Intellectual Property UK

  • January 31, 2025

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

    This past week in London has seen another claim by Woodford investors against Hargreaves Lansdown in the widening £200 million ($248 million) dispute over the fund's collapse, a solicitor barred for his role in a suspected advance fee fraud face action by a Swiss wholesaler, and The Resort Group, which markets investments in luxury hotel resorts, hit with a claim by a group of investors. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • January 31, 2025

    What Brexit? UK Still Shines At Europe's Patent Court

    Euro-skepticism helped push Britain out of Europe's Unified Patent Court, but intellectual property firms and patent attorneys have wielded significant influence at the new venue — and a recent decision to claim jurisdiction over U.K. patents could enmesh Britain even further.

  • January 31, 2025

    Construction Co. Denies Infringing UK Biz's 'Briticom' TM

    A construction business has denied infringing a U.K. company's "Briticom" trademark on counterfeit supplies for a building project in Benin, telling a court that it did not procure any goods unlawfully bearing the brand.

  • January 31, 2025

    Nail Polish Co. Removes Rival's 'Pure' TMs At UKIPO

    U.K. trademark officials have sided with a company that makes nail salon products, finding that a rival's bid for a "PureGel" trademark as well as its existing "PureBuild" mark could be associated with its "Pure Nails" line.

  • January 30, 2025

    Bodum Unit Sues Shein For Filching 'Iconic' Designs

    A Bodum subsidiary has accused Shein of infringing its design rights by selling cheap knockoffs of its iconic French press and double-walled drinking glasses.

  • January 30, 2025

    Pfizer Unit Loses Patent Over Cancer Drug Compound 

    European officials nixed a Pfizer unit's patent for a brain cancer treatment, ruling that its new delivery method would have been obvious to scientists at the filing date based on previous inventions.

  • January 30, 2025

    Celltrion Fails To Revoke Rivals' Asthma Drug Patent In UK

    A London court on Thursday denied Celltrion's attempt to revoke Genentech and Novartis' patent for omalizumab, instead ruling that Celltrion has infringed its rivals' protections over the asthma drug in the U.K.

  • January 30, 2025

    Sony Says Jimi Hendrix's Bandmates Could Have Sued In '70s

    Sony urged the Court of Appeal on Thursday to toss a case from the estates of former bandmates of Jimi Hendrix, saying it has been brought too late and that a lower court should have dismissed it in its entirety.

  • January 30, 2025

    Bedding Biz Defends TM Amid German Rival's Protests

    A German bedding company has lost its attempt to revoke bed retailer Dreams' trademark over its logo, failing to persuade European Union officials that the sign simply describes the purpose of the goods.

  • January 29, 2025

    UK Has Dodged EU's FRAND Complaint — For Now

    While the European Union focused its ire over courts setting global licensing rates for European patents on China in its recent World Trade Organization complaint, experts warn that the U.K. could end up in the same line of fire depending on how a key upcoming case pans out.

  • January 29, 2025

    Universities Score Patent Victory For Auto-Immune Drug

    Two universities have secured a patent over a drug targeting complex diseases from multiple sclerosis to Alzheimer's disease after European officials ruled that the unique structure of one of its compounds generated previously unknown benefits.

  • January 29, 2025

    Nike Strap Design Too Similar To 1990s Model, EUIPO Finds

    Nike has lost design rights for a type of shoe strap after European intellectual property officials sided with an Italian national, concluding that the design was essentially the same as another shoe detail from the 1990s.

  • January 29, 2025

    Dr. Martens Accuses Alibaba Of TM Infringement

    Dr. Martens has sued an Alibaba unit in a London court for trademark infringement, claiming that its signs have appeared in ads on e-commerce site Aliexpress without permission.

  • January 29, 2025

    UPC Says It Can Rule Over UK Parts Of European Patents

    The Unified Patent Court has ruled that it had jurisdiction to consider whether three German subsidiaries of Kodak had infringed the U.K. part of Fujifilm's European patent, pointing out that the units are based in the European Union.

