Organisation: Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property

Featured in Special Report 2021 Q2: Inside in-house operations - how to build world-class trademark functions and portfolios

The top 50 owners of the largest active European trademark portfolios together filed 15% fewer marks last year than they did the year before, dropping from 11,427 applications down to 9,902. 

07 July 2021

Switzerland’s economy is highly integrated in the global market, with trademark data revealing how the country is an important consideration for expanding brands.

11 June 2021

Following a recent evaluation of the Swissness legislation, which came into force four years ago, the Federal Council has noted that there is no need to revise the legislation, but there is still a need for action and enforcement - particularly abroad.

21 January 2021

Featured in IP office tools and services

The director general of the Swiss Federal Institute of Intellectual Property (IPI) shares the innovative tools and services it has launched or is developing for the future.

25 August 2020

This decision of the Federal Administrative Court will be welcome news for global companies registered in Switzerland which seek to protect signs that incorporate geographical indications and use Switzerland as the starting point of their international filings.

22 July 2020

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has recently had to decide whether the Swiss public understands the term ‘apple’ to be a type of fruit or a reference to the US tech company Apple, and has ruled in the company’s favour.

10 June 2019

The Swiss Administration Court has issued a new judgment, which provides useful guidance on 2D and 3D elements. The court overruled the IP Office’s decision to extend protection of the Nussknackermännchen (nutcracker) trademark to Switzerland.

07 December 2018

The Swiss Federal Administrative Court has held that there was no likelihood of confusion between the trademarks SIGNIFOR and SIGNASOL for pharmaceutical preparations in Class 5.

20 April 2018

The Administrative Court has dismissed an appeal by CeramTec GmbH, a German manufacturer of high-performance ceramics, against a decision of the FIIP refusing protection to a 2D mark claiming the colour pink for prostheses in Class 10. Among other things, the court held that, although CeramTec had established that no other manufacturer of prostheses used the colour pink, the colour pink itself was not sufficient to render the mark distinctive.

15 February 2017

The Swiss Federal Supreme Court has held that INDIAN was an indication of origin for both motorcycles and clothing, but that INDIAN MOTORCYCLE was an indication of origin for motorcycles only, and not for clothing.

14 March 2016