Understanding Trademark Law Through the Lens of Halloween: A Spooky Guide

Post date: 
October 30, 2024
Categories: 
Brand, European Union Trademark, Trademark Law, Trademarks, IP Rights, Intellectual Property Law
Tags: 
#halloween

Understanding Trademark Law Through the Lens of Halloween: A Spooky Guide

Halloween, with its pumpkins, costumes, and haunted houses, is one of the most exciting and creative times of the year. But behind the spooky masks and candy bowls lies a complex world of Intellectual Property Law, especially trademarks, which many businesses need to navigate carefully during the season.

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General Court of the European Union states no likelihood of confusion between “BEPOST” and “(e)POST” trademarks

Post date: 
March 19, 2018
Categories: 
Community Trademark, European General Court, German Trademarks, Likelihood of confusion, OHIM, Trademark Law, Trademarks
Tags: 
20 February 2018, European General Court, BEPOST, Deutsche Post, ePOST

On 20 February 2018, the General Court of the European Union (GC) upheld the previous decision of Board of Apeal of EUIPO (BoA) when it found the trademark “BEPOST” and the trademarks “POST” and “ePOST” to be sufficiently visually and aurally different to rule out a likelihood of confusion.                                                                                                                         

                                                                                            "POST"    

                                         EU trademark No. 5850193            German trademark No. 30012966                                                                                                

                                                (word/device mark)                                   (word mark)

                                           

                                                                                             vs.

                                   

                                                                                      “BEPOST”

                                                                  EU trademark application No. 008897829

                                                                                    (word mark)

The phenomenon of the German "Mittelstand"

Post date: 
March 15, 2018
Categories: 
Brand, Brand Finance
Tags: 
15 March 2018, Mittelstand, SME, Hidden Champions, BMWi

During a period of worldwide financial instability German SMEs (Small and Medium-sized Enterprises), the so-called Mittelstand, are leading the way in Europe’s largest economy and are the answer to financial recovery and prosperity.

Source: Shutterstock

LG´s Trademark „Dual Edge“ is descriptive in the EU

Post date: 
March 05, 2018
Categories: 
Community Trademark, Distinctiveness, European General Court, OHIM, Trademark Law, Trademarks
Tags: 
18 Januar 2018, EUIPO, The General Court, Dual Edge, LG

On 18 January 2018, the General Court of the European Union (GC) upheld the decision of the Board of Appeal in the case T-804/16. LG´s application for the EU word mark “Dual Edge” was found to lack distinctive character and was therefore refused to be registered by the EUIPO.

Samsung Galaxy S8, Source: Pixabay

EUIPO on consequences of hard Brexit

Post date: 
February 12, 2018
Categories: 
Community Trademark, Design Law, Intellectual Property Law, OHIM, Trademarks
Tags: 
18 January 2018, EUIPO, Brexit, EU Trademarks, EU Designs

On 18 January 2018, the Intellectual Property Office of the European Union (EUIPO) published its opinion paper answering the most burning questions concerning the impact of the UK´s withdrawal from the EU regarding EU Trademarks and EU Designs.

Source: Pixabay

CJEU on conditions of using “Champagne” in the name of a product that only contains a certain percentage of it

Post date: 
February 08, 2018
Categories: 
Brand, Intellectual Property Law, The Court of Justice of the European Union
Tags: 
20 December 2017, CJEU, Protected Designation of Origin

On 20 December 2017, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) gave its opinion on the “Champagner Sorbet” case. The Court stated the conditions of using the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) for “Champagne” on a product which only contained 12% of Champagne.

Source: Pixabay

Fraudsters sentenced to prison for sending misleading trademark invoices

Post date: 
February 01, 2018
Categories: 
Community Trademark, Intellectual Property, IP Rights, OHIM, Procedural rules, Trademarks
Tags: 
20 December 2017, misleading trademark invoices, Uppsala trademark case, OMIH

On 20 December 2017, the Court of Appeal in Sweden sentenced some of the scammers from the Uppsala trademark scam case to serve a prison sentence. They were found guilty of fraud for sending misleading invoices to EU trademark owners using the name “OMIH” on the letterhead.

Source: Pixabay

Neuschwanstein - Can the famous German castle be protected as an EU Trademark?

Post date: 
January 23, 2018
Categories: 
Brand, Brand Value, Distinctiveness, German Trademarks, IP Rights
Tags: 
Neuschwanstein, European Court of Justice, German Trademarks, CJEU, European Trademark

On 11 January 2018, Melchior Wathelet, the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), published his opinion about the dispute concerning the Neuschwanstein EU trademark. In his opinion, he recommended the CJEU to uphold the previous decision of the General Court. Wathelet states that the trademark is not descriptive for the goods and services covered and therefore there is no legal barrier for its registration.

neuschwanstein-castle-783674_960_720.jpg

Neuschwanstein - European Trademark

Source: Pixabay

Changes at WIPO and the EUIPO in 2018

Post date: 
January 08, 2018
Categories: 
OHIM, Procedural rules, Trademark Law, WIPO
Tags: 
1 January 2018, Madrid Monitor, Nice Classification, Fax

The new year brought some changes at WIPO and the EUIPO which are taking effect on 1 January 2018. Here is a brief summary of the most important ones for all trademark practitioners.

Source: Pixabay

HAPPY HOLIDAYS from LexDellmeier IP Law Firm - Munich, Germany

Post date: 
December 22, 2017

How to protect the combination of two colors? European General Court denies Red Bull trademark protection.

Post date: 
December 18, 2017
Categories: 
Decisions, European General Court, Trademarks
Tags: 
30 November 2017, CJEU, color combination trademark, European General Court, Red Bull

On 30 November 2017, the European General Court (EGC) upheld the previous decision of the Board of Appeal of the EUIPO in the joined cases T-101/15 and T-102/15, Red Bull v EUIPO. The EGC confirmed that the registered trademark consisting of two colors allowed several different combinations as the application did not display the requirements of precision and uniformity set out by Article 4 of Regulation No 207/2009. Now, the case continues to the next instance and so the highest court in the EU, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), will have the last word, whether the color combination will further benefit from legal protection.

                       

    EU trademark No. 002534774                                  EU trademark No. 009417668