Sector: Consumer Goods

One of the arguments made against the introduction of plain packaging for cigarettes and other tobacco products is that the absence of branding would exacerbate the problem of counterfeiting, with potentially unsafe products becoming more accessible. As Malaysia lays the groundwork for a plain packaging regime, a recent poll of Malaysian consumers would seem to support that concern.

16 June 2016

A feature in the current issue of <i>World Trademark Review</i> explores China’s trademark licensing landscape and charts its development over recent years. Traditionally, rights holders proved hesitant to exploit the potential of this huge market, which was long seen as fraught with risk and difficulty. But today, licensing into China is a lucrative industry – and Chinese licensees are far more sophisticated when it comes to doing deals.

10 June 2016

This week’s annual World No Tobacco Day was a landmark one for health and anti-tobacco groups, with three governments announcing imminent plain packaging measures. Canada, New Zealand and Norway all made separate announcements on their plans for standardised packaging – a move that one tobacco company tells <i>World Trademark Review</i> was “expected”, but is not the end of the fight.

02 June 2016

In <i>VMR Products LLC (VMR) v V2H ApS</i>, VMR sued V2H and V2 Tobacco for trademark infringement pursuant and false advertising based on the sales and advertising of their product ‘snus’.

26 May 2016

The High Court in London has rejected a challenge to legislation introducing plain packaging for tobacco products. The decision was handed down just a day before the new regime makes effect, meaning that the UK will shortly become the latest country to implement plain packaging.

19 May 2016

The Spanish Supreme Court has upheld the decision of the Community Trademark Court of Alicante in a case involving the two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional object.

10 May 2016

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that the new EU directive on tobacco products is valid, meaning that the extensive standardisation of packaging, the future EU-wide prohibition on menthol cigarettes and upcoming special rules for electronic cigarettes are lawful. However, tobacco industry commentators have hit back, arguing that the ruling does not necessarily give the green light to plain packaging.

05 May 2016

As has been widely reported in recent months, the wheels appear to have fallen off of China’s economic juggernaut (or at least to have picked up a few punctures). As might be expected, the slowdown is leading to a tightening of consumer purse strings, particularly when it comes products and services sold in higher price brackets – including, notably, luxury goods. For brands, the concern will be that buyers now turn to fake alternatives.

29 April 2016

29 April 2016

The Vietnamese government’s recent decision to uphold a foreign company’s trademark rights in the face of a cancellation action launched by one of its state-owned enterprises represents a significant positive development for brand owners operating in the country.

27 April 2016