Region: European Union

Refusal to register perfume bottle shape overturned on appeal

A 3D perfume bottle in the shape of a female torso was found to be capable of fulfilling the essential functions of a trademark.

06 September 2024

Counterfeit arrests up ten-fold as Europol actions lead to a boom in seizures

Surges in almost all measures show how enforcement bodies’ efforts are succeeding, and highlight the interconnected nature of counterfeiting and organised crime.

04 September 2024

EUIPO provides clarification on similarity assessment for trademarks covering virtual goods

The EUIPO Opposition Division has issued a ruling clarifying the different standard and higher evidentiary burden to be applied when assessing the likelihood of confusion between trademarks registered for real-world and virtual-world goods.

23 August 2024

SANYTOL, SANITIX, SANITIEN are confusingly similar, General Court rules

This positive ruling for hygiene brands is a reminder that applicants must be cautious in adopting parts of registered marks, particularly if the identical part is at the beginning, as only differing the end-syllable is not a guarantee of preventing infringement.

21 August 2024

EUIPO maintains 3D wine bottle registrations in unusual decision on distinctive character

The EUIPO Cancellation Division has issued an interesting ruling that suggests verbal elements may be the determining factor in assessing the distinctiveness and consequent registrability of an otherwise standard and common shape for certain goods.

08 August 2024

Orange is the new black – cancellation decisions confirm distinction between colours and names of colours

The EUIPO Cancellation Division has partially upheld cancellation applications against ORANGE marks in respect of certain goods, confirming the distinction between applications seeking protection for a colour and those seeking protection for the name of a colour.

05 August 2024

EUIPO trends and top filers: 2023/24

Featured in Trademark register tracker

Aldi and WWE have dramatically increased their trademark filing activity at the EUIPO, while Nike and Rieker Schuh lead the way for registered Community designs.

02 August 2024

EUIPO global impact: leading IP cooperation worldwide

Representatives at the EUIPO look beyond European borders to examine the impact recent EU-funded initiatives are having on a global scale.

01 August 2024

EU AI Act enters into force – what technology companies need to know

Today, the highly anticipated EU AI Act officially enters into force, bringing two IP provisions that technology companies need to be prepared for.

01 August 2024

Third-party lions free to roam: General Court reverses decision on monopoly over trademarks depicting same animal species

The General Court has maintained that in complex trademarks, the main figurative element cannot per se provide monopoly over an entire animal species, regardless of its application to the packaging.

01 August 2024