Intellectual Property UK

  • March 31, 2026

    Glaxo Wins Appeal Against Pfizer Inhaler Dose Patent

    Glaxo Group has persuaded European officials to revoke Pfizer's patent covering a dose-counting device for inhalers, as an appeals board found the design was not new because earlier devices already included similar features used to hold and dispense doses of medication. 

  • March 31, 2026

    Bruschetta Marks Too Different To Confuse, EUIPO Says

    A Bulgarian-based food production company can't stop a baking business from registering its trademark for bruschetta over its alleged similarities with an earlier "Bruschette" mark, as a European office concluded that there is no likelihood of the public confusing the two.

  • March 31, 2026

    Nestlé Loses Bid To Patent Swallowing Disorder Formula

    Nestlé has lost its attempt to patent a formula for treating swallowing disorders, with European appellate officials ruling that the company failed to explain how the formula could be put into practice. 

  • March 31, 2026

    'Bezos' TM Bid Sunk Over Bad-Faith Link To Amazon CEO

    Intellectual property officials in Britain have invalidated a software company's bid to trademark "Bezos," finding that it was seeking to capitalize on the reputation of Jeff Bezos, chief executive of Amazon.

  • March 30, 2026

    Squire Patton Appoints Andrew Wilkinson As European Chief

    Squire Patton Boggs LLP on Tuesday named a senior commercial lawyer in its London office as European managing partner for the next three years.

  • March 30, 2026

    Dior Wins Fight To Block Chinese 'Hydior' Perfume Bottle TM

    Dior has won its battle to nix a Chinese perfume bottle seller's "Hydior" brand, with a European intellectual property authority concluding the mark took unfair advantage of Dior's fame.

  • March 30, 2026

    L'Oreal Blocks Chinese Co.'s 'Tressora' TM Bid At EUIPO

    L'Oréal has blocked a trademark application by Chinese company "Tressora" after the French cosmetics giant proved that consumers in the European Union could confuse the mark with the "Trésor" perfumes it sells through its Lancôme subsidiary.

  • March 30, 2026

    Formula One Loses EU TMs Over 2 Concept Logos

    Formula One has lost two European Union trademarks that covered concept logos after an individual based in Germany argued that the motorsport series has not put the signs to proper use.

  • March 30, 2026

    Walmart Bags Win Against Italian Grocer's 'WeMart' TM

    Walmart has blocked an Italian grocer from bagging the trademark "WeMart," as European Union officials found that consumers are likely to confuse the name with the retail giant's own branding.

  • March 30, 2026

    OpenAI Blocks 'CallGPT' TM In UK Over ChatGPT Confusion

    OpenAI has stopped a rival artificial intelligence company securing a "CallGPT" trademark in the U.K., proving that its similarity to "ChatGPT" could cause confusion among consumers.

  • March 27, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen Apple hit back at a tech company's wireless charging patent claim, a flurry of businesses bring COVID-19 pandemic insurance claims as a key deadline draws closer and Ipulse Partners LLP file a claim against a luxury yacht company it represented in a trademark dispute. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • March 27, 2026

    Estée Lauder TM Fight Shows Pitfalls Of Eponymous Brands

    Celebrities looking to cash out by selling their own-name brands are effectively handing over the rights to the use of their names for marketing, and could potentially scupper any future ventures, experts say.

  • March 27, 2026

    'Windrush Generation' TM Struck Down In Bad-Faith Ruling

    A charity that celebrates Caribbean migrants has persuaded officials that a rival charity should lose its trademark for "Windrush Generation" because it was trying to gain a monopoly on the phrase that describes the famed generation of migrants. 

  • March 27, 2026

    IP Firm Mewburn Ellis Names 5 New Partners

    Mewburn Ellis LLP has promoted five intellectual property specialists to its partnership, more than double the intake of those who made the grade to become partners in 2025.

