Long read

There are big differences in how cannabis trademarks are treated in the United States and Canada. Shabnam Malek of Brand & Branch in California and Graham Hood of Smart & Biggar LLP in Ontario pull together key recommendations for developing a brand that is robust across both jurisdictions.

26 August 2021

Featured in Trademark register tracker

WTR’s annual Asia-Pacific deep dive is here, revealing 2020’s top corporate and law firm filers, major trends and everything in between.

19 August 2021

Brands are well suited to IP trading but how do you set their value? OLN IP Services Limited’s Benjamin Choi provides an insider perspective of the Hong Kong branding landscape, along with exclusive advice for overseas rights holders.

12 August 2021

Scams targeting trademark owners are fast becoming commonplace and increasingly sophisticated. Four leading IP offices share their insights on which scams are most prevalent, what you can do to stay safe, the resources on offer to help and how offices are collaborating across borders to fight fraudsters.

05 August 2021

Producers of traditional European food and drink have a buffet of IP rights to choose from. Baker McKenzie’s Claire France and Jessica Le Gros provide a straightforward guide to making the right selection.

29 July 2021

Applications for US design patents have increased by 50% over the past decade. Debevoise & Plimpton’s Megan Bannigan, Justin Ferrone and Anna Rennich analyse why so many brand owners are taking this route to bypass trade dress obstacles.

22 July 2021

The covid-19 pandemic and increase in remote working has highlighted that any team’s success is rooted in its talent. FIFA’s Daniel Zohny shares an insider’s view of how to recruit and motivate a stellar roster of trademark experts fit to face any and all obstacles.

08 July 2021

Featured in EUIPO Filing Elite 2021

Worrying drops in filing levels followed by record highs have made for an eventful year at the EUIPO. WTR’s Trevor Little considers how these and other events are affecting the IP ecosystem and could affect the future of the register itself.

01 July 2021

Ciarán Coyle of New York brand extension agency LMCA explores the trends and structures driving best practice in a contemporary brand licensing programme – as well as the demands made on brands by today’s consumers and why authenticity is key.

24 June 2021

The EUIPO, the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines and the Chilean National Institute share insights into what they are already doing to address diversity and inclusion within the workplace, while reducing their carbon footprints, along with how they plan to improve further.

17 June 2021

Over the past 18 months a number of brands have retired controversial mascots and characters. BakerHostetler’s Robert (“Red”) BG Horowitz runs through the key considerations brand owners should bear in mind if mascots are to stay current, as well as best practice for how to shelve them while retaining control.

10 June 2021

Beijing Kangrui Law Firm’s Echo Xu takes a deep dive into the amended Copyright Law – which came into force earlier this week – and sets out key recommendations for rights holders doing business in China.

03 June 2021

The pandemic and related effects of lockdown have had a big impact on the continent’s IP ecosystem. Vanessa Ferguson at Von Seidels runs through some of the most significant upheavals and sets out what rights holders should do to safeguard their brands.

27 May 2021

The Long Read: This year’s Global Trademark Benchmarking Survey reveals how stretched budgets at in-house trademark departments have hit law firm relationships – and how the covid-19 pandemic has shaped corporate brand strategies for most IP professionals.

20 May 2021

Featured in Community insights

This year’s law firm results reveal the impact of the pandemic on trademark operations and which aspects have changed forever.

13 May 2021

The two key markets show no sign of reaching a consensus when it comes to assessing this vital aspect of trademark protection. Thankfully, Baker McKenzie’s Vlotina Liakatou, Dyan House and Karen Hays have set out a focused checklist for brand owners looking to protect their intangibles in both regions.

06 May 2021

As remote working has become du jour for many, WTR asks the IP offices of Canada, the European Union, Singapore, South Korea and the United Kingdom to reflect on the ups and downs of operating during a global pandemic – and what might remain of the systems developed over the past year.

29 April 2021

The Coca-Cola recipe may be the same, but the US Tax Court has ruled that the formula it was using to assign IP rights to subsidiaries is no good. Jonathan G Polak, Todd C Lady and Joseph Balthazor Jr unpick the case for practical tips on how other brands can avoid the same fate.

22 April 2021

Poorly kept portfolios and badly managed assets can scupper the value of a tempting brand acquisition. However, the careful and methodical approach outlined here can help buyers and sellers alike avoid these pitfalls and maximise the chances of a successful M&A.

15 April 2021

The voracious filing activities of entrepreneur Michael Gleissner have flummoxed IP experts around the world for years. A closer look at a series of courtroom battles in one European country could help to pull back the curtain.

08 April 2021