AWA Point
Rapunzel of Sweden: What’s in a name?
By AWA | Posted on March 1, 2017
When Ida Backlund started her own business selling hair extensions online, she soon realised the impact of a name and the importance of protecting it. “My mother had read me the story about Rapunzel and it was a perfect fit for my budding enterprise,” says Ida. A fairytale She had originally registered her business as...
Family run company defies odds to beat dairy giant in inspirational trademark case
By AWA | Posted on February 28, 2017
David vs. Goliath: Small, family-run company Yogiboost’s fight for justice after being sued for trademark infringement by dairy giant Arla. We speak to Yogiboost’s legal representative Kristina Fredlund, European Trademark Attorney at Awapatent It has been an entrepreneurial fairytale for the Englers. Self-proclaimed ‘ice cream fanatics’, Ludvik Engler Georgsson and Birgit Engler together with their...
PPH agreement between EP and PL enters into force as Poland joins the GPPH
By Troels Peter Rørdam | Posted on February 24, 2017
The ever expanding PPH network keeps getting new additions and as always the AWAPATENT Blog sums up the new expansions and arising possibilities. To recall, for a given PPH agreement the PPH allows the requesting of accelerated examination at offices participating in the agreement. It is based on the search results and a set of...
What opportunities and risks come with the new Top Level Domains (TLDs)?
By Marcus Glaad | Posted on February 20, 2017
When ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) launched the new TLD Program, the purpose was to stimulate innovation and competition in the domain- and Internet industry and to give the possibility to own and run a top level domain. ICANN received over 1900 applications for 1400 new top level domains. A total of...
Filed under: Insights
Tags: domain, domain name, TLD
Broad Institute maintains patents to Gene Scissors in the US
By Joanna Applequist | Posted on February 17, 2017
The CRISPR-Cas9 technology, the so called “gene scissors” which allow for targeted genome-editing, is subject to a patent dispute between two research teams lead by Jennifer Doudna at UC Berkeley and Emanuelle Charpentier then at the University of Vienna on one hand, and Feng Zhang’s lab at the Broad Institute and MIT on the other....
Tags: cas9, crispr, crispr-cas9
New UK intellectual property minister reaffirms UK commitment to the Unified Patent Court
By AWA | Posted on February 1, 2017
There is a new sheriff in town. Jo Jonson takes over from Baroness Neville Rolfe as UK Intellectual Property minister. He was appointed new minister on 11 January. Baroness Neville Rolfe has previously made some promising statements concerning the UK’s intentions to ratify the agreement on a unified patent court (UPC). Jo Johnson has now...
BEPS from an IP perspective
By AWA | Posted on January 24, 2017
Part 1 – Introduction to BEPS for IP professionals The focus on IP related issues is becoming increasingly more relevant as our economy is changing to become more digital and knowledge based. More are realising the potential of their intangibles and what commercial gains can be won if managed properly. The possible threats and costly...
Filed under: Insights
UK inches towards UPC ratification
By Alicia Kim | Posted on January 16, 2017
There was a sigh of relief at the end of November when the UK announced that it would proceed with the ratification process to implement the UPC in spite of Brexit. This renewed the hope that the UPC will come in to force in 2017 as planned. Whilst this was good news, what did it...
Filed under: Insights
Tags: awapatent, Brexit, patents, ratification, UK, unified patent court, UPC
Danish designer barred from using own name as trademark
By AWA | Posted on December 22, 2016
About a year ago the Danish Commercial and Maritime Court gave their decision in a case between Topbrands and the Danish designer Benedikte Utzon. You can read about it here. In short, the court found that Benedikte Utzon could no longer use her name as a trademark in any commercial activities within jewellery, leather goods...
Tags: awapatent, Trademark
South America: New PPH agreements launched
By Troels Peter Rørdam | Posted on December 21, 2016
The ever expanding Patent Prosecution Highway (PPH) network keeps getting new additions, and as usual, the Awapatent IP Blog sums up the new expansions and arising possibilities. The PPH is a system of bilateral agreements allowing the request of accelerated examination at a participating office. The system is based on the search results and a...
Tags: IP, PCT, PPH, prosur, south america
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