  • March 27, 2026

    Just Eat, Autotrader Among Firms Probed Over Fake Reviews

    The Competition and Markets Authority said Friday that it has launched consumer law investigations into five companies, including Autotrader and Just Eat, over concerns about fake or misleading online reviews.

  • March 27, 2026

    Coca-Cola Wins 'Creations' UK TM Clash With Robinsons

    Coca-Cola has beaten a challenge to its "Creations" trademark applications in the U.K., proving that shoppers would not confuse the brand with Robinsons' long-standing "Fruit Creations" brand of squash.

  • March 26, 2026

    Shoosmiths Promotes 9 Lawyers To Partnership

    Shoosmiths LLP said Thursday that it has elevated nine lawyers to its partnership, recognizing those who will help drive the firm's growth in the coming years.

  • March 26, 2026

    Google Fends Off 'GeminiAI' TM Bid Over Gemini Confusion

    Google has partially blocked a medical technology service from registering the trademark "GeminAI," convincing British examiners that the mark would unfairly ride on the marketing of its Gemini chatbot and connected software services.  

  • March 26, 2026

    Coffee Co. Can't Delay UPC Theft Ruling Over Parallel Cases

    A European appellate court has refused to give a coffee machine maker extra time before it has to change the design for a milk frother that infringed a rival's patent, ruling that the existence of ongoing parallel proceedings didn't justify an enforcement pause. 

  • March 26, 2026

    Chemical Co.'s 'Adlene' Mark Blocked Over Similar Goods

    A chemicals company can't register "Adlene" as a trademark for polymer and polymer compositions, as a European office decided it is too similar to a manufacturer's earlier "ADILEN" mark for identical industrial polymer goods.

  • March 26, 2026

    TMs That Invoke False Heritage Misleading, ECJ Finds

    A luxury fashion brand's "Paris 1717" trademark could mislead shoppers, the European Union's top court ruled Thursday, finding that modern companies which use TMs suggesting a historical heritage might deceive consumers about the quality and prestige of their products. 

  • March 26, 2026

    Sales Pro Denies Stealing Events Co.'s Secrets, Seeks £107K

    The former sales director of an events company has denied stealing confidential information in breach of his non-disclosure agreement, telling a London court that the claim is a distraction from the £106,800 ($142,400) that the company owes him.

  • March 25, 2026

    Caterpillar Hits Back At Bobcat With Patent Claims

    Caterpillar Inc. has responded to Doosan Bobcat's patent infringement suit in the Eastern District of Texas by accusing Bobcat itself of infringing a series of Caterpillar patents, the latest development in a larger intellectual property fight between the companies.

  • March 25, 2026

    Historic Motorbike Brand Loses TM Despite Relaunch Bid

    The owners of a trademark for a famed Spanish motorcycle brand have failed to prove Wednesday in a European court that the "OSSA" sign was actually used in recent years, marking an awkward start to a 2025 relaunch for the 100-year-old brand. 

  • March 25, 2026

    UPC Warned Against Pushing More Cases Outside Germany

    A leading litigator for one of the most prolific German law firms at the Unified Patent Court said Wednesday that calls to distribute cases more evenly across the UPC member states would limit litigant choice and may push some back to national courts.

Expert Analysis

  • Acquisition Of AI Tech Poses Challenges For Media Industry

    Author Photo

    The artificial intelligence regulatory landscape is changing quickly, and media and entertainment companies planning to acquire AI technology through a merger, acquisition or licensing deal should be mindful of potential new compliance requirements and AI-specific insurance products, say lawyers at Covington.

  • Cos. Should Weave Metaverse Considerations Into IP Strategy

    Author Photo

    In light of the increasing importance of intellectual property protection in digital contexts, including a growing number of court rulings and recent updates to the classification of digital assets, companies should include the metaverse as part of their trademark strategy to prevent potential infringements, says Gabriele Engels at D Young & Co.

  • Mitigating Compliance And Litigation Risks Of Evolving Tech

    Author Photo

    Amid artificial intelligence and other technological advances, companies must prepare for the associated risks, including a growing suite of privacy regulations, enterprising class action theories and consumer protection challenges, and proliferating disclosure obligations, say attorneys at Eversheds Sutherland.

