Insights

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Artists’ rights ./. Freedom of panorama

By AWA | Posted on April 11, 2016

Wikimedia Sverige has compiled images of art in public places in a database. This database is open to all, free of charge and is intended for the general public, the educational system and tourism. The project was in fact financially supported by Vinnova, a governmentally owned organization for supporting innovation and business development in Sweden....

Tags: BUS, copyright infringement, Vinnova, Wikimedia Sverige

Third strike hits the European Patent Office

By AWA | Posted on April 7, 2016

Last month, 91% (3,701) of 4062 of European Patent Office (EPO) employees voted for a one day strike to be held on April 7 at the EPO’s offices in Munich, The Hague, Berlin and Vienna. It thus adds to a number of strikes that has hit EPO since former Chairman of the Administrative Council of...

Tags: Benoît Battistelli, EPO, European Patent Office, SUEPO

Use of non-distinctive signs

By Niclas Dahlberg | Posted on March 21, 2016

The new Regulation (EU) 2015/2424 amending Council Regulation 207/2009/EC on the Community Trade Mark will enter into force from 23 March 2016 To the list of activities which a trademark owner will not in future be able to prevent a further exclusion has been added. The descriptive use defense (on the kind, quality, quantity, intended...

Tags: Community Trade Mark

End to own name defence for corporate names

By Niclas Dahlberg | Posted on March 16, 2016

The new Regulation (EU) 2015/2424 amending Council Regulation 207/2009/EC on the Community Trade Mark (CTM) will enter into force from 23 March 2016 The use of another’s registered trade mark without consent as a trade name or company name will now specifically be deemed infringing use. Using a sign as a trade name or a company name can infringe...

Tags: Community Trade Mark, CTM, EU trademark application, Maier v ASOS

New ways to obtain trademark and design rights on the Faroe Islands

By AWA | Posted on March 9, 2016

Today there is only one way to obtain a trademark right on the Faroe Islands and that is by filing for a national Danish trademark. A designation of Denmark through the Madrid Protocol will only cover Denmark and Greenland, but not the Faroe Islands. As of April 13, 2016 this will change. The government of...

Tags: EU Trademark, Faroe Islands, Madrid Protocol

Making well founded decisions about opting out…

By AWA | Posted on March 3, 2016

 …of the Unified Patent Court and requesting Unitary Effect for your European Patent The benefit of requesting Unitary Effect for your European Patent is obvious to anyone, by payment of only one renewal fee, equivalent to that of four national renewal fees, a territory potentially covering 25 EU states, if all current Contracting Member States...

Tags: European patents, UPC

Trademark Protection in China – if everyone could be Disney…

By AWA | Posted on February 29, 2016

In October 2015, the Chinese State Administration for Industry and Commerce (AIC) announced a special one-year nationwide campaign to protect the Disney trademarks. The campaign aims at attacking infringements of Disney trademarks, protecting the rights of consumers, creating a fair market and maintaining China’s international image of IPR protection. Routine monitoring (including online monitoring) will...

Tags: Administration for Industry and Commerce, Disney, SAIC, Shanghai AIC

Revised PACE programme from 1 January 2016

By AWA | Posted on February 12, 2016

The programme for accelerated prosecution of European Patent Applications (PACE) allows applicants to request that the European Patent Office (EPO) processes their application rapidly. The request must be filed in writing, but will be excluded from file inspection. In certain technical fields there has been constraints on how fast the EPO has been able to...

Tags: ECfS, ED, EESR, EPO, European Patent Applications, European Patent Office, ISA, PACE, PCT

Changes to the European Trademark system

By AWA | Posted on February 9, 2016

Classification reform – Article 28 (8) As we mentioned in our blog on 18 January 2016, a new regulation on the European Trademark (EUTMR) will enter into force on 23 March 2016. One of the changes concerns the scope of protection of a trademark registered in the European Union (“EU Trademarks”). The new regulation reflects...

Tags: Article 28 (8), Case C-307/10, Classification reform, EUTMR

OEM activities in China do not amount to trademark infringement

By AWA | Posted on February 8, 2016

The PRC Supreme People’s Court has decided that OEM activities in China do not amount to trademark infringement (however, this does not seem to be the final word on the issue) A foreign brand owner has registered its mark in a foreign country, but not in China. Another unrelated entity has registered the same or...

Tags: OEM, PRETUL, SPC, Supreme People's Court, TRUPER, Zhejiang Higher People's Court

Recent contributors

Monika Trombitas Andersson, Associate and Attorney at Law, Lund, Sweden

Monika Trombitas Andersson

Associate, Attorney at Law, European Trademark and Design Attorney

Emily Chamberlain, Senior Associate and Patents, Stockholm, Sweden

Emily Chamberlain

Senior Associate, Patents

Niklas Mattsson, Partner and European Patent Attorney, Stockholm, Sweden

Niklas Mattsson

Partner, European Patent Attorney, Authorised Swedish Patent Attorney, UPC Representative

Ai-Leen Lim, Partner and Attorney at Law, Hong Kong SAR

Ai-Leen Lim

Partner, Attorney at Law, Group Vice President

Julia Wang, Senior Associate and Attorney at Law, Beijing, China

Julia Wang

Senior Associate, Attorney at Law

Ylva Strandberg, Counsel and AU and NZ Patent Attorney, Stockholm, Sweden

Ylva Strandberg

Counsel, AU and NZ Patent Attorney