Brexit

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…

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…

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…

Brexit and trade marks – a reminder

Brexit is back, actually it never left, and the end of the UK’s transition period (31 December 2020) is almost upon us

Unregistered Design Rights in a post-Brexit world

In terms of Brexit, the UK is currently within the transition period until 31 December 2020 – and until this date all EU intellectual property laws and decisions of the CJEU will continue to apply. This will change however on 1 January 2021.

Draft UK-EU Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement – a cause for hope for UK designers?

Is there a glimmer of light for UK designers? Right there at Article 24, page 204 of the Government’s draft free trade deal is a statement which suggests that the UK will…

The death of the Copyright Directive in the UK. Who will honour its memory and strive for better rights for creatives

About this time last year there were still pages of daily newsprint warning about the dire consequences that would befall our United Kingdom if we left the European Union without…

Brexit breakdown of your IP rights!

So it’s been over 3 years now since the June 2016 Brexit vote. It is still unclear what’s going to happen although there’s no doubt that everyone is pretty sick…

Legal Opinion: Its Value and Purpose  

As we hopefully inch closer to a Brexit withdrawal deal a new argument has kicked off about legal advice and the access that cabinet ministers should have to it. It…

BriffaWay – Mrs May at the Hotel California

Has anyone else noticed that the B.. word has not been mentioned much in the press in the last few days. Is this a good sign or bad? Is nothing…

Freedom: Just another word for nothing left to lose

I really love the Janis Joplin’s recording of ‘Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose’, but last week it was one of those tunes that I just couldn’t…

BriffaWay – A tale of how we will retain our sense of humour after Brexit no matter what

Last month I introduced you to a new series for #BriffaWay which I described as a personal reflection on our European journey. The series entitled ‘What has the EU ever…

BriffaWay – What has the EU ever done for IP? Chapter 1

As a law student in the mid 1980’s I well remember my pen hovering over the list of module choices and selecting EEC law and competition. It promised a taste…

Knowledge Quarter and Briffa host Tim Moss Comptroller General IPO and learn a thing or two

This month we had the pleasure of co-hosting our own Knowledge Quarter Breakfast Briefing. Our very special guest was none other than Mr Tim Moss CBE Chief Executive Officer of the UK…

London Fashion Week – Post-Brexit

With the return of London Fashion Week and the uncertainty of Brexit still looming, there has been speculation about what Britain’s inevitable split from the EU will mean for London’s…

Business as EUsual? The EU position paper on post-Brexit IP rights

‘Brexit day’, or the date which the UK cleaves itself away from the EU, is no longer a day on the far away horizon and holders of ‘European’ IP rights…

Brexit: Implications for Copyright Law

Brexit Brexit Brexit, a word that was non-existent five years ago is now on everyone’s lips. So what does it mean? Well, as we all now know, Brexit means Brexit.…

Unlawful use of trademarked logos in Brexit campaign

All’s fair in love, war and referenda Earlier this month, in the days leading up to the Brexit vote, the trade marks of a number of global manufacturers appeared in…