Intellectual Property UK

  • August 28, 2026

    Historic Winery Blocks Barilla's Bid For 'Alveari' TM

    Bodegas Alvear has convinced European officials to block Barilla from registering the trademark "Alveari" after demonstrating that the Italian food group risked free-riding on the reputation of its historic family-owned wine business. 

  • August 27, 2026

    Imperial Tobacco Can't Block Vape Maker's 'EPS' TM

    Imperial Tobacco has failed to persuade European officials to block a Hong Kong vape maker from registering the trademark "EPS," finding that consumers were unlikely to confuse it with the tobacco company's Formula One-linked cigarette brand JPS.

  • August 27, 2026

    P&G Loses EU Bid For 'Flash' TM Covering Cleaning Products

    A Spanish cosmetics company has convinced European officials to narrow Procter & Gamble's trademark application for "Flash" after it showed that shoppers might think the rival cleaning products were linked to its line of serums branded as "Flash Eye." 

  • August 27, 2026

    Huawei Unit Loses EPO Fight Over Self-Driving Data Patent

    European officials have dismissed a Huawei unit's bid to patent a data processing method for self-driving vehicles, ruling that existing technology already revealed the specific information needed to switch processing tasks.

  • August 27, 2026

    IV Drip Biz Wants £474K From Director Of Ex-Franchisee

    A provider of intravenous drips has denied misleading a former franchisee about whether it could operate without regulatory approval, telling a London court that its opponent's director should pay £474,200 ($644,100) after the deal ended early.

  • August 27, 2026

    Farming Biz Loses Appeal For 'BioHold' TM

    A U.S. farming company has failed to register "BioHold" as a trademark, after a European appeals panel found the term was too descriptive because consumers might understand it as offering enhanced fertilizer products.

  • August 26, 2026

    Samsung To Pay Swatch $12M Over Copycat Watch Apps

    A London court ordered Samsung on Wednesday to pay several Swatch brands $11.6 million for allowing third-party smartwatch apps that mimic existing luxury watch faces, far below the $170 million the brands had sought.

  • August 26, 2026

    Bayer Revives Medical AI Patent Application On Appeal

    A European appeals panel has rekindled Bayer's hunt for a medical artificial intelligence patent, ruling in a decision made public Wednesday that an earlier decision blocking the application was procedurally flawed.

  • August 26, 2026

    Vogue Beats 'Next Vogue' TM For Pet Toys

    The owners of Vogue magazine have convinced British officials to nix a pet company's trademark application for "Next Vogue," after proving that shoppers might think the pet toys were a new line of products from the Vogue fashion brand. 

  • August 26, 2026

    Philip Morris Loses Appeal For Broader Vape Patent 

    A board of appeal at the European Patent Office has dismissed Philip Morris' bid to maintain its patent for an electronic cigarette with multiple power supplies in broader form, ruling that earlier vapes had revealed key features of its preferred claims.

  • August 26, 2026

    Biggest EU, UK Copyright Developments Of 2026 So Far

    Regulators continued to drag their feet on AI regulation in the first half of 2026, but European justices took the opportunity to weigh in on post-Brexit copyright protections, and offered rare guidance on a relatively obscure copyright infringement defense.

  • August 26, 2026

    Moderna Settles COVID Vax Patent Case In Europe

    Moderna has settled a patent infringement claim in Europe targeting its COVID-19 vaccine after agreeing to pay at least $950 million to a U.S. drugmaker and its licensee, the Unified Patent Court has confirmed.

  • August 25, 2026

    Samsung Unit Attacks Takeda's Entyvio IP To Clear Biosimilar

    A Samsung unit has urged a London judge to nix a Takeda unit's patents protecting its Entyvio drug, arguing that the American rival's treatment for Crohn's disease was always invalid. 

  • August 25, 2026

    Sports Biz Says Gym King Abandoned 'Fight Division' TM

    A combat sports platform has denied it tried to capitalize on Gym King's reputation by using the "Fight Division" trademark, arguing that the athleisure brand had made only limited use of the name for several years.

