Genuine Use of a Trademark – Always relevant, always worth a Reminder

Post date: 
March 15, 2024
Categories: 
Trademarks, European General Court, Decisions

In our series of blog articles, genuine use of a trademark has already been an issue. But since the topic is very important and can even lead to loss of trademark rights, awareness raising cannot be rated high enough. We therefore chose the “LUTAMAX” decision of the General Court of the European Union (Joined Cases T-221/22 and T-242/22) to bring the topic to your attention once again.

(Source: Shutterstock Vector ID: 2148722679) Read more about Genuine Use of a Trademark – Always relevant, always worth a Reminder

Invalidity of Community Design for Chocolate filled Cookie

Post date: 
March 04, 2015
Categories: 
Design Law
Tags: 
Choclate filled cookie, Community Designs, complex product, Cookie, Declaration of invalidity, Design, European General Court, OHIM
The General Court of the European Union (EGC) decided that the invisible character of a product - in this case a cookie - does not relate to the appearance and therefore cannot taken into account in the examination of the requirements to fulfill for registration.  An exception occurs only when the design meets the requirements of a complex product. Therefore, it has to be composed of multiple components which can be replaced permitting disassembly and re-assembly. For these reasons, this registered design for a chocolate filled cookie was invalidated (Judgment dated 9 September 2014; Case No.: T 494/12). Background of the Case and Subject Matter

Coca - Cola vs. Master Cola at the European General Court

Post date: 
February 25, 2015
Categories: 
Brand Value
Tags: 
Board of Appeal, Brand Reputation, Coca Cola, Community Trademark, General Court of the European Union, Likelihood of confusion, Master Cola, OHIM, T-480/12
The General Court of the European Union (EGC) decided that that a likelihood of confusion between the word/device mark “Master” of Modern Industrial & Trading Investment Co. Ltd and the earlier trademark “Coca Cola” of the Coca - Cola Company cannot be excluded (Judgment dated 11 December 2014; Case No.: T‑480/12).

EU Trademark Office publishes unique IP Metro Road Map

Post date: 
February 23, 2015
Categories: 
Uncategorized
The Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), the responsible office in the EU for registering Community Trademarks and Community Designs having the "automatic" effect throughtout 28 national EU Member States, just published a unique map which gives a quick overview on Intellectual Property (here: Trademarks, Designs, Patents and Copyrights).

EGC: Quotations of prices in computerized booking systems

Post date: 
February 18, 2015
Categories: 
Uncategorized
Tags: 
C 573/13, computerized booking system, European General Court, prices for air services
The EGC (European General Court) decided that in the context of a computerized booking system, the final price to be paid must be indicated whenever the prices of air services are shown (Judgment dated 15 January 2015; C

Brand Octopuses

Post date: 
February 13, 2015
Categories: 
Brand Value
Tags: 
Brand Octopuses, Brand Value, global consumers market
The world is filled with milion of brands but, behind most of them are only a few big cooperations. These companies control the gobal consumers markets for food, beverages, cleaning preperations, personal care products, cosmetics and cigarettes. They control the production of industrial sugar, fat and other ingredients which are essential for all other favourite cosumegoods. The German Newpaper „Die Zeit“ illustrated the big brands on sale and their revenues in Germany.

2014: Statistics for Community Trademarks

Post date: 
February 11, 2015
Categories: 
Brand Value
Tags: 
Community Trademark, development of trademarks, TM5
The „TM5“ just published a Statistics about the development of Community Trademarks in 2014. Below you can see that 117.451 Community Trademark (CTM) Applications were received by OHIM in 2014. As you can see, the E-Filling is meanwhile the most popular application form since its introduction in 2005.

VoteBash – a new brand and a worldwide social voting site

Post date: 
February 05, 2015
Categories: 
Brand Value
Tags: 
Brand, LexDellmeier, Martijn Atell, Social Network, Trademark, VoteBash
What is VoteBash?

Famous Logos with Hidden Messages

Post date: 
January 23, 2015
Categories: 
Uncategorized
[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkBNbcMR_Uo[/embed]

Top 500 Franchise Ranking

Post date: 
January 23, 2015
Categories: 
Brand Value
Tags: 
Franchise, Ranking the Brands, Top 500 Franchise Ranking
SyncForce, founded in 1999, is a leading provider of business software that supports branded goods manufacturers. SyncForce also powers “Ranking the Brands”, which just published the Top 500 Franchise Ranking. Only franchise companies with a minimum of 10 units and with at least one being in the US are eligible to take part in the Franchise 500 ranking. The ranking company compared the franchise companies on the factors financial strength and stability-, growth rate-, size of the system,- the number of years of being in business-, the length of time it’s been franchising, startup costs,- percentage of terminations and if financing is provided. Below you can see the “Top 10” of the ranking:  

„Je suis Charlie“ will not be a trademark in France

Post date: 
January 21, 2015
Categories: 
Brand Value
Tags: 
infringement to public policy, INPI, Je suis Charlie, L'Institut national de la propriété industrielle, OHIM

The French Trademark Office “L'Institut national de la propriété industrielle (INPI) and the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM) refuseregistrations of the slogan „Je suis Charlie“.”