  • January 28, 2025

    Early Learners Nurseries Fires Back At Rival's Copycat Case

    A nursery has denied ripping off a rival's trademark for its operations, arguing that the company registered an invalid trademark with a similar sounding name in bad faith after years of co-existing together in the same area. 

  • January 28, 2025

    Researcher Loses Fight For Patent Royalties From Gene Biz

    A London-based gene therapy technology company has beaten allegations by one of its co-founders that it filed patents covering her research from before she joined the company, after a London court found she likely made the discoveries while there.

  • January 28, 2025

    Amazon Can Request Interim License In Nokia Patent Dispute 

    A London appellate court on Tuesday allowed Amazon to seek to force Nokia to offer it an interim license for a series of video patents, as the e-commerce giant battles to resolve final license terms for the portfolio.

  • January 28, 2025

    CMA Panel Blasts Microsoft's Software Licensing Practices

    The antitrust watchdog should consider sanctioning Microsoft over the harmful effect of its software licensing practices on the cloud computing market, an independent inquiry group said Tuesday.

  • January 28, 2025

    Merck Loses Appeal To Extend Protections For MS Drug

    Merck cannot extend its patent protection for a multiple sclerosis treatment because earlier marketing authorizations cover the same drug, a London appeals court ruled on Tuesday.

  • January 28, 2025

    'Kingsman' Film Studio Trims Drinks Maker's Rival TM

    A British production company that owns the rights to the "Kingsman" spy movie franchise convinced appellate trademark officials to uphold a decision ruling that a Malaysian drinks producer's "Kingsman" trademark must be restricted to nonalcoholic drinks.

  • January 27, 2025

    Automated Machine Maker Can't Patent Anti-Collision Tech

    An Italian manufacturer has failed to persuade a European appellate board to restore a patent for a system that prevents parts from colliding within automated machines, with officials finding that the manufacturer added a new feature that was nowhere to be found in the original application.

  • January 27, 2025

    Music Union Warns Gov't Over AI Copyright Exception

    The trade union for U.K. musicians has criticized the government's proposed copyright exception for using artistic works to train artificial intelligence, saying its system for offering creators the right to opt their work out could still be harmful.

  • January 27, 2025

    EUIPO Faces Busier Workload As TM, Design Filings Rise

    The European Union Intellectual Property Office said Monday that the number of trademark and design applications it received in 2024 was 4% higher than 2023, marking the second-busiest year ever for the agency.

  • January 27, 2025

    Korean Biz Can't Challenge Rival's Ultraviolet LED Patent

    The Unified Patent Court has blocked a Korean company from trying to revoke a rival's patent over an ultraviolet LED device, ruling that its action was not admissible.

  • January 24, 2025

    WL Gore Loses European Syringe Patent At EPO

    A London-based patent firm has persuaded European appellate officials to scrap medical device maker W. L. Gore's patent for a type of syringe after the panel concluded that the invention was too vague and Gore's modifications were unoriginal.

Expert Analysis

  • Opinion

    AI-Generated Works Should Not Have Copyright Protection

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    The U.S. Copyright Office has correctly determined that works created solely by artificial intelligence do not qualify for protection, as granting exclusive rights to such works would be unwise for a number of reasons, says Thomas McNulty at Lando & Anastasi.

  • Examining The New UK Service Guidance For TM Proceedings

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    A new much-anticipated U.K. Intellectual Property Office practice notice affects situations where there is no valid U.K. address for service of documents in trademark and registered design proceedings, and will mean rights holders are on notice at an earlier stage of proceedings, with limited time in which to respond, says Nina O'Sullivan at Mishcon de Reya.

  • A Look At M&S' Registered Design Claim Win Against Aldi

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    Adding to the long line of cases seeking to restrain Aldi's attempts to mimic market-leading products, Marks & Spencer's recent success in the U.K. High Court based on registered designs demonstrates that supermarket copycat products may no longer be able to sail so close to the wind, says Alex Borthwick at Powell Gilbert.

