Intellectual Property UK

  • December 01, 2025

    Takeda Defends UK Patent Protection For ADHD Drug Elvanse

    Takeda has swung back after a German rival asked a London court to call time on its extended patent protections for the ADHD treatment Elvanse, arguing that its U.K. supplementary protection certificate covering the drug is valid.

  • December 01, 2025

    EU Launches IP Protections For Regional Crafts

    The European Union launched a dedicated system on Monday to protect the names of craft and industrial products whose characteristics can be attributed to their geographic origin, in a longstanding effort to boost intellectual property protections for regionally produced artisanal products. 

  • December 01, 2025

    EU Blocks 'European Basketball League' TM

    A U.S. company has failed to net a "European Basketball League" trademark in the European Union, giving up on its challenge against an earlier ruling that the sign lacks any distinctive character.

  • November 28, 2025

    Regeneron Claims Biocon Drug Mimics Its Patented Medicine

    Regeneron Pharmaceuticals has countersued Biocon to block it from infringing on its patents upholding its medication to treat macular degeneration, denying that the Indian pharmaceutical group's formulation would not infringe on its intellectual property in the U.K.

  • November 28, 2025

    Building Cladding Co. Hits Back At Bid To Nix Fire Safety IP 

    A building facade supplier has asserted that a cladding specialist is infringing its patent and design rights, pointing out that the rival's director had toured its factory years ago and received a demonstration of the products he later copied. 

  • November 28, 2025

    Loft Supplies Co. Takes Aim At Rival's UK Patents

    A loft supplies company has denied infringing a rival's flooring system patents, telling a London court that the U.K. registrations are not valid because they contain nothing inventive.

  • November 28, 2025

    Financial Analysts' Body Suffers Blow In Fight Over 'CEFA' TM

    The European Federation of Financial Analysts Societies has lost its bid to register a trademark for "CEFA EFFAS Certified European Financial Analyst" as a European court ruled that examiners had correctly found it was too similar to an existing sign. 

  • November 28, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen the National Crime Agency target an Azerbaijan politician and a subsidiary of Withers over a disputed £50 million ($66 million) property portfolio, the eldest son of a British aristocratic family challenge the trustees of their multimillion-pound estate, and a sports lawyer suspected of dishonesty face action by the Solicitors Regulation Authority following his firm's closure.

  • November 28, 2025

    French Clothing Biz Wins 'Sol' TM Battle At UKIPO

    A French clothing company has persuaded U.K. officials to block a British opponent's "Sol Sleep" and "Sol Beach" trademark applications, proving that shoppers could mix up the brand with its earlier "SOL'S" registration.

  • November 27, 2025

    Merz Loses Bid To Block Viatris In Unified Patent Court

    Merz has failed to persuade the Unified Patent Court to order a preliminary injunction barring rival Viatris Santé from infringing its supplementary patent protections for its multiple sclerosis treatment, marking the first time the court has considered an injunction application for supplementary protections.

  • November 27, 2025

    Gorgon Music Hits Back Over Bunny Lee Reggae Catalog

    Gorgon Music has asserted that two subsidiaries of German media giant BMG failed to promote the music of dead reggae producer Bunny "Striker" Lee and therefore breached their licensing deals, meaning they were no longer enforceable. 

  • November 27, 2025

    Nuclear Energy Biz Can't Use 'Smartfuel' TM In EU

    A nuclear energy company has lost its attempt to secure a "Smartfuel" trademark in the European Union, failing to prove that the sign isn't descriptive of all the goods it would appear on.

  • November 27, 2025

    Amgen Wins UPC Appeal To Revive Cholesterol Drug Patent

    Amgen has persuaded an appeals panel at the Unified Patent Court to restore its patent for cholesterol-lowering drug Repatha, overturning a previous victory for rival drugmakers Sanofi and Regeneron.

  • November 27, 2025

    US Designer Sues Furniture Village Over 'Alaska' Line Theft

    A furniture designer has accused a manufacturer of commissioning a series of designs and then stealing them, arguing that significant features of its protected "Alaska" concept range could be seen in the U.K. company's products. 

