Latest news and views tagged trade mark
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European Community Trade Marks can be ruled upon in one Member State of the European Union and those judgments should be binding on the parties’ activities in other Member States. This was a ruling from...
M&S finds keyword advertising policy not smelling of roses as Advocate General unimpressed with its sponsored ads for “Interflora”
An Advocate General has given his view to the European Court of Justice in a trade mark infringement case involving keyword advertising. The case revolved around M&S sponsoring “Interflora” as...
“App Store” v “Appstore” – Apple sues Amazon in US
Apple has filed proceedings against Amazon in the federal court for the Northern District of California in the US for choosing to call its marketplace for mobile applications the “Amazon Appstore”....
People accused of confidential information misuse have to give self-incriminatory evidence about themselves – Gray and Coogan v News Group Newspapers and Mulcaire, High Court
People who are accused of misusing confidential information have no immunity from giving self-incriminatory evidence, the High Court has ruled. In an action brought against News Group Newspapers and a...
Numbers can be registered as trade marks but hard hurdle of distinctiveness to overcome – Agencja Widawnicza Technopol v OHIM, European Court of Justice
The European Court of Justice has ruled that numbers can be registered as trade marks in the European Union. However, they would need to be shown to be distinctive and not descriptive. They were ruling...
UK Governments consult on Olympics ambush marketing regulations
The UK Government is consulting over the introduction of regulations that will govern advertising around the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to stop ambush marketing. Ambush marketing is the practice...
Comparative advertiser told not to fan the flames in unfair treatment of competitor’s trade marks – Kingspan v Rockwool, High Court
Kingspan made construction products that included insulation boards and panels made with plastic foams. Rockwool produced stone wool, which was used as the insulating core of panels made and sold by many...
Small local cafes around Olympic stadium in fight to keep name
Olympic Café, Café OIympic and Olympic Internet all trade on the same road in the vicinity of the Olympic stadium in East London. They were hoping to be part of the success story of the London 2012 Games,...
Fake Olympic clothing found in West End
6,500 items of counterfeit clothing, supposedly bearing the Olympic logo, has been seized in a West End raid. Westminster Council said that so many goods were found at the Oxford Street shop that they...
Online William Hill licensed gambling company loses gamble as 32RED found to be infringed by 32Vegas – 32Red plc v WHG (International) Limited, High Court
32RED plc, an online casino, had registered European Community Trade Marks for the word 32RED and a figurative one for 32 and Red, dating back to 2002. It also made a much later United Kingdom trade mark...