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17 West African countries enter international trademark system
The Madrid system, which now covers more than 100 countries, is a cost-effective way of protecting brands and trademarks in the international arena. By filing a single application it is…
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US university auctions patents
Over the last 10 years, some 400 patents have been issued to Penn State. Only about half of them have been licensed to companies that want to commercialise the patents….
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Faster examination of community trademarks
Starting 24 November, the European Union trademark authority (OHIM) offers trademark applicants the opportunity to have their applications examined and published faster. The accelerated procedure is called Fast Track and…
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Spain’s challenge to unitary patent package rejected
The Advocate General proposes to dismiss Spain’s challenges to the creation of the Unitary Patent package on the grounds that unitary protection is expected to provide a genuine benefit in…
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Google and LG co-operate on patents
Google and Korean electronics company LG Electronics have signed a long-term patent cross-licensing agreement covering a broad range of products and technologies. The agreement covers the two companies’ existing patents…
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Chinese company among world’s 100 most valuable brands
The Chinese telecommunications company Huawei appears in the brand consultancy Interbrand’s annual Best Global Brands report. It is the first time that a Chinese brand has featured on the list….
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EU Commission “follows the money” in fight against IPR infringements
The European Commission recently adopted an action plan to address infringements of intellectual property rights in the EU. The plan sets out a number of actions to focus the EU’s…
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European trademark protection allowed for Apple store layout
The European Court of Justice has decided that Apple’s retail store layout can be protected as a trademark in Europe. Apple was granted trademark protection for its store layout –…
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Monkey selfies: animals cannot own copyright
One of the most popular news stories this summer was the ape that swiped the camera from a wildlife photographer to take a series of photos of itself – selfies….
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Apple and Samsung end patent disputes outside of the United States
Apple and Samsung recently agreed to withdraw all pending patent and registered design disputes between their companies in all countries except the United States. This includes disputes in the United…