The Court of Justice of the European Union has said that the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) must re-examine whether Nestlé’s KitKat shape (the four-fingered one) may remain registered as an EU trademark. We have previously reported on the confectionery issue here. In a press-release announcing the decision today, advocate-general Wathelet said that the…
The American term, ‘Black Friday’, which refers to the day after Thanksgiving when retailers slash prices and make special offers, has become an entrenched phenomenon in many of the world’s markets where it has incited the same madness as it has in the US. Many argue the term Black Friday was coined as a result…
It has emerged this week that Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, have filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against Alibabacoin Foundation, the Dubai cryptocurrency company, accusing it of trade mark infringement. For those that may not know, Alibaba Group Holding Limited is a multinational e-commerce, retail and technology company that operates…
Levi Strauss has brought proceedings against French fashion house Kenzo for trademark infringement in the US. The allegation is that Kenzo is infringing upon the famous “tab device” sewn on to the side of pockets: seen above in red on the side of a rear jeans pocket. Levi Strauss allege that Kenzo’s use of the…
Tinder’s parent company, Match Group, have brought an infringement case against their dating app competitor, Bumble. The Claimant is an American internet company that owns a large group of dating services including Tinder, Match.com, OKCupid and PlentyOfFish. A complaint has been filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Texas alleging, amongst…
Nando’s have taken legal action to prevent a chicken shop in Reading from infringing its cockerel and chilli logos as well as its name. Fernando’s, owned by Asam Aziz, has received a letter from Nando’s legal representatives, Bird & Bird, requiring it to cease infringement. Nando’s have asserted that the chicken and chilli images used…
Canal Street, New York is ground-zero for counterfeiting retailers. A barely tolerated haven to hawk knock-offs and fakes of some of the world’s best-known brands. Diesel’s parent company spends vast sums of money tracking down, then closing down, counterfeiters: last year they pursued and subsequently compelled to close down 86 websites selling copies of their…
Fashion designer Christian Louboutin has been struck a blow by the opinion of the European Court of Justice’s Advocate General Maciej Szpunar that “shape” includes colour. Christian Louboutin has been making shoes with the distinctive soles in Pantone 18 1663TP (or red, as it is more widely known) for over 25 years, and had argued…
UK brewery BrewDog has won an appeal over the registration of the trademark ‘BrewDog Elvis Juice’ for one of its beers. In 2016 the estate of the late great Elvis Presley opposed the registration on infringement grounds, and the applications were rejected by the UK Intellectual Property Office. They have now been allowed on appeal….
Having spent 43 years in the entertainment industry, winning multiple awards including Oscars and golden globes, Meryl Streep has now filed an application with the US Trademark and Patent Office to trademark her own name, “Meryl Streep”. Although Mary Louise Streep is her birth name, she has achieved fame and recognition through the name Meryl….
