! Please enable JavaScript to view this site correctly.

! You are viewing this site on an outdated browser. Upgrade now to view this site correctly.

Category: Brands & Trade Marks

McDonald’s Lose Their BIG MAC Trade Mark Registration

It's Supermac's 1 – 1 McDonald's, but we're not done yet in this burger trade mark case... Most people (other than vegetarians of course) have enjoyed a McDonald’s “Big Mac” or two in their lives. The burger seems to have been around for ever.  You would probably find it surprising therefore that McDonald’s have recently lost their trade mark protection for the words BIG MAC in the European Union. Not only that, McDonald’s lost their trade mark registration because they could not…

Genericism - are brand names safe?

Do you know what all these brands have in common?  Hoover, Jacuzzi, Frisbee, Escalator, Thermos, Yo-Yo They were once highly effective trade marks but have since been categorised as a generic term for certain goods because many people now refer to them collectively by the trade marks rather than by a specific brand. One everyday example is Hoover – we’ve become so accustomed to calling all vacuum cleaners Hoovers that the term has become generic for these goods. Same goes…

Understanding the importance of IP

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…

EU Exit and your European Intellectual Property Rights

As you will be aware following a National referendum the UK has voted to leave the European Union.  This will have a significant impact on UK business practices and legislation including intellectual property. Whilst change is inevitable in the longer term, for the time being it is business as usual for UK Plc.  The UK will only cease to be a member of the EU once Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty is invoked and subsequent withdrawal negotiations are concluded. …

UK is Third in List of EU Trade Mark Filings

Applicants from the UK filed 12,527 European Union (EU) trade mark applications in 2015, making the UK the third biggest filer of trade marks with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), coming behind Germany (20,447 applications) and the USA (16,881). Applications Continue to Increase In total, 130,385 EU trade mark applications were filed in 2015 by applicants from around the world. The UK was responsible for 14% of the 89,420 applications filed with the EUIPO by applicants from the…

EU General Court Refuses Trade Mark Registration for Plain Coca-Cola Bottle

The General Court of the European Union has recently affirmed a decision by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), formerly known as the Office for Harmonization in the Internal Market (OHIM), to refuse soft-drinks giant Coca-Cola’s application for a European Union trade mark registration for the three-dimensional shape of a bottle.  The company applied for the trade mark in 2011, and it was first rejected in 2013. Bottle Lacks Distinctive Character The bottle shape submitted for trade mark protection…

Record Numbers of Patent and Trade Mark Applications in 2014

A recent report from the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) says that the number of patent and trade mark applications around the globe reached a new record in 2014.  Patent applications increased by 4.5% from the previous year, while trade mark applications rose by 6% over the same period. Top Jurisdictions According to the report, the largest number of applications was filed in China, which saw over 900,000 patent applications alone over the year – an increase of 12.5%.  The…

IPEC Fines Scam IP Agency £500,000

The Intellectual Property Enterprise Court (IPEC) has handed out a fine of £500,000 to an agency that has been contacting trade mark owners, and leading them to believe that it was the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO).  The agency, which called itself ‘The Intellectual Property Agency’, was found guilty of passing off and of trade mark infringement.  The fine is the maximum that can be handed out by the IPEC. Overcharging Trade Mark Owners The scam involved contacting trade mark…

Beer-related Trade Marks Increase in the UK

As consumer appetite grows for craft beers, the UK’s Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has seen an increase of 12% in the number of beer-related trade marks registered in 2014 compared to 2013.  There is expected to be an even bigger increase this year. A Sign that Business is Good for Breweries? A rise in trade mark applications is usually a sign that business in that sector is doing well, with plenty of room for new products and brands and a…

Increase in UK Trade Mark Applications

Figures published by the UK Intellectual Property Office (IPO) show that it received nearly 55000 trade mark applications in 2014; an increase of more than 8% on 2013, and of almost 25% since 2012. The Top Applicants The following companies were the top ten filers of trade mark applications in the UK in 2014:- Glaxo Group (UK) British American Tobacco  (US) BVIPR  (UK) Aldi Stores (UK) Unilever (UK) British American Tobacco (UK) Asda Stores (UK) Akzo Nobel Coatings International BV…

Stay in the know with SH&P

We’d love to send you our monthly newsletter which includes company news and our views on recent IP related subjects and headlines