Sector: Technology

The General Court recently upheld the refusal on absolute grounds of a Community trademark application for the stylised mark TRIPLE BONUS. The decision was unsurprising, given the dominance of the word elements and their apparent descriptiveness in relation to gaming.

28 January 2016

The General Court has rejected Olympus’s application to register a figurative mark in Class 10 of the Nice Classification. The General Court’s decision was consistent with the earlier proceedings in the case, finding the mark both to be descriptive and to lack distinctive character.

27 January 2016

The growing number of sales transactions facilitated through the WeChat app means that a large volume of counterfeiting and trademark infringement activity has followed. A white paper on IP rights protection over the last year has outlined the company’s efforts to tackle infringement.

26 January 2016

Intel sued SeaIntel for trademark violation. During the trial, SeaIntel claimed that 'intel' is an abbreviation of 'intelligence' and that the INTEL mark was thus descriptive.

21 January 2016

A recent decision of the EU General Court emphasises that the Community trademark decision-making practice is “alive” and evolves along with the understanding of the relevant public within the relevant timeframe.

21 January 2016

A trademark filing by Sony for the term LET’S PLAY has caused a storm of negative PR for the tech giant. One prominent trademark attorney, who is usually a staunch defender of trademarks in the face of public backlashes, tells <i>World Trademark Review</i> that this is one example that he cannot defend. The angry reaction highlights the reputational challenges that can be faced when a passionate online community is stirred into action.

20 January 2016

The Supreme People’s Court has held that an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) may not be held liable for trademark infringement for exporting products bearing a trademark that is registered outside China, because the trademarks used on such products are not intended to serve as an indication of origin to Chinese consumers and there is thus no likelihood of confusion.

19 January 2016

In <i>Sony Computer Entertainment Europe Limited v OHIM (Marpefa SL) </i> the EU General Court considered some of the key principles of applications for revocation of Community trademarks in relation to Marpefa SL’s Community Trademark 1790674 for the VIETA mark registered in Class 9.

13 January 2016

20 July 2015