Insights

A recent judgement by the General Court provides a useful reminder of the tests for assessing likelihood of confusion, as well as the evidentiary requirements for establishing the distinctiveness of a...

The number of countries and regions joining the international system for trademark registration on the basis of the Madrid Agreement and its Protocol, continues to grow. Malawi is the latest country t...

Planning is crucial to the safe transfer of an IP portfolio no matter the timescales involved. Minimise the impact on your business and resources with these five steps for recording change of ownershi...

An organisation's value is no longer based simply on its tangible or fixed assets; more often than not, it is the company’s intangible assets, including brand reputation and goodwill, that create its ...

What happens to trademarks, designs, patents and copyright if the UK crashes out of Europe without a deal? The UK government released a series of guidance papers to address this topic last week.

A number of important amendments were introduced to Benelux Trademark Law in 2018 and there are more to come in early 2019. A summary of the recent and expected changes is set out below.

A US court ruled this month that ‘ugg’ is not a generic term to describe the popular slouchy sheepskin boots, clearing the way for the brand owner, Deckers Outdoor Corporation, to pursue its trademark...

EU trademarks ‘with reputation’ enjoy a broader scope of protection than those without. But, what does this broader scope entail? Novagraaf’s Timo Buijs sets out the key points of the doctrine in ligh...

As e-cigarette use grows, so do the dangers of trademark infringement for well-known brands, as Trademark Attorney Claire Jones explains.

IP licensing can provide companies with additional (or core) revenue streams, enable them to raise brand awareness and enhance their reputation, and extend their brands into new markets and geographie...

Although not impossible, seeking trademark protection for slogans in the European Union can prove difficult. What can be learned from those slogans that have achieved success?

Fashion brand fails to provide adequate proof of use for the stylised capital D it registered as an EU trademark in 1999. Ardine Siepman examines the decision.

If you build a brand or reputation around your own name, what happens if a third-party owns the trademark registrations to that name, rather than you?

When seeking to expand into new markets or territories, it’s important to ensure IP protection is first in place. Dr Peter Wilson sets out the IP elements to consider when developing or updating an ex...

It is crucial to act promptly when submitting objections (or oppositions) to challenge potentially conflicting trademark applications. But, what is the opposition procedure – and how can brand owners ...

Chantal Koller, Managing Director – Trademarks at Novagraaf Switzerland, shares some of the approaches used by leading Swiss companies to achieve both brand dominance and market success.

We recently set out guidance on marking products with patent and design numbers, including examining the benefits and risks of doing so. Here, we look at packaging and product marking from the tradema...

The recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the EU represents yet another knock back for Nestlé in its attempt to prove its chocolate bar shape distinctive enough to warrant trademark protection. Nov...

The French government is in conflict with another company over trademarks containing the word ‘France’. Novagraaf’s Ardine Siepman examines a recent ruling by the General Court of the EU, which consid...

As social media becomes an everyday part of corporate marketing practice, there has been a notable increase in hashtag-based brand names. Stormzy’s label #Merky Records (as listed with hashtag at Comp...