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Intellectual Property UK
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April 16, 2026
Heineken's 'Leonhart' TM Victory Upended At EU Court
A European Union court has overturned a successful challenge by Heineken against a Polish coffee company's "Leonhart" trademark application, ruling that shoppers would not confuse the mark with the brewery's earlier "El Leon" sign.
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April 15, 2026
Typeface Designer Appeals Unpaid Royalties Claim Loss
A font designer told a London appeals court Wednesday that a judge wrongly struck out her claim against a type foundry for unpaid royalties as an abuse of process, arguing she was entitled to bring the case after settling earlier copyright litigation with the company.
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April 15, 2026
Historic Singaporean Tea Co. Loses TMs In Clipper Fight
A historic family tea business has lost a handful of trademarks incorporating the imagery of a classic 19th century clipper sailing ship, after a rival tea brand convinced British officials that it had already cornered the tea market with its "Clipper" brand of organic tea.
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April 15, 2026
Re-Uz Sues Rival Over 'Eco Cup' Marks, Client Data
A group of companies specializing in sustainable cups has sued a competitor, accusing it of infringing its marks in branding for its reusable cups and misusing its trade secrets to poach clients.
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April 15, 2026
Ocado Wins Patent Appeal For Robot-Handling System
Ocado has persuaded European officials that its patent for a robot-handling system is inventive, with an appeals board finding that its use of sensors on either side of the robot improved tracking and operating speeds when carrying storage containers.
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April 15, 2026
Anker Settles UPC Clash With Israeli Tech Biz
The Unified Patent Court has shut down a wireless charging patent infringement claim from an Israeli tech company against electronic consumer goods business Anker after the companies reached an out-of-court settlement.
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April 14, 2026
Fridge Camera Buyer Can't Use Contract Mix-Up To Win £100M
A London judge has ruled that a U.K. appliance company cannot use a clear error in a supply contract to win more than £100 million ($136 million) from a Chinese manufacturer for failing to deliver refrigerator cameras.
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April 14, 2026
Respiratory Device Maker Nixes Rival's Patent At UPC
A manufacturer of sleep apnea devices has convinced Europe's patent court to nix a rival's patent for a nasal cannula because existing technology already delivered oxygen to patients in the same way using a specific component.
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April 14, 2026
Mondelēz Unit Voids Low-Salt Cheese Patent On Appeal
A subsidiary of Mondelēz International Inc. has convinced a European appeals panel to void a Finnish dairy producer's patent for a method of making low-salt cheese, proving that the method isn't inventive.
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April 14, 2026
Music Samples Can Be Pastiche, Top EU Court Rules
Musicians may sample other works in their songs without explicit permission from the original creator in certain circumstances, the European Union's highest court held Tuesday following a 20-year spat over the sampling of a song by electronic music group Kraftwerk.
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April 14, 2026
Takeda Unit Defends Bowel Disease Drug Patent In UK
A subsidiary of Japanese pharma giant Takeda has defended its U.K. patent for a bowel disease drug, urging a London court to uphold its protections as rival company Advanz vies to launch a competing version of the treatment.
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April 13, 2026
Germany's Dominance May Hinder UPC Growth
Germany's continued dominance over the Unified Patent Court's local divisions could hamper its growth, by leaving little incentive for more countries to join the international patent forum.
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April 13, 2026
SharkNinja Can't Block Rival's Cooker Sales At UPC
The Unified Patent Court has denied SharkNinja's attempt to curb a French rival's cooker sales amid the U.S. company's ongoing patent infringement claim, ruling that the patent at the center of the clash is likely invalid.
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April 13, 2026
Brandsmiths Acquires Specialist IP Firm Sipara
Trademark boutique Brandsmiths bolstered its prosecution practice on Monday with the acquisition of U.K. intellectual property firm Sipara.
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April 13, 2026
House Of Fraser Left Bruised After TM Clash With Property Biz
House of Fraser has lost swaths of its brand protections in the U.K. following a "Frasers" trademark clash with a Singaporean property firm of the same name.
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April 13, 2026
'Grand Budapest' TM Nixed Over Wes Anderson Similarities
Examiners have rejected a Hungarian property developer's trademark application for "Grand Budapest," noting that shoppers would immediately think of Wes Anderson's eponymous film and its fictional yet luxuriously impressive establishment.
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April 10, 2026
BlackBerry Squashes 'Blueberry' TM In EUIPO Clash
BlackBerry has persuaded a European Union appeals panel to reject an electric vehicle company's attempt to restore its "Blueberry" trademark, proving that the competing fruit name risked taking unfair advantage of the erstwhile smartphone giant's reputation.
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April 10, 2026
UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London
The past week in London has seen the owner of an oil tanker stuck in the Strait of Hormuz sued by an energy company and an insurer, law firm Boodle Hatfield LLP and two Serle Court barristers sued by a group of Winston Churchill's great-grandchildren, and Welsh Water hit with a fresh class action over polluted rivers.
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April 10, 2026
P&G Saves Patent For Equally Distributed Fabric Softener
Procter & Gamble has convinced European appellate officials to grant it a patent for a fabric softener that permeates all textiles equally because it used a different structure than previous versions used to challenge the application.
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April 10, 2026
Sandoz Can't Cancel Sanofi Unit's Autoimmune Disorder Drug
European appellate officials have upheld a Sanofi unit's patent for a drug treating autoimmune disorders despite objections from Sandoz because the specific enzyme blockers it uses were structurally different from those in existing treatments.
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April 10, 2026
Ecolab Water Treatment Patent Scrapped After Appeal
Sanitation business Ecolab has lost its European patent for a way of removing micro-organisms from water after a Finnish rival persuaded an appeals panel that the American company's technique is not inventive.