  • Major EU AI Banking Ruling Will Reverberate Across Sectors

    Author Photo

    Following the European Court of Justice's recent OQ v. Land Hessen decision that banks' use of AI-driven credit scores to make consumer decisions did not comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, regulators indicated that the ruling would apply broadly, leaving numerous industries that employ AI-powered decisions open to scrutiny, say lawyers at Alston & Bird.

  • English Could Be The Future Language Of The UPC

    Author Photo

    While most Unified Patent Court proceedings are currently held in German, the recent decisions in Plant-e v. Arkyne and Amgen v. Sanofi potentially signal that English will be the preferred language, particularly in cases involving small and medium enterprises, say lawyers at Freshfields.

  • Arbitration Remains Attractive For Digital Disputes In 2024

    Author Photo

    Recent regulatory and digital forum developments highlight that, in 2024, arbitration will continue to adapt to new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency, and remain an attractive forum for resolving digital disputes due to its flexibility, confidentiality and comparative ease to enforce cross-border awards, says Peter Smith at Charles Russell.

  • US And UK Law Firms Continue Trend Of EU Expansion

    Author Photo

    A broad spectrum of U.S. and U.K. law firms are now seeking fresh opportunities in Europe's fastest growing and constantly evolving sectors by opening offices in strategic locations across the continent, says James Lavan at Buchanan Law.

  • Looking Ahead At AI Regulation In The EU And UK

    Author Photo

    With AI regulation agreed upon in Europe and a U.K. regulatory authority on the horizon, organizations developing AI should consider deploying governance, addressing accountability and establishing internal guardrails to achieve a balanced approach to responsible innovation while managing risk, says Chris Eastham at Fieldfisher.

  • 2024 Will Be A Busy Year For Generative AI And IP Issues

    Author Photo

    In light of increased litigation and policy proposals on balancing intellectual property rights and artificial intelligence innovation, 2024 is shaping up to be full of fast-moving developments that will have significant implications for AI tool developers, users of such tools and rights holders, say lawyers at Mishcon de Reya.

  • The Most-Read Law360 UK Guest Articles Of 2023

    Author Photo

    Benefits of the new EU Unified Patent Court, artificial intelligence regulation and M&A trends amid rising inflation were among the hot topics U.K. Expert Analysis articles explored this year.

  • So You Want To Write A Guest Article?

    Author Photo

    If your New Year's resolution is to spend more time writing, here's everything you need to know to pitch guest article ideas to Law360.

  • 9 Takeaways From The UPC's First 6 Months In Session

    Author Photo

    Six months after its opening, the Unified Patent Court has established itself as an appealing jurisdiction, with its far territorial reach, short filing deadlines and extremely quick issuance of preliminary injunctions showing that it is well-prepared to provide for rapid legal clarity, says Antje Brambrink at Finnegan.

  • The Year In FRAND: What To Know Heading Into 2024

    Author Photo

    In 2023, there were eight significant developments concerning the fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory patent licensing regime that undergirds technical standardization, say Tom Millikan and Kevin Zeck at Perkins Coie.

  • How Int'l Student-Athlete Law Would Change The NIL Game

    Author Photo

    Recently proposed legislation to allow international student-athletes the opportunity to profit from their name, image and likeness without violating their F-1 nonimmigrant student visa status represents a pivotal step in NIL policy, and universities must assess and adapt their approaches to accommodate unique immigration concerns, say attorneys at Phelps Dunbar.

  • Series

    Children's Book Writing Makes Me A Better Lawyer

    Author Photo

    Becoming a children's book author has opened doors to incredible new experiences of which I barely dared to dream, but the process has also changed my life by serving as a reminder that strong writing, networking and public speaking skills are hugely beneficial to a legal career, says Shaunna Bailey at Sheppard Mullin.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Intellectual Property UK archive.