Sector: Internet and Online

Latest content

Innelec Multimedia cleared of infringing mark owned by Sony Corporation

Innelec Multimedia contested the seizure of its goods by French Customs. The court found in favour of Innelec and ordered that Customs pay the warehousing fees and compensation.

22 March 2016

Online ad blocker spat shows strategic power of trademarks in open source ecosystem

Apple recently removed Magic AdBlock, a program used to block and filter online advertisements, from its App Store after receiving a complaint of trademark infringement from the producers of rival software AdBlock Plus. The dispute underlines the often crucial role that branding and trademarks can play in open source projects where patent and copyright protection is absent.

16 March 2016

eBay prevails in trademark opposition

US company eBay Inc has successfully opposed the registration of E-MARKET E-BAY HELLAS because of its similarity to its own EBAY marks.

09 March 2016

Leading e-sports team Fnatic: it is “imperative” that the industry takes trademarks seriously

The CEO of one of the biggest e-sports organisations has revealed how trademarks have allowed it to commercialise its brand and expand around the world. In this fledgling sector, such a proactive approach to IP is rare; but major e-sports teams should be more aware of the importance of their brands - both for their own growth and for the credibility of the industry.

08 March 2016

wetter.de cannot stop wetter DE

In a January 28 2016 decision (I ZR 202/14) the Federal Supreme Court confirmed a decision of the Cologne Court of Appeal and rejected any claims based on the name of the weather app wetter.de against the use of wetter DE and wetter-DE by a competitor.

26 February 2016

Open source Kodi offers positive example of trademark community engagement

Pledges by technology companies to rigorously enforce their trademarks are usually met with hostility and criticism online. However, a statement from the developers behind open source software Kodi vowing to crack down on trademark infringement, and even asking its community for help in this effort, has largely been welcomed, thanks to transparent engagement and a proactive social media strategy

22 February 2016

Court order creates an online search results conundrum for Uber

The United States District Court Northern District of Florida has ordered Uber Technologies to ensure that specific search engine results in Alachua County do not replace the results for local company Uber Promotions. The ruling potentially places Uber Technologies in a tricky situation, as it seeks to ensure that results across multiple search engines comply with the order.

19 February 2016

Groundbreaking blockchain technology could “eliminate unwanted counterfeits”, predicts expert

Growing use of technology based on the Bitcoin protocol will transform the fight against counterfeiting, claims one industry expert, who suggests that it could also help to rebuild consumer trust in luxury brands.

15 February 2016

Fake ‘Minecraft’ app puts spotlight on coding marketplaces that are “fuelling pirate community on app stores”

A new trend of sellers on online marketplaces offering customisable code for programmers to easily reskin popular phone apps is on the rise, and should be on the radars of all trademark counsel who enforce marks that are represented on app stores. The good news is that, as one industry expert notes, taking down one infringing customisable code could potentially stop hundreds of infringing apps from entering the app store environment.

10 February 2016

'React World' fallout shows tangible effects of online backlash; what next for the Fine Brothers?

A YouTube comedy channel with 14 million subscribers has been forced to reverse plans to license the format of its popular ‘reaction’ videos and apply for trademarks for the names of its shows due to a huge online backlash. The dramatic loss of subscribers suffered by the Fine Brothers in the aftermath of its original announcement illustrates the very real impact that a backlash can have due to a change in IP strategy.

03 February 2016

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