! Please enable JavaScript to view this site correctly.
! You are viewing this site on an outdated browser. Upgrade now to view this site correctly.
On 22nd January 2024 a decision was taken by the UK IPO regarding the validity of a registered design no 6196574 in the name of UAB ORBIO WORLD (UAB). The registered design was filed on the 15th March 2022, showing a ‘cosmetic patch’. The main illustration of the design is depicted below: The invalidity action was filed by MB ‘VIZUALI RECLAMA’ (MB) on 14th July 2022 on the basis that the product depicted in the registered design created the same…
A leading international wholesaler is counting the cost of an ill-judged product launch. Costco is well known for its huge warehouses stocking anything from sandwiches to speedboats. In its US outlets, members were able to purchase diamond rings marked Tiffany via the jewellery counter. However, budding George Peppards and Audrey Hepburns may have been left disappointed as the rings themselves were not manufactured by world renowned jeweller Tiffany & Co. Costco argued that solitaire diamond rings of this type have…
Your most valuable asset Every business is affected by IP to a greater or lesser extent. Although intangible, IP is often the most valuable asset of a company or business, sometimes making up over 80% of the balance sheet. IP creates a trading advantage and sets your business apart from competitors. Protect your hard work and abolish future hassle By protecting IP rights, you can prevent competitors from piggy backing on your hard work and innovation. Securing adequate protection to…
A Supreme Court ruling against a company based in Bristol has prompted the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to update its guidance for designers. The case in question started in 2013 when Magmatic Limited (Magmatic), the company which produces the Trunki animal-styled ride-on suitcases for children, sued PMS International Group plc (PMS) for infringement of its European Community design registration. The English High Court initially found for Magmatic, but an appeal by PMS was upheld by the Court of Appeal. …
A recent report by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) shows that Japan and the US are at the head of the group of nations leading the way in 3D printing and other breakthrough technologies. The report, ‘World Intellectual Property Report 2015: Breakthrough Innovation and Economic Growth’, examines three current innovative technologies against a background of 200 years of technological innovation. IP Growth in New Technologies The three technologies considered by the report are: 3D printing, nanotechnology and robotics. In…
The Launchpad competition, organised by the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAE), has been won by the inventor of an inflatable incubator. The winner receives £15000, together with mentoring and support from the RAE’s Enterprise Hub. Inflatable Incubator James Roberts is a 23-year old product design student at Loughborough University. His inflatable incubator is low-cost and is designed for use in developing countries, where lack of suitable facilities means babies who could survive often do not. Invention Flourishing in the UK…
The 2015 James Dyson Award – a competition that is open to university students or recent graduates studying product design, industrial design or engineering – is now open for entries until 2 July. The competition runs across 20 countries and the brief for entrants is to “design something that solves a problem”. The competition is a lucrative one for successful entrants. In addition to the prestige of the Dyson name, national winners receive £2,000, whilst the overall international winner receives…
An index compiled by the US Chamber of Commerce Global Intellectual Property (IP) Center has place the UK at number one for IP enforcement. This result is a reflection of the UK’s strong IP legislation which, in the report, is ranked as second only to the USA’s own laws. The report, which considers a variety of factors in both legislation and enforcement, considered the UK system to be robust, although with areas for improvement, which include software piracy – the…