Intellectual Property UK

  • June 19, 2026

    Nokia, Acer Swap Patent Litigation For Arbitration

    Nokia and Acer have agreed to halt all patent litigation between them and enter arbitration, shortly after a London court ruled that the companies' dispute over fair licensing terms was best settled outside the courtroom.

  • June 19, 2026

    Rolex Stops The Clock On Spanish Co's 'Vorlex' TM Over Cars

    Rolex convinced European officials to partially nix a trademark for "Vorlex," after showing that shoppers might see it stamped on electric cars or motor car doors and believe it was somehow linked to the reputable luxury watch brand. 

  • June 19, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen Royal Mail Pension Plan companies sue Wates Construction after investing in a Cambridge development project, law firm Ronald Fletcher Baker launch proceedings against several former partners and the rival firm they moved to, Lansdowne Law, and energy group VAROPreem bring an intellectual property claim against North Sea producer Viaro Energy and its chief executive. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • June 19, 2026

    Medtech Wins UPC Ban On Rival Cardiac Device Sales

    A medical device maker has won an appeal before a European patent court, securing an order to bar a rival from selling some cardiac defect closure implants in several countries. 

  • June 19, 2026

    AI Tech Biz Loses Appeal For Driver Behavior Patent

    European appellate officials have rejected a bid by Cambridge Mobile Telematics to patent technology that uses artificial intelligence to assess drivers' risk profiles, ruling that the U.S. software company added features not disclosed in its original claim.

  • June 18, 2026

    Daily Mail Publisher Can't Keep EU Mark For Unused Goods

    European officials have partially nixed a "Daily Mail" trademark, finding that media giant Associated Newspapers wasn't genuinely using the sign to market computer hardware or cardboard.

  • June 18, 2026

    Lenovo Blocks Software Co.'s 'AIThink' TM Over Computers

    Lenovo has persuaded European officials to partially block a Civica trademark for "aithink" over a range of computer software goods and services, after showing that shoppers might think it was somehow linked to the technology giant's "ThinkPad" devices. 

  • June 18, 2026

    Jellycat's IP Claims Toy With Design-Led Infringement Bids

    Jellycat's recent crackdown on alleged copycat bag charms is set to test the strength of design protections in the consumer goods market, in a case lawyers say could prove to be make-or-break for the value of design portfolios.

  • June 18, 2026

    PE Co. Director Denies Helping Trader Drain $9M Investment

    The director of a private equity company has denied conspiring with a bond market trader to divert a management consultancy's $9.4 million investment to his own company, saying the payments were part of a legitimate venture involving non-fungible tokens.

  • June 18, 2026

    Parkster Revives Challenge To Block 'Parkner' TM

    A European court has reopened a challenge by Swedish parking app Parkster to an Estonian parking operator's use of the trademark "Parkner," finding that officials overlooked the connection between parking services and the mobile apps that drivers use to pay for parking.

  • June 18, 2026

    Domino's Burns Wholesaler's Hopes For 'Dominus Pizza' TM

    Domino's has convinced European officials to rescind a "Dominus Pizza" trademark after showing that a wholesaler behind it sought to free-ride on the pizza chain's reputation. 

  • June 17, 2026

    Justices Asked To Review 'Headscratching' Copyright Ruling

    A group of major music publishers has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to rein in a "headscratching" Fifth Circuit ruling that the music publishers say transformed U.S. copyright termination rights into a worldwide reset button for ownership of foreign copyrights.

  • June 17, 2026

    Hugo Boss Blocks Clothing Maker's 'Bossac' TM

    Hugo Boss AG has convinced European officials to block a business owner from registering the trademark "Bossac," after showing that shoppers might confuse the rival products with its own clothing range. 

  • June 17, 2026

    Lipstick-Maker Smacks Away Rival's Patent Attack

    European appellate officials have upheld a makeup company's patent for producing lipsticks, ruling that its method of supporting the special bullet-shaped mold that fills with lipstick was new compared to existing methods. 

  • June 17, 2026

    Formula One Hits Brakes On F1-Branded Coffee TM In EU

    Formula One has blocked an Italian individual's "F1 Gold Formule Caffe Espresso" trademark application, convincing European Union officials that there is a risk of confusion with the branding of the single-seater motorsport series.

  • June 17, 2026

    Red Bull Color Mark Trimmed Back To Energy Drinks Only

    Energy drinks giant Red Bull cannot use one of its color-combination blue and silver trademarks to sell other nonalcoholic drinks, after European officials found that it had not genuinely used the sign over all registered goods. 

  • June 17, 2026

    InterDigital Wins Disney+ Restrictions In 11 EU States

    InterDigital has secured a Unified Patent Court injunction against Disney over its video-coding patent in 11 European states, adding to separate injunctions it has already won in Germany and Brazil.

  • June 16, 2026

    Accord Sues Takeda Unit To Upend Crohn's Treatment Patents

    Accord has sued a unit of pharma giant Takeda to revoke two of its patents covering treatment regimens for Crohn's disease, arguing that similar methods were explored in research elsewhere before the unit sought patent protection.

