Intellectual Property UK

  • August 27, 2025

    Taylor Wessing Wins Access To Confidential UPC Docs

    Law firm Taylor Wessing has convinced judges at the Munich Local Division of the Unified Patent Court to hand over key confidential documents in a now-terminated standard essential patent claim brought by Japanese electronics giant NEC against Chinese multinational TCL.

  • August 27, 2025

    Crochet Animal Kit Maker Says Rival Stole Website Images

    A U.S. crochet kit maker has sued a Hong Kong-registered rival in London, alleging that the competitor has copied its product photographs to sell similar items online.

  • August 27, 2025

    Blur Drummer Can't Bring Class Action Over Royalties

    The specialist antitrust court refused on Wednesday to certify a collective action led by Blur drummer Dave Rowntree after determining that the proposed definition of class members in the distribution of royalties claim is too broad.

  • August 27, 2025

    Nestle Beats Danone's Challenge To Anxiety Treatment Patent

    European officials have upheld a Nestle patent for an anxiety treatment that can be taken as a supplement or as margarine on toast, after a Danone brand failed to prove its use of triglycerides was obvious.

  • August 27, 2025

    Designer Loses Bid To Claim Unpaid Royalties Over Typeface

    A London judge has ruled that a font designer was abusing the court process by bringing a claim for unpaid royalties against a type foundry because it related to matters they had already settled.

  • August 26, 2025

    UPC Rules Lawyers Can Decline 'Linked' Infringement Cases

    The Unified Patent Court has ruled that lawyers who had represented a Chinese hearing implant company in preliminary proceedings do not have to accept service for an infringement claim from its Austrian rival Med-El.

  • August 26, 2025

    Condé Nast Owner Beats Greek Pet Store's 'Pet Vogue' TM

    The owner of Condé Nast has convinced European officials to block a Greek pet store business from registering the mark "Pet Vogue," because those shopping for toy animals and retail services for pet products might think they were being sold by its Vogue magazine brand. 

  • August 26, 2025

    Luxury Streetwear Brand Off-White Blocks Watches' 'OW' TM

    The owner of Swiss watch brand Ollech & Wajs has lost its bid to register a trademark for "OW" over watches, after luxury streetwear brand Off-White convinced European officials that shoppers might confuse it with its earlier "OW" sign. 

  • August 26, 2025

    UPC Pulls New Mannheim Judge From National Court

    The Unified Patent Court said Monday it has appointed a legally qualified judge at a local division in Germany, after the presiding judge resigned.

  • August 26, 2025

    Google Beats Gazprom's 'GPAY' TM In EU

    Google has persuaded European officials to block Russian energy firm Gazprom from registering "GPAY" as a trademark, as consumers might confuse it with the technology giant's payment services application known as GPay.

  • August 22, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen football manager Bruno Lage sue the owner of Olympique Lyonnais and Botafogo football clubs, luxury fashion brand Christian Dior Couture target a jewelry business trading under the same name, and a Russian motorsports promoter take action against Formula One after it canceled its Russian Grand Prix in 2022.

  • August 22, 2025

    Sony Group Stumbles In 2nd Shot At Video Patent

    Sony Group could not sway appellate officials at the European Patent Office to upend a decision to deny its patent for information processing technology for digital video, despite additional amendments to the patent, according to a decision published Friday.

  • August 22, 2025

    Philip Morris Gets Burned In Vaping Patent Fight But Keeps IP

    European officials have dismissed British American Tobacco's bid to nix a Philip Morris patent over a vaping device, but refused to allow a further amendment setting a minimum temperature for a heating component.

  • August 22, 2025

    Juice Bar Claims Rival Misused 'Boost' TM For Years

    A juice bar company has alleged that a rival used its registered "Boost" trademark for almost four years to promote and sell drinks that were identical to its own.

  • August 22, 2025

    Polo Club Brand Owner Tramples Rival's 2nd TM Challenge

    The owner of the Beverly Hills Polo Club brand has again rebuffed a lawyer's bid to revoke its trademark over its brand name, as appellate officials dismissed claims that an image of a mounted polo player was misleading shoppers into thinking the owner was actually a polo club. 

  • August 22, 2025

    UK Launches Formal Probe Into Getty-Shutterstock Merger

    Britain's antitrust authority said Friday that it has launched a formal investigation into the proposed merger of Getty Images and Shutterstock, which would create a $3.7 billion visual content company, to decide whether it will harm competition in U.K. markets.

  • August 21, 2025

    UPC's Arbitration Center Gears Up For 2026 Launch

    The Unified Patent Court's alternative dispute resolution arm has invited interested candidates to apply to serve as mediators, arbitrators and expert determinators as it aims to become fully operational early next year.

  • August 21, 2025

    Game Over For Sony In Fight Against 'Cheat Software'

    A German court has ruled that "cheat software" for a video game doesn't infringe the developer's copyright under European Union law as long as the tool leaves the program code alone, marking a major blow to Sony in its decade-old battle against tech firm Datel.

  • August 21, 2025

    LG Chem Can't Revive Absorbent Polymer Patent At EPO

    LG's chemicals arm has lost its attempt to revive a patent for an absorbent polymer following a challenge from a Japanese rival, failing to convince an appeals panel that the tech is inventive.

  • August 21, 2025

    Germany's Top Court Clarifies Rules For Insolvent Infringers

    Germany's highest civil court has ruled that holders of intellectual property rights can seek injunctions against insolvent companies even if no administrator is in place.

  • August 21, 2025

    Pfizer Faces UPC Case In 2nd IP Battle Over COVID-19 Pill

    Pfizer is facing a patent infringement claim in Europe over its blockbuster Paxlovid COVID-19 treatment, marking its second court battle against Enanta Pharmaceuticals after the biotech firm's copycat claims failed to sway a U.S. judge last year.

  • August 20, 2025

    UPC Won't Refer Costs Questions To Top EU Court

    The Unified Patent Court said Wednesday that it cannot refer questions of its framework or procedures to the European Union's top court, ruling that such issues fall outside the bloc's jurisdiction.

  • August 20, 2025

    Merck Sharp Takes Aim At Halozyme's UK Drug Delivery IP

    Merck Sharp & Dohme has asked a London court to revoke an under-the-skin drug delivery patent belonging to Halozyme, arguing that the blueprint isn't inventive because it solves no technical problem.

  • August 20, 2025

    Lost Mary Vape Maker Blocks Rival's 'Love Mary' TM In UK

    The maker of the popular Lost Mary disposable vapes has convinced British officials to block a rival's "Love Mary" trademark application because it appeared to be misleading shoppers into buying the similar-looking products.

  • August 20, 2025

    Abbott Sues Chinese Rival Over Glucose Monitor UK Patent

    Abbott has accused a Chinese rival of infringing two patents protecting tech that continuously monitors glucose levels in diabetes patients — the second attempt by the American company to block Sinocare from selling its products in the U.K.

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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