Intellectual Property UK

  • June 17, 2026

    Hugo Boss Blocks Clothing Maker's 'Bossac' TM

    Hugo Boss AG has convinced European officials to block a business owner from registering the trademark "Bossac," after showing that shoppers might confuse the rival products with its own clothing range. 

  • June 17, 2026

    Lipstick-Maker Smacks Away Rival's Patent Attack

    European appellate officials have upheld a makeup company's patent for producing lipsticks, ruling that its method of supporting the special bullet-shaped mold that fills with lipstick was new compared to existing methods. 

  • June 17, 2026

    Formula One Hits Brakes On F1-Branded Coffee TM In EU

    Formula One has blocked an Italian individual's "F1 Gold Formule Caffe Espresso" trademark application, convincing European Union officials that there is a risk of confusion with the branding of the single-seater motorsport series.

  • June 17, 2026

    Red Bull Color Mark Trimmed Back To Energy Drinks Only

    Energy drinks giant Red Bull cannot use one of its color-combination blue and silver trademarks to sell other nonalcoholic drinks, after European officials found that it had not genuinely used the sign over all registered goods. 

  • June 17, 2026

    InterDigital Wins Disney+ Restrictions In 11 EU States

    InterDigital has secured a Unified Patent Court injunction against Disney over its video-coding patent in 11 European states, adding to separate injunctions it has already won in Germany and Brazil.

  • June 16, 2026

    Accord Sues Takeda Unit To Upend Crohn's Treatment Patents

    Accord has sued a unit of pharma giant Takeda to revoke two of its patents covering treatment regimens for Crohn's disease, arguing that similar methods were explored in research elsewhere before the unit sought patent protection.

  • June 16, 2026

    Penguin Blocks Football Club's Look-Alike Logo For Books

    Penguin Books partially persuaded European officials Monday to block a French football club from registering a logo using a black-and-white penguin for books and other publishing materials, amid concerns that the mark might free ride on its brand.

  • June 16, 2026

    FIFA Won't Pass On IP Defense At The World Cup

    Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham won't be the only ones who need to be on form at the World Cup as England kicks off its World Cup campaign on Wednesday — lawyers say that FIFA's IP enforcement squad will be scouting for illegal broadcasts and ambush marketing to ensure its rights are protected.

  • June 16, 2026

    German Uni Can't Claim Key Protein Sequencing Patent

    A German university has lost its fight for co-ownership of a patent covering crucial protein sequencing technology used for diagnostics and drugmaking, failing to convince a Munich court that the French owners of the patent pinched the invention.

  • June 16, 2026

    Rubik's Cube Owner Can't Block Use Of Toy In Sofa TM

    The owners of the Rubik's Cube toy have failed to convince European officials that an Italian sofa company should be prevented from using an image of the popular toy in its "Nisi Family" trademark to sell furniture. 

  • June 16, 2026

    Chinese Cos. Save Patent On Banknote Security Strip

    Two Chinese companies have convinced European appellate officials to revive their patent for an embedded security strip used on banknotes and credit cards, handing a loss to a security firm and plastics maker that argued its anti-counterfeiting magnetic strip wasn't new.

  • June 15, 2026

    EUIPO Trims 'Labubu' TM Amid Toymaker's Fight Over Fakes

    A Turkish stationery shop has partially persuaded European officials to reject an attempt by two individuals to register a trademark over "Labubu" in reference to the popular plush toy, amid broader efforts from toymaker Pop Mart to crack down on counterfeits and opportunistic trademark applicants. 

  • June 15, 2026

    OnlyFans Software Platform Denies Breaching Antitrust Laws

    An OnlyFans software platform has denied a rival company's claim that it breached competition law by failing to make user data readily available, telling a London court that it was under no obligation to do so.

  • June 15, 2026

    Henkel Can't Wash Away Unilever's Fragrant Detergent IP

    Unilever can patent a liquid detergent formula that helps clothes retain fragrance throughout different washing stages after European officials ruled that earlier compositions didn't divulge the secrets to its longer-lasting scent.

