Intellectual Property UK

  • December 10, 2025

    Textile Machine Co. Can't Dodge Costs In Patent Court Appeal

    An Indian textile machinery company could not convince appellate judges at the Unified Patent Court that it should not have to pay costs after a rival kicked off proceedings without filing a pre-action letter first.

  • December 10, 2025

    Oatly Asks Top Court To Revive TM For 'Post Milk'

    Oat drink company Oatly told the U.K.'s top court that it should be able to use the word "milk" when advertising its products, arguing that its "post milk generation" trademark does not run afoul of retained European law.

  • December 10, 2025

    Honeywell Can't Patent Fluorinated Olefin Compound

    European officials have revoked Honeywell's patent for making special compounds used in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and electronics, ruling that chemists at the time would have found the U.S. industrial company's method for making fluorinated olefins obvious. 

  • December 10, 2025

    Red Bull Wins Drinks Can Design Clash With Oetker Brand

    Red Bull has beaten a bid by the vodka company of Oetker Group for a can design that features the energy drink giant's signature colors after the rival brand withdrew its appeal against an earlier ruling.

  • December 10, 2025

    EU Strips Entrepreneur Of 'Steve Jobs' TM Over Non-Use

    An Italian businessman has lost rights to the trademark "Steve Jobs" after European Union officials ruled that the mark, inspired by the boss of Apple who died in 2011, hadn't been put to genuine use for more than five years. 

  • December 09, 2025

    Hendrix Bandmates Claim Sony Owes Them Royalties At Trial

    The estates of Jimi Hendrix's former bandmates are owed royalties as a result of Sony continuing to "exploit" the band's back catalog by streaming it without their consent, their lawyers argued at the first day of trial Tuesday.

  • December 09, 2025

    Elfbar Maker Can't Void Rival's 'Crystal' TM In Slovakia 

    The creator of Elfbar disposable vapes has failed to stop a rival from registering the trademark "Crystal" in Slovakia, after European Union officials held the company had not demonstrated that its brand was used there. 

  • December 09, 2025

    Sun Pharma Claims New Pill Distinct From Incyte's Hit Drug

    Generic drugmaker Sun Pharma has asserted that its upcoming treatment for a hair loss condition wouldn't infringe on Incyte's intellectual property protections for a blockbuster drug treating autoimmune conditions, while also challenging the validity of the patent. 

  • December 09, 2025

    Heineken's 'El Leon' Lager Beats 'Lions Energizer' TM

    Heineken has persuaded European officials to cancel a beverage company's mark for "Lions Energizer" because people picking out a drink might believe that the flavor was somehow linked to the German beer's "El Leon" brand.

  • December 09, 2025

    Google Faces EU Antitrust Probe Over AI Content Practices

    Europe's competition watchdog opened a formal investigation into Google on Tuesday into whether the technology giant's practices in training its artificial intelligence models breached antitrust rules.

  • December 08, 2025

    Gelato Supplier Says Ex-Associate Ripped Off Branding

    A gelato supplier has accused a former business partner of infringing its "Gelato Gusto" trademarks, telling a London court that the company has churned out inferior goods under the brand without a license.

  • December 08, 2025

    BAT Unit Wins 2nd Shot At Vape IP Over Procedural Violation

    Nicoventures has convinced European appellate officials that it deserves a second chance at securing a patent over a vape despite Philip Morris' objections, because examiners had perused just four out of 17 submissions the British American Tobacco subsidiary had made to save its IP.

  • December 08, 2025

    London Fashion Designer Sues Rival Over Dress IP Theft

    A fashion designer has accused a womenswear brand of selling a dress that infringes on its copyright and design, asking a London judge to grant it a permanent injunction against the business. 

  • December 08, 2025

    Canal+ Gets Sky TM Revoked Over Non-Use

    Canal+ has persuaded European officials to remove Sky's "Sky Living" trademark from the register because the British broadcasting giant failed to prove it had genuinely used the mark over the past five years.

  • December 08, 2025

    Toy Maker Fights To Revive £90M Claim Against Bratz Owner

    A toy maker asked a London appeals court Monday to revive its bid for compensation from MGA Entertainment Inc., the company behind Bratz dolls, for running a campaign of antitrust violations and threats of patent infringement litigation.

