Insights

Novagraaf’s Department of Mechanical Engineering has provided patent services to United Caps, a manufacturer of plastic caps for the food industry, for more than 15 years. We spoke to Sébastien Rime, ...

In the second of our articles focusing on brand protection on online marketplaces, Markus Rouvinen explains how the forthcoming Digital Services Act offers both opportunities and risks for brand owner...

A recent judgment concerning LEGO bricks has been reported in the news as confirmation of design protection for the popular children's toy. Unfortunately, many of these media reports rushed to the wro...

To date, new Guidelines for Examination have been published by the European Patent Office (EPO) almost every November like premier wines. But, with 2020-2021 not a year like any other, the new guideli...

The growth of e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic has placed the IP spotlight once again on brand protection on online marketplaces. Markus Rouvinen sets out how recent case law may offer new rout...

A company's brand value and/or its product or innovation portfolio are key value differentiators, providing plenty of strategic reasons for merger or acquisition (M&A) activity. However, transferring ...

For Novagraaf's roundtable last month, we gathered IP professionals from a range of industry sectors to discuss the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their IP strategies and operations. Download our ...

In many jurisdictions, such as the EU and UK, brand owners can file trademark applications without any requirements to file evidence of use of their chosen mark. That is not to say that the ability to...

Download our factsheet for an overview of registered and unregistered design rights in the UK and EU following Brexit, and our top tips for brand owners on building an effective design right strategy.

When carrying out prior art searches, it’s important not to confuse the objective of patentability with that of freedom to operate. Vincent Robert explains the distinction.

Nombre des inventions les plus connues ou les plus marquantes du monde ont été découvertes entièrement par hasard. Valérie Stephann présente cinq découvertes fortuites.

Pour rappel l’Article 53(a) de la CBE stipule que les Brevets européens ne sont pas délivrés pour les inventions dont l’exploitation commerciale serait contraire à l’ordre public ou aux bonnes mœurs, ...

In 2018 kitchen cookware company Tefal applied to register its signature 'red dot' as a trademark in the UK. After appealing refusal, the application was recently rejected due to a lack of the fundame...

En mai 2021, le Pakistan rejoindra le système de Madrid pour l'enregistrement international des marques, devenant ainsi son 108e État membre, comme l'explique Frouke Hekker.

Dairy alternative Oatly has overcome objections to its slogan, ‘It’s like milk, but made for humans’, potentially offering a new way for vegan and vegetarian brands to protect plant-based trademarks i...

In response to a 2019 CJEU decision on collective marks, INTA has filed an amicus brief before EUIPO’s Grand Board of Appeal to set out its views on genuine use. Doddy Wolfs explains what the ruling a...

Since the UK left the EU on 31 December 2020, UK-based businesses and citizens are no longer eligible to own or renew .eu domain name registrations.

It is important to register any changes that affect the life of a patent or patent application with the relevant patent office(s). However, the requirements for updating a title – or consequences of n...

The German Bundestag and Bundesrat approved the draft law ratifying the Agreement on a Unified Patent Court in November 2020. In theory, that means the Unitary Patent could come into force in 2022. If...

Forgetting to register a change of name or address on patent office records can be a potentially costly and time-consuming oversight, as Rose-Marie Ehanno and Paul Rolland explain.