  • UK Teva Ruling Brings Patent Remedy Into Question

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    Arrow declarations have been considered an extremely effective tool for patent litigators, but following the recent U.K. Court of Appeal decision in Teva v. Novartis it appears that courts are looking to take a more conservative view, say David Holt and Tony Proctor at Potter Clarkson.

  • How CJEU Case Shifts TM Liability For Platforms Like Amazon

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    The EU Court of Justice's recent ruling on Amazon's liability for trademark infringement in relation to fake Christian Louboutin shoes advertised by third parties on its website may leave web platforms that sell third-party vendors' products alongside their own brands more vulnerable to infringement claims, say Louisa Chambers and Helen Reddish at Travers Smith.

  • Europe's New Unitary Patent System Will Affect IP Agreements

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    Marco Stief at Maiwald discusses key points in intellectual property agreements that legal practitioners will need to consider in Europe's soon-to-open centralized patent court, including regional exclusivity in different contracting member states.

  • EU Medicine Reboxing Ruling Gives Guidance To Pharma Cos.

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    The recent landmark decision of the Court of Justice of the EU in Novartis Pharma on repackaging medicines has provided pharma companies with a much-needed framework, with better protections for trademarks and clearer protocols for handling imported products, say Ulf Grundmann and Elisabeth Kohoutek at King & Spalding.

  • A Look Ahead At Key UK Intellectual Property Cases

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    Anticipated 2023 U.K. intellectual property decisions include robotics, artificial intelligence, and clean energy matters that have also been heard in the U.S., while other areas to watch include global fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory issues, as well as COVID-19 patent litigation, say Tom Oliver and Claire Robinson at Powell Gilbert.

  • Lessons That May Be Learned From The Demise Of Made.com

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    With Made.com going into administration, companies that may face similar challenges should take on board that the earlier adequate preemptive planning is considered, the more financial and legal options there will be to avoid last minute firefighting and to focus instead on strengthening the business, says Eleni Michaela at Faegre Drinker.

  • Teva Case Aims Europe's Pharma Crackdown At IP Loophole

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    The European Commission's recent allegations against Teva signal not only the EU competition watchdog's continued focus on intellectual property violations in the pharmaceutical sector but also its new enforcement interest in exclusionary disparagement, say Robert Bell and Malgorzata Janiec at Armstrong Teasdale.

  • Determining Whether To Opt Out Of New Unified Patent Court

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    The new United Patent Court, made up of judges from all European Union member states, will cover the new unitary patent and European patents unless the owner chooses to opt out during the transition period, so patent proprietors must consider whether to opt out for each patent family, say Steffen Steininger and Anna-Katharina Friese-Okoro at Hogan Lovells.

  • 10 Things To Know About The Coming EU Unified Patent Court

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    When the Unified Patent Court opens next year, it will represent a paradigm shift for adversarial patent proceedings in Europe, and practitioners should familiarize themselves now with this new, centralized litigation system, say Fabian Koenigbauer at Ice Miller and Thomas Kronberger at Grünecker.

  • 7 Key Takeaways For Litigating Willful Patent Infringement

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    Brian Nolan and Manuel Velez at Mayer Brown explore the impact of the Federal Circuit's 2021 SRI International v. Cisco Systems decision, and six other areas recent parties have focused on when litigating willful infringement in the latest case law.

  • Trademark Ruling Brings Clarity To Product Defect Liability

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    The recent Court of Justice of the EU ruling in Fennia v. Philips, its first concerning the trademark aspect of producer liability in Article 3(1) of Directive 85/374, brings greater clarity to the question of compensation in the event of a claim for defective products, say Radboud Ribbert and Thomas van Weeren at Greenberg Traurig.

  • Appointments Shape EU Unified Patent Court Before Launch

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    A series of judiciary appointments at the EU Unified Patent Court help put the court on track for its April opening, while also reflecting a patent-friendly enforcement system, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.

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