  • November 27, 2025

    AbbVie Unit Fails To Revive Dermal Filler Patent On Appeal

    A European appeals panel has rejected an AbbVie subsidiary's quest to restore a dermal filler patent following a challenge from a German rival, saying that the contents of the blueprint are unnecessarily broad.

  • November 26, 2025

    Judges Spare Edwards Heart Valve Protections In UPC Appeal

    Edwards Lifesciences has convinced judges at the Unified Patent Court's appeals body to spare amended patent protections underpinning its heart valve technology, in a judgment that sees judges clarify the European patent court's approach to analyzing whether a patent is inventive.

  • November 26, 2025

    Boots Denies Copying Travel Products Co.'s Pillow Design

    Boots has pushed back against claims that it is infringing a design for a travel pillow, arguing that any elements it was accused of poaching were actually common design features used by all to ensure that the product functions.

  • November 26, 2025

    Prada's Miu Miu Beats Beauty Co.'s 'Fiu Fiu' TM

    Prada has succeeded in blocking a Polish beauty company's attempt to register the name "Fiu Fiu Beauty Concept" as a European trademark, after officials ruled the branding was too close to the luxury fashion group's "Miu Miu" label.

  • November 26, 2025

    LG Loses Bid To Patent Video Compression Tech In EU

    European officials have rejected LG's attempt to patent a video-coding method designed to compress file sizes without reducing streaming quality, ruling that the invention was obvious to a skilled coder in the industry.

  • November 26, 2025

    Pets Retailer Fails To Snub Rival's 'BfPetHome' TM

    European officials have dismissed a pet shop chain's second attempt to nix a Chinese entrepreneur's trademark for "BfPetHome," ruling that shoppers would be able to appreciate that the British Pets at Home brand wasn't making the rival dog beds.

  • November 26, 2025

    UK Pharma Biz Settles Patent Fight Over Blood Pressure Drug

    A British pharmaceutical company has ended its challenge against a rival's patent for a treatment that lowers high blood pressure, inking a settlement that brings the dispute in a London court to a close.

  • November 25, 2025

    Adidas Voids Music Artist's 'Adidrip' UK Trademarks

    Adidas has persuaded U.K. officials to void a music artist's "Adidrip" trademarks, proving that the logo takes unfair advantage of the reputation vested in its longstanding Adidas marks.

  • November 25, 2025

    Gap's Athleta Fights To Revive UK Trademark Protections

    The Gap Inc.'s sportswear brand Athleta urged the Court of Appeal on Tuesday to reinstate one of its trademark protections, arguing that the judge who revoked the trademark did not do a proper assessment of its genuine use or distinctiveness.

  • November 25, 2025

    Asda's Mutant Mandarins Breached IP Rights, French Co. Says

    Supermarket chain Asda infringed on the rights to a protected type of mandarin orange by selling a variety derived through irradiation, the French owner of the rights said at the start of a trial in London on Tuesday

  • November 25, 2025

    EV Charging Biz Loses Appeal Over 'Chargebyte' TM

    A European Union appeals panel has refused to revive a German company's quest for a "Chargebyte" trademark covering electric vehicle charging, ruling that there is a risk of confusion with a Spanish rival's "Chargevite" mark.

Expert Analysis

  • What New Int'l Treaty Means For Global AI Regulation

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    Lawyers at Bird & Bird consider how global artificial intelligence regulation will be affected by the first international AI treaty recently signed by the U.S., EU and U.K., as well as its implications for business and several issues that stakeholders should be aware of.

  • HMRC Transfer Pricing Guide A Vital Resource For Businesses

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    HM Revenue & Customs' recent guidelines on common transfer pricing compliance risks should be required reading for affected businesses in indicating HMRC's expected benchmark for documents and policies, say Tomoko Ikawa and Kapisha Vyas at Simmons & Simmons.