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April 09, 2026
Albright Won't Toss BMW Suit Over German Patent Cases
A Texas federal judge said he wouldn't dismiss a suit brought by carmaker BMW AG that was intended to block two patent litigations from moving forward in German court, despite those cases having been withdrawn.
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April 09, 2026
Luxury Hotelier Blocks Restaurateur's 'Forte' EU TM
Rocco Forte Hotels has convinced European officials to block an Italian entrepreneur's trademark application for "Forte," ruling that it was too similar to the luxury hotel group's earlier marks and could confuse clients.
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April 09, 2026
Jo Malone 'Surprised' By Estée Lauder Owner's TM Claim
British perfumer Jo Malone has defended the right to use her own name after Estée Lauder Companies claimed in a London court that she has infringed trademarks over the "Jo Malone" brand that it acquired when it bought her company.
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April 09, 2026
HP Signs On To New Wi-Fi 7 Sisvel Patent Pool
Sisvel said Thursday that Hewlett Packard Enterprise has signed a deal to give it access to its new patent pool for the latest Wi-Fi technology.
Expert Analysis
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5 Ways To Address The Legal Risks Of Employee AI Use
Employees’ use of unauthorized artificial intelligence tools has become a regulatory issue, and in-house legal counsel are best placed to close the gap between governance controls and innovation, mitigating the risk of organizations' exposure to noncompliance with European Union and U.K. data protection requirements, say lawyers at MoFo.
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EU-US Data Transfer Ruling Offers Reassurance To Cos.
The European Union General Court’s recent upholding of the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework in Latombe v. European Commission, although subject to appeal, provides companies with legal certainty for the first time by allowing the transfer of European Economic Area personal data without relying on alternative mechanisms, say lawyers at Wilson Sonsini.
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Between The Lines Of EPO's Adoption Of Color Drawings
The European Patent Office's decision to accept patent drawings in color starting in October may enhance clarity in technical disclosures and streamline the examination process, and could also enable new patent filing strategies for international applicants, say attorneys at Miller Canfield.
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How WTO's Anti-Suit Injunction Ruling Affects IP Stakeholders
The World Trade Organization's recent ruling in favor of the European Union's challenge to Chinese courts' anti-suit injunction practices should hearten holders of standard-essential patents, while implementers can take solace that they retain mechanisms to distinguish the WTO decision when seeking anti-suit injunctions in U.S. courts, says Michael Franzinger at Dentons.
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How Logo Confusion Ruling Expands TM Protection
The U.K. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Iconix v. Dream Pairs confirms that postsale confusion is actionable in trademark infringement claims, and also warns appellate courts to not rewrite lower courts' factual analyses, say lawyers at Morgan Lewis.
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IP Considerations As UK Maintains Exhaustion Regime
The U.K. government's decision to keep its existing regime of exhaustion of intellectual property rights means IP owners should review their existing and new European distribution agreements to account for the different regimes in the U.K. and European Union, says Rebecca Anderson-Smith at Mewburn Ellis.
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EPO Ruling On Claim Interpretation Will Have Broad Impact
The European Patent Office Enlarged Board of Appeal’s recent decision, finding that the description and drawings in a patent should always be consulted to interpret claims, will fundamentally change how the EPO interprets patent claims in both examination and opposition proceedings, say lawyers at Finnegan.
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Challenges Law Firms Face In Recruiting Competitor Teams
Since the movement of lawyer teams from a competitor can bring legal considerations and commercial risks into play, both the target and recruiting firms should be familiar with the relevant limited liability partnership deed to protect their business, say lawyers at Fox & Partners.
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Fashion IP Lessons From UK Design Rights Ruling
The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court’s recent ruling in Edwards v. Boohoo.com illustrates the challenges that independent designers face when attempting to enforce unregistered design rights in an era dominated by fast fashion, while also highlighting the utility of the IPEC, say lawyers at Finnegan.
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Should Patent Disputes Be Filed In The ITC Or UPC?
When companies must choose between initiating patent litigation in the U.S. International Trade Commission or the European Union's Unified Patent Court, the ITC may offer a few distinct advantages, but ultimately the decision requires consideration of case-specific factors, say attorneys at White & Case.
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Prospects And Challenges For Expert Evidence At The UPC
Expert testimony on economic or damages-related issues will likely play a larger part in Unified Patent Court proceedings in the near future, potentially presenting unique challenges for experts, counsel and judges alike, say analysts at Charles River.
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Strategies For Litigating In The Unified Patent Court
Since opening its gates two years ago, the European Unified Patent Court has transformed the patent litigation landscape and global litigation strategies, but parties seeking to take advantage of the court's robust processes must be prepared for the front-loaded character of UPC proceedings, say attorneys at McDermott.
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Incorporating UKIPO Guidance Into AI Patent Strategies
Updated guidance from the U.K. Intellectual Property Office sheds light on how it assesses patents for artificial intelligence inventions and highlights approaches that improve applicants' options for demonstrating that AI provides a technical contribution, say lawyers at Finnegan.
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Clarity On Knotty Patent Jurisdiction Questions From CJEU
The recent ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union in BSH v. Electrolux sheds light on how the jurisdiction of the Unified Patent Court competes with that of the EU member state courts over infringement and validity actions, and could extend international jurisdiction of the EU courts in several ways, say lawyers at August Debouzy.
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Russia Sanctions Spotlight: Divergent Approaches Emerge
With indications of greater divergence and uncertainty in Russia sanctions policy between the U.K., European Union and U.S., there are four general principles and a range of compliance steps that businesses should bear in mind when assessing the impact of a potentially shifting landscape, says Alexandra Melia at Steptoe.