Intellectual Property UK

  • April 17, 2026

    UPC Tells TCL To Stop Selling TVs That Infringe Glass Patent

    The Unified Patent Court has ordered electronics company TCL to stop selling any televisions in Germany that might infringe a glassmaking patent belonging to U.S. materials business Corning.

  • April 16, 2026

    Rolex Wins Patent Row For Mechanical Watch Part

    Rolex SA has successfully blocked a challenge from rival Horage SA to its patent for a watch mechanism designed to reduce energy consumption when telling the time, with European officials finding that the design was not obvious to a skilled person.

  • April 16, 2026

    Imax Nixes Chinese Co.'s 'Imaxsmart' TM Over TVs

    Film production technology giant Imax has convinced European officials to revoke a Chinese company's trademark for "Imaxsmart" over LED screen displays, televisions and video projectors but failed to stop the rival from marketing a range of other products with the "Imax" name.

  • April 16, 2026

    EU Says Farmers In N. Ireland Can Use 'Irish Beef' Label

    A European Union court has rejected an Irish farming coalition's attempt to void a protected geographical indication for "Irish Grass Fed Beef" that covers products in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

  • April 16, 2026

    Pharma Biz Can't Prove 'Ibumax' TM Can Live With Rival IP

    A Finnish pharmaceutical company has failed to convince a European court that it deserves to stamp painkillers with the trademark "Ibumax-Lysin" because it would confuse shoppers already accustomed to a Polish rival's Ibum-branded medicine. 

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. 

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. 

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

Expert Analysis

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

    Author Photo

    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.

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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?

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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

    Author Photo

    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.

  • Russia Sanctions Spotlight: Divergent Approaches Emerge

    Author Photo

    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.

Want to publish in Law360?


Submit an idea

Have a news tip?


Contact us here
Can't find the article you're looking for? Click here to search the Intellectual Property UK archive.