  • Comparing Apples To Oranges In EPO Claim Interpretation

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    A referral before the Enlarged Board of Appeal could fundamentally change the role that descriptions play in claims interpretation at the European Patent Office, altering best drafting practices for patent applications construed there, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • Why India May Become A Major Patent Litigation Forum

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    India is reinventing itself with the goal of becoming a global hot spot for patent litigation, with recent developments at the Delhi High Court creating incentives for plaintiffs to assert patent rights in India, say Ranganath Sudarshan at Covington and IP litigator Udit Sood.

  • Takeaways From UPC's Amgen Patent Invalidity Analysis

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    The Unified Patent Court Central Division's decision in Regeneron v. Amgen to revoke a patent for lack of inventive step is particularly clear in its reasoning and highlights the risks to patentees of the new court's central revocation powers, say Jane Evenson and Caitlin Heard at CMS.

  • UK Approach To AI Patentability Appears Settled For Now

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    After a High Court ruling upended the status quo last year, the Court of Appeal’s recent decision that Emotional Perception’s artificial neural network is not patentable represents a return to the U.K.’s familiar, albeit often complex, approach to patentability of artificial intelligence technology and computer programs generally, say lawyers at Potter Clarkson.

  • AI Reforms Prompt Fintech Compliance Considerations

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    With the EU Artificial Intelligence Act's Aug. 1 enforcement, and the U.K.'s new plans to introduce AI reforms, fintech companies should consider how to best focus limited resources as they balance innovation and compliance, says Nicola Kerr-Shaw at Skadden.

  • 10 Ways To Manage AI Risks In Service Contracts

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    With the European Union Artificial Intelligence Act coming into force on Aug. 1 and introducing a new regulatory risk, and with AI technology continuing to develop at pace, parties to services arrangements should employ mechanisms now to build in flexibility and get on the front foot, says James Longster at Travers Smith.

  • What Future May Hold For AI Innovation In UK Under Labour

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    Labour’s recent King's Speech was notable in its absence of discussion of a comprehensive artificial intelligence bill, and while this may indicate to many that the UK is open for business, the party’s approach to cross-sectoral engagement will be critical for shaping Britain's AI landscape in the near term, says Alexander Amato-Cravero at Herbert Smith.

  • Don't Wing Settlements: Lessons From Morley's TM Ruling

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    In Morley's v. Sivakumar, the Intellectual Property Enterprise Court recently found that a fast-food franchiser had breached a fried chicken franchise's trademark rights, despite a prior settlement agreement, offering lessons on drafting express terms to ensure IP protection, say Nessa Khandaker and Clare Cornell at Finnegan.

  • Use Or Lose It: European TM Ruling Stresses 'Genuine Use'

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    The European Union General Court recently dismissed an action to revoke trademark protections for a lack of use in Sta Grupa v. EU Intellectual Property Office, offering significant insight into the intricacies of assessing evidence of genuine use in revocation actions, says Sumi Nadarajah at FRKelly.

  • 1 Year At The UPC: Implications For Transatlantic Disputes

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    In its first year, the Unified Patent Court has issued important decisions on procedures like provisional measures, but complexities remain when it comes to coordinating proceedings across jurisdictions like the U.S. due to differences in timelines and discovery practices, say attorneys at McDermott.

  • Trends, Tips From 7 Years Of EPO Antibody Patent Appeals

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    Recent years of European Patent Office decisions reveal some surprising differences between appeals involving therapeutic antibody patents and those for other technologies, offering useful insight into this developing area of European case law for future antibody patent applicants, say Alex Epstein and Jane Evenson at CMS.

  • Companies Trading In The EU Should Heed Mondelēz Ruling

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    The European Commission’s recent €337.5 million fine of Mondelēz is the latest decision targeting restrictions on EU cross-border trade, and serves as a warning to companies active in the region to check their contracts and practices for illegal restraints, and to perform audits to ensure compliance, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.

  • 4 Takeaways From Biotech Patent Invalidity Ruling

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    The recent Patents Court decision in litigation between Advanced Cell Diagnostics and Molecular Instruments offers noteworthy commentary on issues related to experiments done in the ordinary course of business, joint importation, common general knowledge and mindset, and mosaicking for anticipation, say Nessa Khandaker and Darren Jiron at Finnegan.

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