Intellectual Property UK

  • May 18, 2026

    Bayer Nixes Generic's Anticoagulant Patent

    Bayer has persuaded European appellate officials to ditch a Slovenian drugmaker's patent over a compound that helps prevent blood clots, after showing that it lacked key information scientists needed to make the drug. 

  • May 18, 2026

    Fashion Brand Alaïa Blocks Chinese Rival's 'Ailiai' TM

    French fashion house Alaïa has convinced European officials to partially nix a Chinese shoemaker's mark, as shoppers looking to buy high-end handbags and clothes from the luxury brand might be tricked into buying the rival's products. 

  • May 18, 2026

    Ebay Blocks 'BotBay' TM Application From Croatian Biz

    EBay has halted a Croatian company's "BotBay" trademark application, convincing European Union officials that consumers could see the logo as an extended brand of its popular online marketplace.

  • May 18, 2026

    Monster Fails To Get 'Pink Poison' Hard Seltzer TM

    The brewing branch of energy drinks giant Monster has failed to secure a European Union trademark for its "Pink Poison" hard seltzer after a French winery proved that there is a risk of confusion with its earlier "Poison Rose" brand.

  • May 15, 2026

    Guy Laroche Wins EUIPO Fight Over Lookalike 'G' Logo

    Guy Laroche has convinced European officials to block an online retailer from registering a stylized "G" logo as a trademark, with the French fashion brand proving that consumers would likely confuse them at face value.

  • May 15, 2026

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    The past week in London has seen singer Rita Ora be sued by her management company, the billionaire Gertner brothers file a part 8 claim and Stephenson Harwood lodge a debt claim against a member of the Bulgari jewelry dynasty. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 15, 2026

    EU Asks How To Balance IP Rights With AI Boom

    The European Commission is asking experts how best to strengthen copyright enforcement and licensing laws in response to the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, while "making it easier" for generative AI companies to access their works.

  • May 15, 2026

    Merck Blocks Rival's Access To Secret Files In Trademark Row

    German drugmaker Merck KGaA successfully blocked pharmaceutical rival Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC from accessing a cache of confidential files which featured in a trademark dispute between the pair, as a London court ruled Friday that MSD is contractually bound not to use the documents.

  • May 15, 2026

    VW, DHL Counterfeit Car Key Battle Heads To Top Dutch Court

    A Dutch judge is set to refer a dispute between VW and DHL over a shipment of allegedly counterfeit car keys to the nation's top court, aiming to clarify whether the Dutch or German courts have jurisdiction to hear the case.

  • May 15, 2026

    Invisalign Maker Loses Bid For Early Injunction At UPC

    An orthodontics company has failed to secure an injunction barring a rival from selling clear aligners after the Unified Patent Court found that it relied too heavily on marketing materials that failed to show any identical features. 

  • May 15, 2026

    Brandsmiths Client Hit With Costs Penalty Over SRA Threat

    A London court has ordered a discount retailer to pay indemnity costs, finding the company's solicitors Brandsmiths misused criminal contempt proceedings and threatened to report their opposition lawyers to the profession's regulator in an attempt to gain leverage in a trademark dispute.

  • May 15, 2026

    Klarna Wins Battle For 'K.' TM For Non-Banking Services

    A European court has rejected Klarna's bid to obtain exclusive rights over a "K." trademark in the banking world, but allowed the fintech firm to keep its logo registered over a range of non-financial services despite a Spanish rival's attacks. 

  • May 15, 2026

    Jo Malone, Zara Deny Infringing Estée Lauder Owner's IP

    British perfumer Jo Malone and the owner of Zara have denied infringing "Jo Malone" trademarks belonging to Estée Lauder Companies, telling a London court that shoppers would know the difference between the business and its founder.

  • May 15, 2026

    Paul Weiss, Gibson Dunn Guide Deal For LVMH's Marc Jacobs

    Luxury goods giant LVMH said it has agreed to sell its Marc Jacobs fashion brand to a 50-50 joint venture between G-III Apparel Group and brand management company WHP Global.

  • May 14, 2026

    Asics Loses Bid To Protect Midsole Design In EU

    Asics has failed to persuade European officials to protect a design on the side of its shoes, finding that shoppers would likely view it as a decorative choice rather than a recognizable feature of the Japanese brand.

  • May 14, 2026

    Top EU Court's Meta Ruling May Spark Copycat Regulations

    Europe's highest court has empowered publishers to secure fair payment from social media companies sharing their work, in a ruling that could encourage more national lawmakers to introduce similar measures, lawyers say.

  • May 14, 2026

    OnlyFans Software Biz Says Rival Breached Antitrust Laws

    A company that makes software for OnlyFans creators has denied unlawfully accessing another platform's user data, telling a London court that its rival has breached competition law by failing to make the data readily available.

  • May 14, 2026

    Novo Nordisk Secures Web Block On Ozempic Counterfeits

    Novo Nordisk has convinced a London judge to block access to several websites selling counterfeit versions of its diabetes and weight loss drug Ozempic, after showing that the risks to public health were too great. 

  • May 14, 2026

    Bayern Star Musiala Nets 'MagicM' TM Victory At EUIPO

    Bayern Munich player Jamal Musiala has fought off a challenge to his "MagicM" trademark application in the European Union, proving that shoppers would not mistake the sign for a cosmetics maker's earlier "Miss Magic" marks.

  • May 13, 2026

    Nokia Ruling Maps Route To Arbitration In UK FRAND Cases

    Nokia has offered a glimpse into the future of standard-essential patent licensing disputes in London by persuading an appeals court to let arbitrators take the reins, with lawyers expecting other patent holders to follow suit.

