MuleBuy rises to prominence on Chinese shopping scene; copyright exemptions under review; and much more
Everything we covered on WTR over the past seven days, and all you need to know from the world of trademarks to set yourself up for the start of another busy week.
Monday 8 July
In an exclusive interview, the secretary general of the Asian Domain Name Dispute Resolution Centre reflects on plans for future growth.
Representatives from the Canadian Intellectual Property Office reveal the agency’s latest innovative tools and services – and those planned for the future.
Plus:
- Thor’s hammer wins Volvo 3D headlights battle (European Union)
- Honda secures trade dress ruling for protection of XR series motorcycles in Peru (Peru)
Tuesday 9 July
Current EU trademark and copyright laws could “clash” with sustainable consumerism and the right to a healthy environment, a recent paper warns, raising questions over repair, refurbishment and upcycling practices.
PIPCU celebrates Euro 2024 success, the San Miguel brand changes hands, a video game is accused of violating NYPD marks, and more.
Plus:
- Argentina court grants high proportion of damages to Converse licencee (Argentina)
- Limited scope of protection for Burlington’s figurative sock mark (Switzerland)
Wednesday 10 July
A DC Circuit decision brings copyright infringement exemptions before the courts.
Georgia begins an IP digitisation project, WIPO opens the 2024 General Assembly, the IP Office of New Zealand launches a new learning hub, and more, in this week’s IP office updates.
Plus:
- Domain dispute data shows trademark owners successfully challenging registrations through SACI (Brazil)
- Supreme Court confirms commercialisation of products incorporating applied plastic creations without authorisation may constitute IP crime under Criminal Code (Spain)
Thursday 11 July
MuleBuy emerges as the new leading Chinese shopping agent for consumers seeking counterfeits, after recent Pandabuy raids and Hoobuy complaints.
We kick off our latest series highlighting Legal Updates you may have missed by examining the lessons learned from unsuccessful attempts to register non-traditional position marks.
Plus:
- Delhi High Court permits refurbishment of end-of-life hard drives, but with disclaimers and manufacturer’s mark (India)
- Opposition window closes on first applications published under new Myanmar Trademark Law (Myanmar)
Friday 12 July
Nirvana and Marc Jacobs settle their smiley face dispute, GSK obtains a restraining order, HP is barred from using WEX, and more.
The second instalment in our series highlighting Legal Updates you may have missed explores recent courtroom wins for fashion and luxury brands Canada Goose, Hermès, Lacoste and Skechers.
Plus:
- BASMATI bombs in New Zealand (New Zealand)
- THOR cancellation highlights limits of non-substantial variations of use (Peru)
Saturday 13 July
Our latest opinion column asks why brand owners scaled down their messaging in support of Pride Month this year, and explains why companies that are not genuinely committed to supporting LGBTQ+ inclusion risk falling out of favour with a wider array of consumers than they might realise.
Special Report
WTR’s latest Special Report examines the future of brand protection on social media, offering insights and strategies to help brand owners mitigate the risks and seize new opportunities for brand growth in an evolving digital world.
