Intellectual Property UK

  • September 08, 2026

    UPC Confirms Fintech Co. Can Seek Patent Infringement Proof

    The Unified Patent Court has upheld a financial technology company's permission to inspect a rival's documents and data amid the pair's ongoing tax software infringement dispute.

  • September 08, 2026

    German Banking Group Can't Block 'Foxbank' TM In EU

    A German banking association has lost its challenge against a Swiss investment group's "Foxbank" trademark, failing to convince a European Union panel that consumers could mix up the name with its existing "Volksbank" trademark.

  • September 07, 2026

    Chanel Trims Beauty Co.'s Bid For 'Match Coco' TM

    Chanel has persuaded European officials to shave a Saudi trading company's application to register the trademark "Match Coco" for essential oils after showing that consumers could confuse the sign with its founder Coco Chanel.

  • September 07, 2026

    Ex-Director Denies Scheme To Poach Key Clients

    A former facilities management director has denied exploiting sensitive financial information in an effort to poach clients for a competitor, arguing that the business has failed to demonstrate it lost money as a result. 

  • September 07, 2026

    Wave Machine Biz Can't See Docs From Rival's UPC Case

    The Unified Patent Court has blocked a request from a U.S. wave machine manufacturer to see some evidence and written pleadings from an ongoing dispute between two of its rivals.

  • September 07, 2026

    Abbott Blocks Rival's Glucose Monitor Sales In Europe

    Abbott persuaded the Unified Patent Court on Monday to stop a Chinese rival selling some glucose-monitoring devices within Europe while their broader infringement dispute is still underway.

  • September 07, 2026

    Wendy's TM Revoked In 30-Year Battle With Dutch Snack Bar

    Wendy's has lost its European Union trademark rights after intellectual property officials found the fast-food giant had failed to show it had genuinely used the mark in the bloc, amid a 30-year battle with the owner of a Dutch fish and chip shop.

  • September 04, 2026

    EPO Details When Inconsistent Patent Specs Must Change

    The highest authority at the European Patent Office has held that written descriptions of European patents that are inconsistent with the patent claims must be amended when the discrepancy runs afoul of European patent guidelines.

  • September 04, 2026

    INTA Backs Famous Names For TMs In 'Orwell' Dispute

    The International Trademark Association has argued that famous names can function as trademarks, as the landmark dispute over trademark protections for the name "Orwell" heads to the European Union's courts.

  • September 04, 2026

    UPC Says Bailiffs Can't Quiz Staff When Collecting Evidence

    Appellate judges at the Unified Patent Court have ruled that bailiffs cannot question workers about technical details when visiting a company's premises to preserve evidence of possible infringement.

  • September 04, 2026

    Shiseido Defends 'Drunk Elephant' TM Applications At UKIPO

    Japanese cosmetics firm Shiseido's U.S. arm has defeated a challenge to several U.K. 3D trademark applications, proving that its 'Drunk Elephant' packaging is distinctive enough to function as a trademark.

  • September 04, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen institutional investors file new claims against British American Tobacco and Entain, Jellycat sue multiple British retailers in the patent court, and Shoosmiths LLP targeted in a claim by a property developer.

  • September 03, 2026

    Chinese Co. Barred From Selling Fiber Shipping Chains

    A Dutch court has granted an interim injunction to a unit of polymer manufacturer Avient Corp., ruling that a Chinese rival must stop infringing Avient's registered design for a synthetic-fiber chain used to move heavy cargo.

  • September 03, 2026

    German IP Boutiques Bonabry, Hamm&Wittkopp To Merge

    Intellectual property law firm Bonabry Partnerschaft von Rechtsanwälten has said that it will merge with Hamburg, Germany-based patent attorney firm Hamm&Wittkopp at the start of 2027 to establish itself as a pharmaceuticals-focused IP litigation boutique.

  • September 03, 2026

    Kraftwerk Loses Battle Over Song Sample Deemed 'Pastiche'

    The German Federal Court of Justice ruled Thursday that a producer's use of a Kraftwerk song snippet was a pastiche and did not infringe the electronic music group's copyright, ending an almost three-decade dispute.