  • August 25, 2026

    Amazon, Netflix Retain Video Patent Win At Top EPO Board

    The top appeals panel of the European Patent Office has upheld a successful challenge by Amazon and Netflix against a rival's video playback patent, refusing in a decision published Tuesday to revive the case.

  • August 25, 2026

    InterDigital Seeks Further 4K Streaming Curbs On Disney

    InterDigital said Tuesday that it has asked the Unified Patent Court to impose further restrictions on Disney's 4K streaming services in Europe, arguing that several injunctions have failed to halt the alleged infringement.

  • August 25, 2026

    Photographer Denies Infringing Former Agency's Copyright

    A photographer has denied infringing his former employer's copyright by allegedly marketing images that he took while still working at the company, telling a London court that the agency never owned the copyright in the first place.

  • August 24, 2026

    Biggest UK And EU Trademark Developments Of 2026 So Far

    For brand owners, the first half of 2026 has been reasonably quiet, but key guidance from the European Union's highest court and the U.K. courts on re-upping trademarks and a rare ruling from the U.K. Supreme Court leaves plenty to mull for those working in the fashion and food sectors.

  • August 24, 2026

    SharkNinja Wins UPC Bid To Ban Rival's Air Fryer Sales

    SharkNinja has won an appeal before a European patent court, securing an interim injunction barring a French rival from selling air-frying multicookers in France and Germany and overturning an earlier ruling that its patent was likely invalid.

  • August 24, 2026

    Volkswagen Can't Block Rival's 'AI Space' TM In EU

    Volkswagen has failed to persuade European officials to block a Chinese rival from registering the trademark "AI Space," after the German automaker fell short in proving it had used its "Allspace" brand commercially in the last five years. 

  • August 24, 2026

    Asus Can't Shield Sales Figures After Ericsson's UPC Win

    The Unified Patent Court ruled Monday that Asus cannot conceal its sales figures after waiting too long to seek confidentiality in Ericsson's successful semiconductor patent infringement case.

  • August 24, 2026

    Distributor Denies Infringing Pipe Connector Patent

    A distributor has denied infringing an opponent's patent for a tool that joins pipework without welding, telling a London court that it has not sold any goods that reproduce the protected invention.

  • August 21, 2026

    Danish Packaging Co. Defends Egg Carton Patent On Appeal

    A Danish packaging manufacturer has defeated a challenge to a narrower version of its patent over a sustainable egg carton made out of fibrous materials at Europe's patent court but failed to prove that a rival was infringing its locking system. 

  • August 21, 2026

    Garden Tools Biz Snips Challenge To Flower Bed Sheet IP

    A German garden equipment firm has convinced Europe's patent court to uphold an amended version of its garden edging system used for flower beds, since engineers at the time wouldn't have made certain components out of flexible material. 

  • August 21, 2026

    Munich Court Sets Framework For FRAND Findings

    Companies looking to license standard essential patents should be willing to pay an "undisputed portion" of the licensing fee the patent owner offers before one of Germany's most active FRAND forums can determine whether the offer is fair, according to fresh guidance from the court.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • How Life Science Companies Are Approaching UPC Opt-Outs

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    A look at recent data shows that one year after its launch, the European Union's Unified Patent Court is still seeing a high rate of opt-outs, including from large U.S.-based life science companies wary of this unpredictable court — and there are reasons this strategy should largely remain the same, say Sanjay Murthy and Christopher Tuinenga at McAndrews Held.

  • Lego Ruling Builds Understanding Of Design Exam Process

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    In Lego v. Guangdong Loongon, the European Union Intellectual Property Office recently invalidated a registered design for a toy figure, offering an illustrative guide to assessing the individual character of a design in relation to a preexisting design, says Christoph Moeller at Mewburn Ellis.

  • Protecting Trade Secrets In US, EU Gov't Agency Submissions

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    Attorneys at Mintz compare U.S. and European Union trade secret laws, and how proprietary information in confidential submissions to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency is protected in the face of third-party information requests under government transparency laws.

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