The German Constitutional Court today partially upheld the complaint by Ingve Stjerna that the UPC (Unified Patent Court) is unconstitutional in Germany. The Court ruled that the failure of the Bundestag to secure a two-thirds majority of all Members for the UPC legislation, a matter concerning constitutional change, was unlawful. This will undoubtedly further delay […]
“The EUIPO has issued a Decision stating that all EUIPO deadlines falling due from 9 March 2020 to 30 April 2020 inclusive are extended until 1 May 2020 (because of the COVID-19 pandemic). We understand that this will not apply to Paris Convention cases filed with the EUIPO. We intend to send you individual emails on […]
The EPO has issued a courtesy advance notice stating that it expects to extend EPO deadlines falling due from 15 March to 16 April 2020 inclusive until 17 April 2020 (because of the COVID-19 pandemic). We understand that this will not apply to Paris Convention cases filed with the EPO, or possibly divisional deadlines, but will […]
Published on 19 March 2018, the legal text of the draft Withdrawal Agreement sets out the terms upon which UK and EU negotiators have reached a settlement, subject to minor technical legal revisions. In particular, the text provides some clarity on the extended protection of European Union trade mark registrations (EUTMs) (including International Registrations designating […]
The UK will formally leave the EU on 31 January 2020 but under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement agreed between the UK and the EU this will commence a transition period until at least 31 December 2020. There will be no legal effect of Brexit on statutory IP rights until the end of the […]
Cosmetics and personal care brands are increasingly selecting short, snappy and simplistic trade marks to capture consumers’ attention in a saturated market. The digital age continually presents new challenges, prompting brands to shift their focus from traditional over-the-shelf transactions to the multi-dimensional online realm in which endorsements by social media influencers and hashtag led marketing […]