  • September 03, 2026

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car Loses Battle Over EU Trademark 'E'

    Enterprise Rent-A-Car failed to block the trademark registration of a Dutch renewable energy company after the European Union's intellectual property office found that members of the public would not be confused between the two companies' logos.

  • September 03, 2026

    Shoe Biz Says Rival Copied Women's Sneaker Designs

    A U.K. shoe retailer has accused a rival of infringing its design rights over two kinds of women's sneakers, telling a London court that its opponent's shoes are so similar that they must be copycats.

  • September 02, 2026

    Hoffmann Eitle Hires Norton Rose IP Pro In Munich

    Intellectual property law firm Hoffmann Eitle has hired a former Norton Rose Fulbright patent litigator as a partner in Munich to boost its technology and strategic IP practice.

  • September 02, 2026

    Puma Can't Boot Out Safety Footwear Design In EU

    Puma failed Wednesday to persuade a European Union court to nix an Italian company's design for a shoe, as the court said shoppers would notice that the rival safety footwear looked very different from the sports giant's trainers. 

  • September 02, 2026

    LG Loses Bid For Video Coding Patent At EPO

    LG Electronics lost its bid to patent a video coding technique used in virtual reality headsets, as European appellate officials ruled there were no exceptional circumstances justifying its late amendments. 

  • September 02, 2026

    InterDigital Wins Another Injunction Against Disney At UPC

    The Unified Patent Court on Wednesday restricted Disney's ability to equip its streaming services with a screen-casting function in parts of Europe, marking another defeat in its ongoing clash with InterDigital.

  • September 02, 2026

    Birkenstock Can't Get German TM For Shoe Sole Pattern

    A German court has rejected Birkenstock's appeal seeking a trademark for its shoe sole pattern, ruling that the design lacks enough distinctive character to identify the origin of the company's footwear.

  • September 01, 2026

    Meta Beats UK Co. Suit Over Instagram Shopping For Now

    A California federal judge has ruled in favor of Meta in an antitrust suit from a British company alleging Meta stole its plan for Instagram shopping, saying the injuries that were alleged happened years before the complaint was filed.

  • September 01, 2026

    Korean Juicer Co. Can't Revive Amended UPC Patent Bid

    Korean company Hurom has failed to persuade the Unified Patent Court to revive patent protections for its motorized juicer, after appellate judges upheld a ruling that invalidated the patent and dismissed Hurom's infringement claims against a rival.

  • September 01, 2026

    JD Sports Unit Can't Register 'Banal' Slogan For Outdoor Garb

    An outdoor adventure clothing brand owned by JD Sports Fashion PLC can't register "Go Outdoors" as a trademark after European officials found that shoppers would read the sign as an instruction to experience nature rather than a badge of origin.

Expert Analysis

  • Design Rights Can Build IP Protection, EU Lego Ruling Shows

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    The EU General Court's recent ruling in Delta Sport v. EU Intellectual Property Office — that Lego's registered community design for a building block was valid — helps clarify when technically dictated designs can enjoy IP protection, and demonstrates how companies can strategically use design rights to protect and enhance their market position, says Christoph Moeller at Mewburn Ellis.

  • ECJ Ruling Clarifies Lawyer Independence Questions

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    The European Court of Justice's recent ruling in Bonnanwalt v. EU Intellectual Property Office, finding that a law firm had maintained independence despite being owned by its client, serves as a pivotal reference point to understanding the contours of legal representation before EU courts, say James Tumbridge and Benedict Sharrock-Harris at Venner Shipley.

  • Spartan Arbitration Tactics Against Well-Funded Opponents

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    Like the ancient Spartans who held off a numerically superior Persian army at the Battle of Thermopylae, trial attorneys and clients faced with arbitration against an opponent with a bigger war chest can take a strategic approach to create a pass to victory, say Kostas Katsiris and Benjamin Argyle at Venable.

