Trademark rights exist on a country-by-country basis, and the laws in the United States differ in a number of significant ways from other markets. As a result, it is critical that before any non-U.S. company seeks trademark...more
In a few hours, citizens of the United Kingdom will have to answer Yes or No to the question: “Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union or leave the European Union?” A lot has been said on the...more
As of March 23, 2016, the “Community Trade Mark” (CTM) is going by a new name: the “European Union Trade Mark” (EUTM), reflecting the evolution of the European Community into the European Union. By force of Regulation No....more
No matter where you look in the world, it’s a certainty that a dispute is ongoing over someone’s intellectual property (IP). The theft of ideas is nothing new, but just as important to those investing abroad is knowledge of...more
The European Union recently adopted new legislation introducing miscellaneous reforms to EU trade mark law. The reforms are numerous and include the adoption of a new designation for the Community trade mark itself and...more
The European Union has recently amended its trademark law which may impact the protection given by European Union Trademarks (formerly known as Community Trademarks). These reforms will also cover EU designations of...more
“Be creative!” is an important piece of advice which you often hear from European trademark lawyers. Today, more than ever, this recommendation should be taken seriously. The reason is very simple: the Community trademark...more
After more than eight years of discussions, the long-awaited EU trademark reform is almost here. The new European Trade Mark Directive (further harmonizing the trademark laws of the 28 member states of the European Union) and...more
The UK's Intellectual Property Enterprise Court recently handed down its judgment in The Sofa Workshop Ltd v Sofaworks Ltd. The case highlights the difficulties that the international nature of Community trade marks (“CTMs”)...more
Under a new Community Trade Mark (CTM) rule, trademarks filed in black and white, or greyscale, may no longer be protected if the mark is used predominantly in color. The CTM system creates a unified trademark registration...more
Foley Hoag was recently delighted to announce the arrival of two IP attorneys to our Paris office, Catherine Muyl and Alice Berendes. We asked them to tell us a few things we may not know about trademarks in France. Here...more
Trademarks used to be protected in Europe, for the most part, by registering them before the trademark office of each nation of interest. However, trademark registrations obtained under the national laws have sometimes been...more