A Questionable Decision?

Background to the case In February 2017, Italian football club ‘AC Milan’ applied for an international registration designating the European Union, for a figurative mark consisting of its club’s crest and the words AC Milan. The application covered a range of goods and services, including office equipment and stationary items in Class 16. On 06 […]

The Metaverse: Implications for Brand Protection

The word ‘Metaverse’ has its origins in the science fiction novel ‘Snow Crash’, and in substance refers to a virtual universe distinct from day-to-day reality. The potential pitfalls of a perpetual online existence for the whole of humanity aside (a topic explored quite thoroughly in the film ‘The Matrix’), the Metaverse has clear implications for […]

Re-Filing Monopoly Leads to Bad Faith

Once a Trade Mark is over 5 years old, it becomes possible to revoke it on the grounds of non-use if it has not been used for the goods or services for which it is registered.

Impact of Brexit – The Basics

When the UK left the EU, a EU trade mark registration or application is no longer enforceable in the UK to stop third party use or registration.

Bentley: Trade Marks Override Honest Concurrent Use Defence

Bentley Motors and Bentley Clothing have been engaged in a long running legal dispute as to the respective rights in the brand ‘Bentley’ for clothing and such like. This culminated in Bentley Clothing suing Bentley Motors for infringement of its Trade Mark registrations.