  • June 16, 2026

    Penguin Blocks Football Club's Look-Alike Logo For Books

    Penguin Books partially persuaded European officials Monday to block a French football club from registering a logo using a black-and-white penguin for books and other publishing materials, amid concerns that the mark might free ride on its brand.

  • June 16, 2026

    FIFA Won't Pass On IP Defense At The World Cup

    Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham won't be the only ones who need to be on form at the World Cup as England kicks off its World Cup campaign on Wednesday — lawyers say that FIFA's IP enforcement squad will be scouting for illegal broadcasts and ambush marketing to ensure its rights are protected.

  • June 16, 2026

    German Uni Can't Claim Key Protein Sequencing Patent

    A German university has lost its fight for co-ownership of a patent covering crucial protein sequencing technology used for diagnostics and drugmaking, failing to convince a Munich court that the French owners of the patent pinched the invention.

  • June 16, 2026

    Rubik's Cube Owner Can't Block Use Of Toy In Sofa TM

    The owners of the Rubik's Cube toy have failed to convince European officials that an Italian sofa company should be prevented from using an image of the popular toy in its "Nisi Family" trademark to sell furniture. 

  • June 16, 2026

    Chinese Cos. Save Patent On Banknote Security Strip

    Two Chinese companies have convinced European appellate officials to revive their patent for an embedded security strip used on banknotes and credit cards, handing a loss to a security firm and plastics maker that argued its anti-counterfeiting magnetic strip wasn't new.

  • June 15, 2026

    EUIPO Trims 'Labubu' TM Amid Toymaker's Fight Over Fakes

    A Turkish stationery shop has partially persuaded European officials to reject an attempt by two individuals to register a trademark over "Labubu" in reference to the popular plush toy, amid broader efforts from toymaker Pop Mart to crack down on counterfeits and opportunistic trademark applicants. 

  • June 15, 2026

    OnlyFans Software Platform Denies Breaching Antitrust Laws

    An OnlyFans software platform has denied a rival company's claim that it breached competition law by failing to make user data readily available, telling a London court that it was under no obligation to do so.

Expert Analysis

  • Navigating Legal Privilege Issues When Using AI

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    The recent explosion in artificial intelligence has led to prompts and AI outputs that may be susceptible to disclosure in proceedings, and it is important to apply familiar principles to assess whether legal privilege may apply to these interactions, say lawyers at HSF.

  • UK Getty Ruling Tests Balance Of IP Rights And AI Industry

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    The recent Getty Images v. Stability AI High Court decision, rejecting copyright claims while upholding limited trademark infringement, will influence the creative community and U.K. artificial intelligence industry alike, and the training of AI models in the U.K. is still a risk, say lawyers at Powell Gilbert.

  • Role Of UK Investment Act Is Evolving In M&A Deals

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    With merger and acquisition activity likely to increase in light of the government’s new defense industrial strategy, the role of the National Security and Investment Act will come into sharper focus, and its recent annual report confirms that scrutiny is intensifying, say lawyers at Kingsley Napley.

  • Growth, Harmonization In Focus As Hague System Turns 100

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    One hundred years after its establishment, the Hague System has grown into an important pillar of international design protection, offering a promising path toward even greater harmonization in design law as its geographic reach continues to expand, say attorneys at Sterne Kessler.

  • EPO Referral May Shift Patent Description Amendment Rules

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    The European Patent Office’s recent referral G 1/25 to the Enlarged Board of Appeal seeks to offer clarification on inconsistencies concerning requirements for description amendments, which could bring a change in direction for the EPO that potentially harmonizes its prosecution process with those of other countries, say lawyers at Finnegan.

  • What To Know About Interim Licenses In Global FRAND Cases

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    Recent U.K. court decisions have shaped a framework for interim licenses in global standard-essential patent disputes, under which parties can benefit from operating on temporary terms while a court determines the final fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory terms — but the future of this developing remedy is in doubt, say attorneys at Fish & Richardson.

  • EU Act Establishes Data Sharing Rules, But Hurdles Remain

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    The recently effective European Union Data Act provisions establish harmonized rules to unlock the use of data generated by technology-embedded software, but leave practical challenges that organizations will need to navigate to comply with cross-border requirements, say lawyers at King & Spalding.

  • 5 Ways To Address The Legal Risks Of Employee AI Use

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    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.

  • EU-US Data Transfer Ruling Offers Reassurance To Cos.

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    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.

  • Between The Lines Of EPO's Adoption Of Color Drawings

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    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.

  • How WTO's Anti-Suit Injunction Ruling Affects IP Stakeholders

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    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.

  • How Logo Confusion Ruling Expands TM Protection

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    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.

  • IP Considerations As UK Maintains Exhaustion Regime

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    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.

  • EPO Ruling On Claim Interpretation Will Have Broad Impact

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    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.

  • Challenges Law Firms Face In Recruiting Competitor Teams

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    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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