  • December 05, 2025

    Dryrobe Wins TM Battle Over Rival's 'D-Robe' Brand

    Dryrobe Ltd. has won its case that a rival infringed its trademark with a "D-Robe" brand, with a London court ruling that the rival had been warned by its graphic designer that the "D-Robe" logo was potentially too similar but adopted it anyway. 

  • December 05, 2025

    Microsoft Granted Appeal In £270M Reseller Class Action

    A London tribunal has allowed Microsoft to appeal against its ruling that it cannot exercise control over products it has licensed to resellers, saying there is no "clear authority" on points of law related to that issue, so the software giant has a chance of succeeding.

  • December 05, 2025

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen Mozambique sue the late tycoon Iskandar Safa's family and Privinvest amid the wider $1.9 billion "tuna bond" fraud case, Entain face a claim from a major U.S. pensions agency, and a Mexican lawyer accused of embezzlement bring legal action against Travelers Insurance Co. 

  • December 05, 2025

    Edwards Lifesciences Bags Prosthetic Valve Patent In EU

    European appellate officials have upheld a bid by Edwards Lifesciences Corp. to patent a prosthetic heart valve based on one of its amendments, ruling that the added feature of an atrial sealing member with a polyester layer was new.

  • December 05, 2025

    Gap Unit Takes Slim Victory In 'Athleta' TM Appeal

    A London appeals court on Friday broadened a Gap subsidiary's victory in its "Athleta" trademark battle, ruling that a Danish rival ripped off the brand by selling clothes bearing "Athlecia" logos.

  • December 05, 2025

    Stuntmen Sue Over Use Of 'Kingsman' Clip In Elton John Tour

    Two stunt performers have alleged that a production company handed over a clip from a British spy film featuring them that was used in Elton John's "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" stage show without their consent.

  • December 05, 2025

    BAT Unit Snuffs Out Philip Morris' Safer E-Cig Patent

    European appellate officials have rejected a bid by Philip Morris to patent a safer vaping device, ruling that a prior invention had already added temperature sensors and a disabling "wait mode" feature for safety concerns. 

  • December 04, 2025

    Bobcat Says Caterpillar Reverse-Engineered Loader Parts

    Construction equipment maker Doosan Bobcat has accused rival Caterpillar Inc. of breaking down products to look for ways to engineer them, especially skid-steer loaders, excavators and dozers, in a pair of patent infringement lawsuits it brought in Texas federal court and the U.S. International Trade Commission.

  • December 04, 2025

    Ralph Lauren Can't Block 'U.S. Grand Polo' TM

    American fashion giant Ralph Lauren has failed to convince British officials that a rival's mark of a polo rider should face the chopping block, as its addition of a hat and varied text did not breach their prior settlement deal. 

  • December 04, 2025

    ECJ Clarifies Copyright Rules For Utilitarian Objects

    The European Union's top court has clarified the eligibility of utilitarian objects for copyright protection, ruling Thursday that applied art is no different from other subject matter when it comes to assessing originality.

Expert Analysis

  • Coordinating Patent Strategies Across PTAB And EPO

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    The positions, arguments and prior art raised in U.S. post-grant proceedings at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board may influence European Patent Office oppositions involving counterpart cases. Understanding the procedural similarities and differences between the two jurisdictions is key, says Drew Schulte of Haley Guiliano LLP.

  • New EU Patent Guidelines May Affect Companies' AI Strategy

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    As compared to the European Patent Office’s guidelines for artificial intelligence and machine learning — which take effect on Thursday — the U.S. eligibility framework may prove to be more favorable to innovators, say Jennifer Maisel and Eric Blatt of Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck PC​​​​​​​.

  • Intellectual Property Caught In US-China Trade Crossfire

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    Earlier this year, President Donald Trump imposed tariffs on Chinese products as a response to China’s trade practices concerning technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation. The U.S.-Chinese trade war highlights the need to approach investments in China differently, taking a broad view of intellectual assets and looking beyond basic legal protection, says Holly White, a consultant at Rouse & Co.

