Intellectual Property UK

  • May 07, 2026

    EU Court Adviser Backs Broader IP Disclosure Orders

    An adviser to the European Union's top court said Thursday that intellectual property owners should be able to demand the disclosure of documents evidencing how far an opponent has infringed their rights.

  • May 07, 2026

    Beverly Hills Polo Club Partially Blocks Retailer's TM

    European officials have partially rejected an Austrian e-commerce platform's trademark application for "Polo Club Royal Spencer" displaying a player on horseback because shoppers might confuse it with Beverly Hills Polo Club's 44-year-old brand. 

  • May 07, 2026

    Armani Loses Cosmetics TM For Lack Of Use

    Giorgio Armani has lost one of its trademarks after failing to provide European officials with any proof that it had actually stamped the specific mark to sell cosmetics, bleaching products or fire extinguishers in recent years.

  • May 06, 2026

    Apple Partially Knocks Out Keyboard Maker's Orange Logo

    Apple has partially convinced European officials to revoke a keyboard seller's application for a fruit-like logo based on its reputation in the technology field, after showing that shoppers buying chargers might link it to the famous logo of a half-bitten apple. 

  • May 06, 2026

    AT&T Finds 'Thousands Of Use Cases' For AI In-House

    In-house counsel for AT&T said Wednesday that the company has found "thousands of use cases" for artificial intelligence models in intellectual property work, both in-house and for outside counsel.

  • May 06, 2026

    Vape Biz Ordered To Pay Costs After TM Case Tossed

    A London judge has ordered a vape maker to pay £175,000 ($238,000) to a rival it had accused of trademark infringement over its use of "Vape Stop" signs, after finding that VapeStop couldn't afford a full trial. 

  • May 06, 2026

    Tent Designer Sues Rival For Stealing Safety Ladder Design

    A South Korean designer of vehicle-mounted roof tents has accused a British rival of copying key features of its patented ladder safety design and selling a reproduced version on its website, despite repeated warnings to stop.

  • May 06, 2026

    Tiger Woods' Golf Brand Voids Puma TM At EUIPO

    Tiger Woods' golf brand has persuaded European Union officials to revoke one of Puma's trademarks covering its famous jumping cat logo after arguing that the sportswear company had not made sufficient use of the trademark.

  • May 06, 2026

    West Ham Utd FC Can't Give 'Westham' TM The Boot

    A European Union panel has rejected a challenge by West Ham United FC against a trademark application for "Westham," ruling that the branding of the east London football club does not have any reputation among shoppers in the bloc.

  • May 05, 2026

    Google Cuts Media Co.'s 'Shorts' TM For Video Games

    Google has landed another blow against a London-based media company, persuading European officials to strip trademark protection for three variants of the British company's "Shorts" mark because they had not been used for software and video games. 

  • May 05, 2026

    Nivea Blocks Rival Cosmetic Maker's 'Livia' TM

    The owner of cosmetics giant Nivea has convinced European officials to nix a rival's trademark application for "Livia," showing that shoppers would confuse the sign with the popular skin and body care brand. 

  • May 05, 2026

    Holographic Artist Says Queen Portrait Input Was Creative

    A holographic artist has asserted that his involvement in two portraits of the late Queen Elizabeth II gives him co-authorship rights because his technical contributions were still original even though the commissioned artist has tried to discredit his creative input. 

  • May 05, 2026

    AI Makes My Judgments Better, Justice Birss Says

    Justice Colin Birss said Tuesday that he is improving his judgments by using artificial intelligence to check for clarity and consistency — but he hinted that having the tech write rulings from scratch would be a step too far.

  • May 05, 2026

    RWS Strikes £40M Deal For IP Technology Company

    Artificial intelligence company RWS said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire intellectual property managing business Obviously for £40 million ($54 million) in a deal that will expand its footprint in the new £2 billion trademark and brand protection market.

  • May 12, 2026

    McDermott Hires 12 Lawyers From Italian Firm For Milan Office

    McDermott Will & Schulte has hired 12 lawyers led by a private equity specialist from Italian firm Gitti and Partners for its office in Milan as it continues to invest in its legal services in Europe.

  • May 01, 2026

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

    The past week in London has seen a Swiss energy trader bring a Financial List claim against shipping benchmarking company Baltic Exchange, law firm Slater and Gordon sued by a former client, Slack and Salesforce hit Microsoft with an antitrust claim, and Stephen Fry bring a personal injury claim after he broke bones falling off a stage. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • May 01, 2026

    DWF Director Eyes More IP Growth After Oatly TM Win

    Coming off its victory at one of the highest-profile U.K. trademark disputes in recent years, DWF Group has high hopes for the future of the intellectual property practice. Here, director Asima Rana talks to Law360 about the challenges of the case and the growing demand for IP work in the U.K.

  • May 01, 2026

    Samsung Must Pay ZTE $392M For Phone Patent Licensing

    A London judge ordered the South Korean tech giant Samsung to pay $392 million on Friday to use ZTE's portfolio of standard essential patents for mobile phones, a big cut from the $731 million sought by the Chinese rival in a long-running dispute over fair license terms. 

  • May 01, 2026

    Christian Dior Can't Block Polish Co.'s 'Di-O' TM For Tobacco

    LVMH Group's Christian Dior has failed to convince European officials to nix a Polish company's trademark application for "DI—O," as it covered cigarettes and tobacco products that had nothing to do with the luxury perfumer's fragrances.

  • May 01, 2026

    English Outstrips German As Dominant Language At UPC

    The Unified Patent Court has revealed that English is now the dominant language in disputes at the European forum, seeing off German despite the popularity of its divisions in cities such as Munich and Düsseldorf.

  • April 30, 2026

    Japanese Pharma Co. Drops IP Amid Row With Novo Nordisk

    Novo Nordisk has obtained an inadvertent win against a rival's patent for a method of modifying antibodies in the blood, after the Japanese pharmaceutical company told European appellate officials that it no longer approved of the claims.

  • April 30, 2026

    ECJ Says Care Home TV Relays Don't Need Extra Licenses

    Europe's top court ruled Thursday that retirement homes do not need extra licenses to retransmit TV and radio broadcasts to residents, finding that sharing those programs through an internal cable system does not breach the bloc's copyright law. 

  • April 30, 2026

    Merz Gets 2 More Months To Block Generic MS Drug

    Pharmaceutical giant Merz has won an injunction from Europe's patent court to stop generic drugmaker Viatris Santé from selling a multiple sclerosis treatment in France for two more months while Merz's intellectual property rights are still in force.

  • April 30, 2026

    Novartis Beats Generics' Entresto Patent Challenge At EPO

    Novartis has persuaded an appeals panel to uphold its European patent covering blockbuster heart disease drug Entresto, fighting off arguments from numerous generics companies that the treatment isn't inventive.

  • April 30, 2026

    Dutch IP Group Snaps Up European Patent Prosecution Firm

    House of IP, a newly launched consultancy, said Thursday that it has acquired patent prosecution firm Patentwerk BV, marking the first step in its plan to build a broader network of intellectual property businesses across Europe.

Expert Analysis

  • 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.

  • Fashion IP Lessons From UK Design Rights Ruling

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    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.

  • Should Patent Disputes Be Filed In The ITC Or UPC?

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    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.

  • Prospects And Challenges For Expert Evidence At The UPC

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    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.

  • Strategies For Litigating In The Unified Patent Court

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    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.

  • Incorporating UKIPO Guidance Into AI Patent Strategies

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    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.

  • Clarity On Knotty Patent Jurisdiction Questions From CJEU

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    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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