  • Patent Plausibility Uncertainty Persists, EPO Petition Shows

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    While a recent petition for review at the European Patent Office — maintaining that the Board of Appeal misapplied the Enlarged Board of Appeal's order on whether a patent is "plausible" — highlights the continued uncertainty surrounding the plausibility concept, the outcome could provide useful guidance on the interpretation of orders, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • UMG-TikTok IP Rift Highlights Effective Rights Control Issues

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    Despite Universal Music Group's recent withdrawal of TikTok's licensing rights to its music catalog, the platform struggles to control uploads and reproductions of copyrighted material, highlighting the inherent tension between creative freedom and effective rights control in the age of social media, says Simon Goodbody at Bray & Krais.

  • Bribery Class Action Ruling May Revive Bifurcated Processes

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    The Court of Appeal's recent decision allowing the representative bribery action in Commission Recovery v. Marks & Clerk offers renewed hope for claimants to advance class claims using a bifurcated process amid its general absence as of late, say Jon Gale and Justin Browne at Ashurst.

  • Ocado Appeal Outcome Will Gauge UPC Transparency

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    As the sole Unified Patent Court case concerning third-party requests for court records, the forthcoming appeal decision in Ocado v. Autostore will hopefully set out a clear and consistent way to handle reasoned requests, as access to nonconfidential documents will surely lead to more efficient conduct of proceedings, says Tom Brazier at EIP.

  • Businesses Using AI Face Novel Privacy, Cybersecurity Risks

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    Rapid advancements in artificial intelligence are resulting in complex privacy and cybersecurity challenges for businesses, and with the forthcoming EU AI Act and enhancement of existing laws to ensure a high common level of security, key stakeholders should be empowered to manage associated risks, say lawyers at Goodwin.

  • Following The Road Map Toward Quantum Security

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    With the Financial Conduct Authority’s recent publication of a white paper on a quantum-secure financial sector, firms should begin to consider the quantum transition early — before the process is driven by regulatory obligations — with the goal of developing a cybersecurity architecture that is agile while also allowing for quantum security, say lawyers at Cleary.

  • AI Is Outpacing IP Law Frameworks

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    In Thaler v. Comptroller-General, the U.K. Supreme Court recently ruled that artificial intelligence can't be an inventor, but the discussion on the relationship between AI and intellectual property law is far from over, and it's clear that technology is developing faster than the legal framework, says Stephen Carter at The Intellectual Property Works.

  • New Reduced EPO Fees May Shift Applicant Demographics

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    The upcoming European Patent Office fee reduction scheme, aimed at helping smaller organizations access the patent system, is a positive step that could help shift the applicant demographic, which has typically been dominated by larger businesses, says Annabel Williams at Marks & Clerk.

  • Mitigating And Managing Risks Of AI Use In Private Equity

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    While generative artificial intelligence has the ability to transform private equity firms and their portfolio companies, its deployment brings inherent risks, including those presented by the forthcoming EU AI Act, requiring appropriate risk management strategies, processes and policies to be adopted, says Barry Fishley at Weil.

  • Aldi Design Infringement Case Highlights Assessment Issues

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    The forthcoming English Court of Appeal decision in Marks and Spencer v. Aldi, regarding the alleged infringement of design rights, could provide practitioners with new guidance, particularly in relation to the relevant date for assessment of infringement and the weight that should be attributed to certain design elements in making this assessment, say Rory Graham and Georgia Davis at RPC.

  • Generative AI Raises IP, Data Protection And Contracts Issues

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    As the EU's recent agreement on the Artificial Intelligence Act has fueled businesses' interest in adopting generative AI tools, it is crucial to understand how these tools utilize material to generate output and what questions to ask in relation to intellectual property, data privacy and contracts, say lawyers at Deloitte Legal.

  • Vodafone Decision Highlights Wide Scope Of UK's FDI Rules

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    The U.K. government’s recently imposed conditions required for its approval of Vodafone and Etisalat’s strategic relationship agreement under its National Security and Investment Act jurisdiction, illustrating the significance of the act as an important factor for transactions with a U.K. link, says Matthew Hall at McGuireWoods.

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