  • June 15, 2026

    Accord Challenges Novartis Blood Pressure Patent At Trial

    Accord told a London court Monday that protections for Novartis' blood pressure medication should be revoked, arguing that the patent does not pass the required legal tests.

  • June 15, 2026

    L'Oreal Wipes Away Rival 'Glamoreal' TM For Beauty Products

    L'Oreal has convinced European officials to revoke a Chinese company's mark for "Glamoreal," after showing that the rival would get an undeserved boost in sales as shoppers are likely to mistake its nail and eyelash products for L'Oreal ones. 

  • June 19, 2026

    Finnegan Taps Partner From Kirkland To Boost IP Team

    Finnegan has hired a new life sciences litigator from Kirkland & Ellis LLP with experience leading cases in the FRAND space, as it builds a stronger intercontinental team to deal with increasingly global disputes.

  • June 12, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen the FCA bring a claim against a fund manager it accused of providing investment services despite having been banned, an Ardmore unit sue a contractor two days before the construction group's collapse, and shipping and cruise giant MSC hit back at an entertainment company following separate intellectual property litigation in the U.S. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • June 12, 2026

    Kim Kardashian's 'Skims' Biz Voids 'Silk Skim' TM In EU

    Kim Kardashian's Skims shapewear company has persuaded European Union officials to rescind a "Silk Skim" trademark, proving that the brand could cause confusion among consumers.

  • June 12, 2026

    Novo Nordisk Widens Court Block On Fake Ozempic Sites

    Novo Nordisk secured an expanded court order Friday that prevents access to websites selling counterfeit versions of the drugmaker's Ozempic weight loss drug, shutting off a further seven domains.

  • June 12, 2026

    Siemens Hit With UPC Sales Ban Over Breast-Screening Tech

    Europe's patent court has ruled that a Siemens breast cancer screening system infringes a Hologic patent, granting the rival an injunction despite Siemens' claims that it would be disproportionate to recall the device even from universities. 

  • June 12, 2026

    Broadcom Unit Settles UPC Bluetooth Clash With Renault

    A Broadcom subsidiary has settled its Bluetooth infringement claim against Renault at the Unified Patent Court, adding to separate resolutions that the chipmaker has reached with Tesla and Nissan.

  • June 12, 2026

    Nivea Blocks Winemaker's 'Vinea' TM For Cosmetics

    The owner of cosmetics giant Nivea has successfully contested an Italian winemaker's bid to register the trademark "Vinea" after demonstrating that the name could confuse shoppers looking for Nivea's skincare cream range.

  • June 11, 2026

    Loop Earplugs Can't Block Medical Biz's 'Loop' TM

    Earplug manufacturer Loop has failed to convince European officials that a medical device maker's identical "Loop" trademark would confuse shoppers, as it operates in a completely different market.

  • June 11, 2026

    Amazon, InterDigital To Drop SEP Claims For Arbitration

    Amazon and InterDigital have agreed to drop all patent litigation between them and enter arbitration, putting to rest a high-profile international dispute over fair licensing terms that was poised to test the jurisdictional limits of the English courts.

Expert Analysis

  • IP Protection Still Elusive For Data Compilations In US And EU

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    As businesses continue to increase investment into artificial intelligence systems, questions arise as to whether they can own or legally protect data compiled by those systems. Currently, in the U.S. and EU, obtaining copyright protection for databases is difficult and trade secret protection requires policies and procedures to establish rights, say attorneys at Mayer Brown.

  • Perspectives

    Artisanal Miners' Roadblocks To Justice: Is A Path Clearing?

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    Efforts to give small-scale gold miners, who face displacement, pollution and violence at sites around the world, access to fair and functioning justice systems have met with apathy from politicians and fierce resistance from powerful business lobbies, but there are signs that this may be changing, says Mark Pieth, president of the Basel Institute on Governance.

  • How PTAB Is Applying New Patent Eligibility Guidance

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    Since the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released its revised patent eligibility guidance in January, the Patent Trial and Appeal Board has been reversing Section 101 rejections at a higher rate, say Nick Anderson and Braden Katterheinrich of Faegre Baker Daniels.

