Blog & News

Bury AFC are winning battles on and off the pitch

Trade marks are not exclusive to big brands such as McDonalds, Coca Cola or Nike, but can in fact apply to every business across the world, including the independent coffee…

Different Domain Dispute Decisions

In this ad hoc series that I have just coined, I intend to provide you with an overview of domain name dispute decisions that, quite frankly are different to the…

CODERS BEWARE!

A new court decision can change the game for software developed outside the course of employment The general position under English law is that any intellectual property (IP) created by…

Battle of the Crypto Trade Mark

Wirex, one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency payment platforms, has been successful in its High Court trade mark infringement claim against Cryptocarbon Group and Bee-One UK Ltd, in respect of…

US theme park accuses Taylor Swift of Trade Mark Infringement

Taylor Swift may be a successful chart-topping songstress, but the ‘Shake it Off’ popstress cannot seem to shake off her legal issues. You may recall, not long ago (July 2020,…

Black Hole Sum – the disputed valuation of Chris Cornell’s share of Soundgarden rights

If ever a reminder was needed that uncertainty breeds conflict, the latest dispute between the widow of singer and songwriter Chris Cornell and his band Soundgarden is a prime example.…

ANNOUNCED – DECISION OF UK ADEQUACY

On 19 February 2021, the European Commission has announced a draft adequacy decision in respect of the UK. The Commission concluded that the UK ensures a similar level of protection…

London Bridge is……?

Background Post-Brexit, rights holders have (understandably) focused much of their attention on how to manage their portfolios of registered rights such as designs, trade marks and patents. However, there are…

How To Register Your Trade Mark Overseas

  When it comes to protecting your brand, registering a trade mark is essential. However, many clients often wonder how they can obtain a trade mark worldwide. It is important…

Fashion Design Protection Post Brexit

Before Brexit, fashion brands could enjoy community registered and unregistered designs protection which covered the UK and the 27 EU member states. However, since 1 January 2021 these community design…

Intellectual Property – The Star Asset Clubs Are Trying to Sign

Footballers need to be paid more money, said no one. But the commercialisation of Intellectual Property Rights, namely image rights and trade marks, is providing a lucrative revenue stream for…

The unusual case of international copyright and iconic furniture: Knoll’s “Tulip” chair

A recent decision from the French Supreme Court has taken the world of iconic furniture design by surprise, taking an alternative approach to the enforcement of international copyright law. The…

Classic Copyright Cases – Fantasy v Fogerty

This is undoubtedly one of the stranger music copyright cases I have heard in my lifetime so allow me to go straight into it. Those of you rock fanatics out…

LGBT History Month is here!

February is LGBT History Month. It was started in the US in 1994 and today it is observed as a celebration of LGBT people and a commemoration of the history…

What’s going on with copyright in tattoos, graffiti, and emerging art?

Gone are the days when street art and body art were seen as a bit ‘out there’. Countless celebrities in music, fashion and sport have signature body art that often…

Brexit – Trade Marks & Designs… did the plan work??

For those of you who have been following the UK Intellectual Property Office’s post-Brexit plans (just me?) I’m sure you’re wondering, did it work? The short answer is yes, on…

Domain Disputes: don’t go there if you’re divorcing

We have spoken about the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) previously but cutting to the chase: it is a cost effective way to resolve issues relating to the…

THE DAVID AND GOLIATH OF FASHION: A FIGHTING BACK TALE

Now more than ever, emerging designers are victims of fast-fashion companies, which scout talents via social media and reproduce their designs for a quarter of their original price.

Shoes are made “for walking”… Duh!

For information on what rules a successful trade mark application needs to comply with contact Briffa.

Classic Copyright Cases – Napster

In 1999, Shawn Fanning created a peer-to-peer file sharing application called Napster which allowed users to share primarily music encoded in mp3 format via the internet. Users could download files on various computers that were connected to the service with their own files being shared in return. This, however, constituted copyright infringement.

Copyright Trivia: Fact or Fiction?

Copyright law does not have to be complicated and listed below, we have popular opinions, principles and statements regarding copyright. Can you identify which are fact or fiction?

Do I need a music lawyer in 2022?

With the uncertainty and sheer chaos 2020 seemed to bring, the question of whether you need to hire a music lawyer to help with your project is probably not at the top of your list.

US Proposes to Make Illegal Streaming Punishable by Imprisonment

US, lawmakers have been seeking to address the upset to business that Covid has caused, the vehicle for this is proposed as the Covid-19 relief bill aka the Consolidated Appropriations Act 2021 for short.

Covid-19 plays a key role in transferring a claim from the High Court to the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court

The general rule in High Court litigation in England and Wales is that the Court will order the losing party to pay the winning party’s legal costs.  However, the High…