In our latest round-up, we look at Pinduoduo removing counterfeit sellers from its subsidy programme, Kiklis Law Firm launching in Alexandria, and more.
Microsoft’s head of trademarks, Cam Gatta, reveals how the team overcomes the challenges of protecting some of the world’s most recognisable and valuable brands.
Brand and IP experts offer nine strategic takeaways for forward-looking protection and commercialisation of IP assets at IPBC Australasia.
A couple of months ago, YouTube reached the milestone of 2,000 channels with over 1 million subscribers. Despite the commercial nature of many of those offerings, a significant number lack any trademark protection for their names or logos – although that could change, with one expert predicting that “in a couple of years you won't be able to find popular YouTubers who <i>don't</i> have a trademark”.
19 July 2016
New research has shed light on the strategies being adopted by ‘.brand’ operators, with a threefold increase in the number of second-level domain names in the brand environment observed in the first half of this year. However, the prevalence of redirects and domains with no content means that search engine results listing ‘.brands’ are not following the same upward trajectory.
12 July 2016
The most recent edition of the JPO’s annual Status Report indicates that 2015 was a bumper year for trademark filings in Japan. The JPO received 147,283 applications during the year, representing a year-on-year increase of 18.4%. Trademark registrations themselves, on the other hand, were slightly down, from 99,896 in 2014 to 98,085 in 2015.
01 July 2016
An internet security company’s trademark filings for the brand name of a rival organisation has caused an uproar in the technology community. While the company has now abandoned the applications, the PR storm surrounding the initial filings – exacerbated by its CEO”s “patronising” comments on the company’s public message board – demonstrates the need for effective messaging around trademark strategies.
28 June 2016
The CEO of a leading IP technology company has told <i>World Trademark Review</i> that the trademark community – including law firms and associations – should do more to offer support to IP startups, which face an increasingly difficult funding environment in the legal space. In response, INTA has confirmed that it is considering an “IP startup fair” at future INTA Annual Meetings.
28 June 2016
Since its introduction to the market in 2011, Tencent Inc’s WeChat has become China’s most popular and commonly used social messaging app, with 650 million monthly users in mainland China and 698 million users worldwide.
23 June 2016
A Beijing agency’s decision last week to issue an injunction against several iPhone products has come as a blow for tech giant Apple. It also highlights that, with Chinese rights holders becoming more proactive in asserting their design rights, trademark counsel should be mindful of the country’s industrial designs regime – to avoid any pitfalls and to leverage it where possible to strengthen their IP portfolios.
21 June 2016
Apple Inc has found itself in the spotlight again recently. This time the public is not wondering what the iPhone 7 will look like, but rather how Apple possibly lost a trademark dispute regarding the iPHONE trademark in Nice Class 18 with a Chinese leather company.
09 June 2016
In a recent high profile case, Facebook secured a victory against a trademark squatter at the Beijing High People’s Court. This comes shortly after Apple was defeated in its iPhone trademark battle.
01 June 2016
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