  • Keys To Successful AI Patents In The US And Europe

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    Unsurprisingly, the World Intellectual Property Organization recently reported that patent filings for artificial intelligence inventions are increasing rapidly. Stakeholders should be mindful of maintaining quality during this filing surge, says Drew Schulte of Haley Guiliano LLP.

  • 9 Ways To Prepare Your IP Rights For Brexit

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    Those with a European intellectual property portfolio should be considering how Brexit — scheduled for March 29 — will affect EU trademarks and registered community designs, says Paula Jill Krasny of Levenfeld Pearlstein LLC.

  • 'Biosimilar V. Biosimilar' Patent Case May Be First Of Many

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    ​While the idea of patent disputes between makers of follow-on drugs is nothing new​, the complaint recently filed by Coherus against Amgen in Delaware federal court is unique in that it pits one biosimilar developer against another, say attorneys with Goodwin Procter LLP.

  • UK Patent Law: Hot Topics Of 2018 And What's Ahead

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    English courts have been active in the past year, grappling with patent topics like plausibility and equivalents, and 2019 promises to be another exciting year as English patent lawyers await developments on obviousness, insufficiency and employee inventor compensation, says Jin Ooi of Kirkland & Ellis LLP.

  • Coordinating Patent Strategies Across PTAB And EPO

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    The positions, arguments and prior art raised in U.S. post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board may influence European Patent Office oppositions involving counterpart cases. Understanding the procedural similarities and differences between the two jurisdictions is key, says Drew Schulte of Haley Guiliano LLP.

  • New EU Patent Guidelines May Affect Companies' AI Strategy

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    As compared to the European Patent Office’s guidelines for artificial intelligence and machine learning — which take effect on Thursday — the U.S. eligibility framework may prove to be more favorable to innovators, say Jennifer Maisel and Eric Blatt of Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck PC​​​​​​​.

  • Intellectual Property Caught In US-China Trade Crossfire

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    Earlier this year, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese products as a response to China’s trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation. The U.S.-Chinese trade war highlights the need to approach investments in China differently, taking a broad view of intellectual assets and looking beyond basic legal protection, says Holly White, a consultant at Rouse & Co.

  • Patent Eligibility Assessments: US Approach Vs. UK Approach

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    Techniques used to address questions of obviousness in the U.K. may prove useful to practitioners addressing questions of patent eligibility in the U.S., say Christopher Carroll and Charles Larsen of White & Case LLP.

  • Surveying The CRISPR Patent War

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    Following this week’s oral argument at the Federal Circuit in University of California v. Broad Institute, there has been a surge of interest in the long-running CRISPR patent dispute. There are battles raging on multiple fronts, particularly in Europe, with several more on deck in the U.S., and maybe even in China, says Michael Stramiello of Paul Hastings LLP.

  • UK Patent Ruling Sharpens Contrast With US Practice

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    The U.K. Court of Appeal's decision last month in Regeneron v. Kymab is significant because it aligns the U.K.’s approach to the assessment of insufficiency with that of the European Patent Office. It also highlights, for U.S. companies, the stricter standard to which patent specifications are subject in Europe, say Edward Kelly and Regina Sam Penti of Ropes & Gray LLP.

  • IP Considerations For UK Open Banking App Developers

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    Since January of this year, consumer-facing banks in the U.K. have been required to make customers' banking data available to authorized third parties in a standardized format. As competition between open banking app developers increases, intellectual property rights will become a key legal tool, say Rajvinder Jagdev and Peter Damerell of Powell Gilbert LLP.

  • The Case For Early Mediation Or Arbitration In IP Disputes

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    Alternative dispute resolution is one of the best ways to resolve disputes involving patents, copyright, trademark, trade secrets and other intellectual property issues. While not every situation lends itself to ADR, it is more accessible than many parties assume, says Jerry Cohen of Burns & Levinson LLP.

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