On January 11, 2019, the Cancellation Division of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (“EUIPO”) rendered a surprising decision that revoked in its entirety the McDonald’s Company’s BIG MAC trademark registration,...more
A decision rendered by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on March 2, 2017, affirming a General Court ruling and potentially ending a nearly twenty-year legal battle, is a reminder to trademark owners that what is generic in...more
3/20/2017
/ Corporate Counsel ,
EU ,
European Court of Justice (ECJ) ,
Likelihood of Confusion ,
OHIM ,
Res Judicata ,
Trademark Application ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Ownership ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
Young Lawyers
On June 23, the citizens of the UK voted Yes to the question “Should the UK leave the European Union?” Here are some answers to questions that we are hearing from trademark owners....more
6/28/2016
/ Article 50 Treaty of the EU ,
EU ,
European Economic Area (EEA) ,
European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Trademark Exhaustion ,
Trademark Registration ,
Trademarks ,
Treaty of Lisbon ,
UK ,
UK Brexit
The German carmaker, Porsche AG, which designed the iconic 911 Carrera sports car, owns the European Union and German “CARRERA” word mark, registered for “automobiles” in class 12. How far beyond automobiles does the...more
“Be creative!” is an important piece of advice which you often hear from European trademark lawyers. Today, more than ever, this recommendation should be taken seriously. The reason is very simple: the Community trademark...more
The story begins in the UK in 1935, when a worker at Rowntree’s York factory put an idea in the suggestion box for a snack that “a man could take to work in his pack.” This idea ?led to the famous four-finger Kit Kat...more
After the terrorist attack on Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, the French Trademark Office received so many applications for “JE SUIS CHARLIE” that the Office issued a statement in which it warned that it would not register any...more