “DRS”…

‘Salt Bae’ turns ‘copyright infringement bae’

Turkish Chef Nusret Gokce who popularly became known as ‘Salt Bae’ owing to his signature salt sprinkle pose, is being sued by a US-based artist for a whopping $5 million…

Bitcoin Bites

Following from our recent blog, Bitcoin remains a hot topic. Dr Craig Wright, an Australian scientist who claims to be the original creator of Bitcoin, has recently been granted to…

Why register a design?

When undertaking an intellectual property audit of their business, designers often overlook registered designs. However, having your products protected by registered designs has multiple advantages. UK registered design protects the…

Bad faith trade mark filings. Do not pass Go. Do not collect £200.

The EU courts have recently handed down a number of decisions clarifying what does and doesn’t constitute ‘bad faith’ when it comes to trade mark applications. WHAT IS BAD FAITH?…

Cats, noodles and a bit of bad luck

It is often said that cats have 9 lives however this doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re lucky. This was found to be the case by the owners of a new…

Different Domain Dispute Decisions: it’s actually a trade mark dispute

Domain name disputes and trade marks go hand in hand. Generally trade mark rights are required in a mark identical or similar to the disputed domain in order to get…

Classic Copyright Cases – Whole Lotta Love

When it comes to copyright infringement in the music industry, one of the most famous examples is Spirit’s long-running claim against Led Zeppelin in relation to the songs Taurus and…

EUROPEAN SUPER LEAGUE TEACHES US A LESSON IN…TRADE MARKS!

The European Super League (“ESL”) has gone up in a ball of flames but there is no reason why that should happen to you and your business dreams. While the…

Deliberate breaches are still caught by exclusion clauses and cap on liability clauses

Most commercial contracts (such as distribution and manufacturing contracts) have exclusion clauses.  These clauses exclude the contracting parties’ liability in the event of certain breaches (e.g., liability for loss of…

The good, the bad and the infringement risks associated with upcycling branded goods

As I was scrolling through Instagram (as you do), I came across a fascinating video of a lady who turned a disposable shopping bag from a high-end luxury brand into…

Burberry v Baneberry

The world-renowned British fashion chain Burberry has recently secured a rarely granted injunction in China restraining a competitor from using similar trade marks to its brand. Background The case was…

Help! I’ve received a Notice of Threatened Opposition, what do I do now?

Well, let’s start by explaining what a Notice of Threatened Opposition actually is… essentially it’s a form (called a TM7A if you’re interested) that potential opponents of a trade mark…

Copyright in the bullring?

A bullfight is a contest between a bullfighter and a bull. Regardless of one’s views on the practice itself, it is probably fair to describe it as a combination of…

Dior’s struggle to register its iconic bag as a trade mark

Last year, Dior filed an application to register the design of its iconic Saddle Bag – created by John Galliano in 1999 – with the US Trade Mark and Patent…

Classic Copyright Cases – The Beach Boys

I can remember hearing The Beach Boys way back when I was but a youngster. It was long before the days of Coronavirus and being equipped with a mask whenever…