  • Patent Eligibility Assessments: US Approach Vs. UK Approach

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    Techniques used to address questions of obviousness in the U.K. may prove useful to practitioners addressing questions of patent eligibility in the U.S., say Christopher Carroll and Charles Larsen of White & Case LLP.

  • Surveying The CRISPR Patent War

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    Following this week’s oral argument at the Federal Circuit in University of California v. Broad Institute, there has been a surge of interest in the long-running CRISPR patent dispute. There are battles raging on multiple fronts, particularly in Europe, with several more on deck in the U.S., and maybe even in China, says Michael Stramiello of Paul Hastings LLP.

  • UK Patent Ruling Sharpens Contrast With US Practice

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    The U.K. Court of Appeal's decision last month in Regeneron v. Kymab is significant because it aligns the U.K.’s approach to the assessment of insufficiency with that of the European Patent Office. It also highlights, for U.S. companies, the stricter standard to which patent specifications are subject in Europe, say Edward Kelly and Regina Sam Penti of Ropes & Gray LLP.

  • IP Considerations For UK Open Banking App Developers

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    Since January of this year, consumer-facing banks in the U.K. have been required to make customers' banking data available to authorized third parties in a standardized format. As competition between open banking app developers increases, intellectual property rights will become a key legal tool, say Rajvinder Jagdev and Peter Damerell of Powell Gilbert LLP.

  • The Case For Early Mediation Or Arbitration In IP Disputes

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    Alternative dispute resolution is one of the best ways to resolve disputes involving patents, copyright, trademark, trade secrets and other intellectual property issues. While not every situation lends itself to ADR, it is more accessible than many parties assume, says Jerry Cohen of Burns & Levinson LLP.

  • International Arbitration In 2018: A Year Of Rule Revisions

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    Though still in its relative infancy, 2018 is shaping up to be a year of arbitral institution rule updates. Neil Newing and Ryan Cable of Signature Litigation LLP explore some of the more innovative and trending rule changes expected or predicted this year.

  • A Look At Chemical Supplemental Examination Requests

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    If used strategically, supplemental examination at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office can provide a powerful tool for chemical patent owners to add to their armamentarium of options for Orange Book-listed patents when conducting a due diligence analysis of their patent estate prior to Orange Book listing, say attorneys with Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP.

  • Cloud-Based Patent Claims — And How Providers Can Help

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    Cloud customers may be exposed to liability for open source technologies that are buried deep within their providers’ offerings. In-house legal teams and developers need to be aware of the risk of patent litigation and the extent to which cloud providers can help mitigate these risks, says R. Paul Zeineddin of Zeineddin PLLC.

  • Comparing EU And US Standard-Essential Patent Guidance

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    The European Commission's long-awaited guidance on litigating and licensing standard-essential patents clarifies what conduct may insulate an SEP owner from abuse claims under competition law, in sharp contrast to the U.S., where the Federal Trade Commission and U.S. Department of Justice have declined to adopt any views on the subject, say Edward Kelly and Regina Sam Penti of Ropes & Gray LLP.

  • Strategic Considerations In Selecting Emergency Arbitration

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    In recent years, all of the major arbitral institutions have introduced an emergency arbitration procedure, yet studies suggest that parties rarely avail themselves of emergency arbitration and instead turn to local courts in times of crisis. Attorneys with Kirkland & Ellis LLP explore several considerations when determining where to pursue emergency relief.

  • Strategies For Protecting Biotechnology In Brazil And China

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    Brazil and China have taken important steps to become significant contributors to the future success of the bioeconomy. Understanding options for quickly procuring and challenging patents in Brazil and China can be key for companies looking to expand their bioeconomy investments outside the U.S. and Europe, say attorneys with Sterne Kessler Goldstein & Fox PLLC.

  • How The FTC Has Erred On Innovation Policy Issues

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    Maureen Ohlhausen, the acting chairman of the Federal Trade Commission, recently delivered a sobering attack on the agency, noting that it and other antitrust agencies have “lost sight of core antitrust principles.” From such a highly competent federal official who is also a recognized legal scholar, this critique deserves our full attention, says David Teece, chairman of Berkeley Research Group LLC.

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