Europe: Intellectual Property

Summer festivals create memorable experiences through music, food, and culture, but behind the excitement lies a complex portfolio of intellectual property assets. From trademark protection of festival names to copyright management of performances and merchandise licensing, these legal frameworks help organizers build lasting brands that generate value long after the final encore.

Chemistry start-ups face critical decisions when building patent portfolios that can determine their commercial success. From timing patent applications before public disclosures...

Organisations often hesitate to invest in trade mark watching services due to concerns about unpredictable costs and whether every alert will trigger additional fees. This article examines the structure of trade mark watching services, clarifying what is typically included in the annual fee versus when additional charges may arise, and provides guidance on establishing a cost-effective monitoring framework.

Trademark squatting has become increasingly prevalent in Turkey, with bad faith applicants targeting internationally registered marks not yet protected in the Turkish market. Recent decisions from the Turkish Patent and Trademark Office demonstrate a broad, rights-holder-friendly approach to combating this practice, particularly when foreign marks are identically copied.

Summer festivals create memorable experiences through music, food, and culture, but behind the excitement lies a complex portfolio of intellectual property assets. From trademark protection of festival names to copyright management of performances and merchandise licensing, these legal frameworks help organizers build lasting brands that generate value long after the final encore.

Organisations often hesitate to invest in trade mark watching services due to concerns about unpredictable costs and whether every alert will trigger additional fees. This article examines the structure of trade mark watching services, clarifying what is typically included in the annual fee versus when additional charges may arise, and provides guidance on establishing a cost-effective monitoring framework.

In decisions that will be welcomed by those seeking to streamline proceedings in the UPC and sue multiple defendants in one court, the UPC Court of Appeal (CoA) has...

The Paris Local Division of the Unified Patent Court issued a decision on the merits in an infringement action brought by Orange SA against HMD Global Oy concerning European Patent EP 2 345 029. The case involved jurisdictions across France, Germany, and Italy, with the defendant filing a conditional counterclaim for revocation under Article 33(3) of the UPCA and Article 69 of the EPC.

The Unified Patent Court's Court of Appeal examines critical questions of patent validity, including whether omitting disclosed features constitutes added matter when functional or structural links exist, and how technical effects factor into determining essential features for inventive step analysis. The decision also addresses procedural boundaries for raising new legal arguments on appeal.

Summer festivals create memorable experiences through music, food, and culture, but behind the excitement lies a complex portfolio of intellectual property assets. From trademark protection of festival names to copyright management of performances and merchandise licensing, these legal frameworks help organizers build lasting brands that generate value long after the final encore.

The dispute between Shein and Temu has escalated into one of the most significant intellectual property battles in modern retail, with a recent UK High Court judgment providing crucial clarity on marketplace operator liability and hosting defences.

A Dutch court ruled that a carnival band's parody song using ABBA's melody doesn't qualify for copyright protection under the parody exception. The decision centered on whether commercial streaming exploitation of "Dikke Pens" - which replaces the lyrics of "Take a Chance on Me" with content about obesity - strikes the proper balance between copyright holder rights and freedom of expression.