Intellectual Property UK

  • June 02, 2026

    Chanel Blocks Cosmetics Brand's Bid For 'Incoco' TM

    Chanel has successfully blocked a U.S. cosmetics brand from using the trademark "Incoco" for makeup and perfume products after demonstrating that consumers would associate the word with its founder Coco Chanel.

  • June 09, 2026

    Kirkland Hires Three New Square Barrister As IP Partner

    Kirkland & Ellis LLP has recruited an intellectual property barrister from Three New Square as a partner in its London office, adding experience in high-stakes life sciences litigation that involves companies such as Abbott and Teva.

  • June 02, 2026

    Birkenstock Can't Stop HK Biz Getting 'Madrix' TM In EU

    Birkenstock has failed to block a "Madrix" trademark application from a company based in Hong Kong after European Union officials ruled that there is no risk of confusion with the German shoemaker's "Madrid" line of sandals.

  • June 02, 2026

    High Court Gets Overhaul With New Business Division

    Lady Chief Justice Sue Carr unveiled plans on Tuesday to overhaul the High Court of England and Wales by creating a new business and property division that she said will provide "greater clarity for users."

  • June 01, 2026

    Bugatti Puts Brakes On EV Maker To Nix Rival's 'Veron' TM

    European officials have upheld Bugatti's challenge to a rival's trademark for "Veron," ruling that shoppers might confuse it with the luxury carmaker's "Veyron" brand.

  • June 01, 2026

    Visa Blocks 'Lovisa' Cosmetics TM Application In EU

    Visa has persuaded European Union officials to deny a Chinese individual's "Lovisa" trademark application, proving that shoppers could mistakenly think the logo is an extension of its "Visa" branding.

  • June 01, 2026

    Viral Labubu Toy Loses TM Protection To Turkish 'Bubu' Rival

    An Italian retailer has lost a trademark displaying the viral Labubu plush toy shown off by celebrities like Rihanna and David Beckham, after a Turkish stationery shop convinced European officials that shoppers were too accustomed to its earlier "Bubu" mark despite the Labubu toy's global craze. 

  • June 01, 2026

    Moldova Becomes 40th State To Join EU Patent Convention

    European officials said Monday that Moldova has officially become the 40th country to sign onto the European Patent Organization, giving businesses and inventors in the country broader access to patent protection after years of co-operation with the bloc.

  • June 01, 2026

    Budweiser Budvar Downs Aldi's 'Buval' Beer TM Hopes

    Czech brewer Budweiser Budvar has convinced the European Union to block Aldi's "Buval" trademark application, proving that drinkers could confuse the two brands in noisy bars and nightclubs.

  • June 01, 2026

    Honeywell Keeps Patent For Eco-Friendly Chemical Process

    Honeywell has persuaded a European appeals panel to uphold an amended version of its patent for a way of producing an environmentally friendly refrigerant chemical, defeating a Mexican rival's quest to void the patent entirely.

  • May 29, 2026

    Hitachi Can't Revive Bid To Patent Voltage-Surge Protector

    European appellate officials have rejected a Hitachi patent for a component that manages surge voltages in power transmission systems, ruling that there wasn't enough information allowing skilled engineers to make the two claimed versions. 

  • May 29, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen the billionaire who donated £5 million ($6.7 million) to Nigel Farage sue Ben Habib, the leader of far-right party Advance UK, for defamation; Mashreqbank bring claims against three subsidiaries of dissolved private equity giant Abraaj Group for commercial fraud; and the property and investment vehicle of the State of Kuwait be targeted by four real estate figures who filed a miscellaneous claim. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 29, 2026

    Squire Patton's New EU IP Head Sets Sights On UPC And AI

    After some false starts, Squire Patton Boggs is handling its first dispute at the Unified Patent Court, and new European IP and technology chief Carlton Daniel could not be happier to see the firm through its new foray into European patent litigation.

  • May 29, 2026

    Nokia Drops UPC Claim Against Lotus Following Settlement

    Nokia has withdrawn its infringement claim against Lotus and other brands owned by Geely in a European court a week after the Finnish firm said it had settled all litigation with the Chinese electric automaker over patents covering smart-car technology.

  • May 29, 2026

    Ferrero Cracks Confectioner's Bid For 'Vlinder' TM

    Ferrero has persuaded European officials to block a Saudi Arabian confectioner from registering the trademark "Vlinder: Chocolate" after demonstrating that consumers would likely believe it was connected to Ferrero's established "Kinder" chocolate range.

  • May 28, 2026

    HSBC Defeats Most Claims In First Citizens' Poaching Suit

    A California federal judge has dismissed the bulk of First Citizens Bank & Trust Co.'s suit against HSBC alleging the latter induced a mass resignation and misappropriated trade secrets, saying the court still didn't have any jurisdiction over some defendants and that an amended complaint had not cured issues with a previously dismissed complaint.

  • May 28, 2026

    Roche Revives Patent For Heart Risk Monitor At EPO

    Roche has won a second chance at defending its patent for predicting heart failure, after an appellate board found that an earlier cardiac-screening study didn't undermine its intellectual property because it used other testing methods to reach different results. 

  • May 28, 2026

    Brown University Can't Patent Body Shape Guessing Tech

    European appellate officials have rejected a Brown University patent covering technology that guesses a person's body shape to help them shop online or achieve their fitness goals, ruling that it was obvious to provide real height and weight constraints for better accuracy. 

  • May 28, 2026

    Drugmaker Disputes Challenge To Pet Vomiting Treatment

    A Dechra unit has pushed back against rival drugmaker Krka's attempt to revoke its injectable formula for treating vomiting in cats and dogs, insisting the patent has remained valid from the outset. 

  • May 28, 2026

    Stanford Gives Up Cancer Treatment Patent In Europe

    Stanford University has relinquished its European patent for a type of cancer treatment following a challenge from Pfizer and Danish biotech company Genmab, an appeals panel found in a ruling released Thursday.

  • May 28, 2026

    Unauthorized Red Bull Sales Did Little Harm, Wholesaler Says

    A wholesaler has partially admitted that it infringed Red Bull's trademark over its name by selling the energy drinks without authorization abroad, but told a London judge that the scale of the infringement was being exaggerated and the damages awarded should be minimal. 

  • May 28, 2026

    Jellycat Hits Next, Hamleys With String Of Passing-Off Claims

    Jellycat has hit three retailers, including High Street giants Next and Hamleys, in a series of trademark infringement and passing-off claims at the High Court.

  • May 27, 2026

    Property Co. Says 'Praxis' TM Confusion Led To Bad Reviews

    A real estate management company has accused a rival of infringing its "Praxis" trademark, telling a London court that unhappy apartment block residents were confused by the brands and had written negative online reviews against the wrong company about rats and damp. 

  • May 27, 2026

    Toyota Told Century TMs Conflict With Plant IP Protections

    The European Union has trimmed Toyota's applications for three trademarks for its "Century" car brand, ruling that the name cannot appear on goods that conflict with various plant variety protections.

  • May 27, 2026

    Diageo Knocks Out Tech Co.'s 'Soul' TM For Beverages

    Guinness owner Diageo has convinced European officials to revoke a company's "Soul" trademark for beers and other beverages, as officials held the company had not provided evidence of commercial use in the last five years. 

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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