  • May 13, 2026

    Sumitomo Wins Bid To Revive Fibre Cable Patent Application

    British officials have given Sumitomo another shot at patenting an optic fiber cable, ruling that it had improved on earlier technology by adding a multifibre connector before the cable is laid down.

  • May 13, 2026

    Louis Vuitton Smashes Glassmaker's Bid To Nix 'LV' Logo

    Luxury French fashion house Louis Vuitton has successfully defended its signature "LV" logo against a Turkish glassware brand, after British officials found that consumers would be able to pick the two brands apart.

  • May 13, 2026

    Asterix Publisher Revives Challenge To 'Obelix' TM On Appeal

    A European court ruled Wednesday that the publisher behind the Asterix comic franchise can continue challenging a Polish arm maker's "Obelix" trademark, finding officials failed to consider that consumers would recognize the character outside of the series.

  • May 13, 2026

    Artist Sues Everton FC Over Unlicensed Stadium Artwork

    An artist has accused Everton Football Club of displaying a reproduction of one of his works at its stadium without his consent, costing him thousands of pounds in potential licensing fees.

  • May 12, 2026

    Frasers Wins Appeal To Dodge Payout In 10-Year TM Dispute

    A London appeals court said Tuesday that Frasers does not need to pay damages to reflect the losses of various sublicensees of trademarks that it infringed around 10 years ago, ruling that the claim came too late.

Expert Analysis

  • EU Act Establishes Data Sharing Rules, But Hurdles Remain

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    The recently effective European Union Data Act provisions establish harmonized rules to unlock the use of data generated by technology-embedded software, but leave practical challenges that organizations will need to navigate to comply with cross-border requirements, say lawyers at King & Spalding.

  • 5 Ways To Address The Legal Risks Of Employee AI Use

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    Employees’ use of unauthorized artificial intelligence tools has become a regulatory issue, and in-house legal counsel are best placed to close the gap between governance controls and innovation, mitigating the risk of organizations' exposure to noncompliance with European Union and U.K. data protection requirements, say lawyers at MoFo.

  • EU-US Data Transfer Ruling Offers Reassurance To Cos.

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    The European Union General Court’s recent upholding of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework in Latombe v. European Commission, although subject to appeal, provides companies with legal certainty for the first time by allowing the transfer of European Economic Area personal data without relying on alternative mechanisms, say lawyers at Wilson Sonsini.

  • Between The Lines Of EPO's Adoption Of Color Drawings

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    The European Patent Office's decision to accept patent drawings in color starting in October may enhance clarity in technical disclosures and streamline the examination process, and could also enable new patent filing strategies for international applicants, say attorneys at Miller Canfield.

  • How WTO's Anti-Suit Injunction Ruling Affects IP Stakeholders

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    The World Trade Organization's recent ruling in favor of the European Union's challenge to Chinese courts' anti-suit injunction practices should hearten holders of standard-essential patents, while implementers can take solace that they retain mechanisms to distinguish the WTO decision when seeking anti-suit injunctions in U.S. courts, says Michael Franzinger at Dentons.

  • How Logo Confusion Ruling Expands TM Protection

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    The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Iconix v. Dream Pairs confirms that postsale confusion is actionable in trademark infringement claims, and also warns appellate courts to not rewrite lower courts' factual analyses, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.

  • IP Considerations As UK Maintains Exhaustion Regime

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    The U.K. government's decision to keep its existing regime of exhaustion of intellectual property rights means IP owners should review their existing and new European distribution agreements to account for the different regimes in the U.K. and European Union, says Rebecca Anderson-Smith at Mewburn Ellis.

  • EPO Ruling On Claim Interpretation Will Have Broad Impact

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    The European Patent Office Enlarged Board of Appeal’s recent decision, finding that the description and drawings in a patent should always be consulted to interpret claims, will fundamentally change how the EPO interprets patent claims in both examination and opposition proceedings, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • Challenges Law Firms Face In Recruiting Competitor Teams

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    Since the movement of lawyer teams from a competitor can bring legal considerations and commercial risks into play, both the target and recruiting firms should be familiar with the relevant limited liability partnership deed to protect their business, say lawyers at Fox & Partners.

  • Fashion IP Lessons From UK Design Rights Ruling

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    The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court’s recent ruling in Edwards v. Boohoo.com illustrates the challenges that independent designers face when attempting to enforce unregistered design rights in an era dominated by fast fashion, while also highlighting the utility of the IPEC, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • Should Patent Disputes Be Filed In The ITC Or UPC?

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    When companies must choose between initiating patent litigation in the U.S. International Trade Commission or the European Union's Unified Patent Court, the ITC may offer a few distinct advantages, but ultimately the decision requires consideration of case-specific factors, say attorneys at White & Case.

  • Prospects And Challenges For Expert Evidence At The UPC

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    Expert testimony on economic or damages-related issues will likely play a larger part in Unified Patent Court proceedings in the near future, potentially presenting unique challenges for experts, counsel and judges alike, say analysts at Charles River.

  • Strategies For Litigating In The Unified Patent Court

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    Since opening its gates two years ago, the European Unified Patent Court has transformed the patent litigation landscape and global litigation strategies, but parties seeking to take advantage of the court's robust processes must be prepared for the front-loaded character of UPC proceedings, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Incorporating UKIPO Guidance Into AI Patent Strategies

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    Updated guidance from the U.K. Intellectual Property Office sheds light on how it assesses patents for artificial intelligence inventions and highlights approaches that improve applicants' options for demonstrating that AI provides a technical contribution, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • Clarity On Knotty Patent Jurisdiction Questions From CJEU

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    The recent ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union in BSH v. Electrolux sheds light on how the jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court competes with that of the EU member state courts over infringement and validity actions, and could extend international jurisdiction of the EU courts in several ways, say lawyers at August Debouzy.

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