(1) Henry Martinez t/a PRICK (2) Henry Hate Studio & Prick Tattoo Parlour Limited -v- (1) Prick Me Baby One More Time Limited t/a PRICK (2) Gynelle Leon Warning to readers: As you can probably gather from the title, this is a case in which the word PRICK is heavily featured. There’s simply no avoiding…
DetailsCopyright is a legal right which comes in handy for those of you who like to create. Whether it be writing, photographing or inventing once your idea is physically expressed and tangible you automatically qualify for copyright. Copyright law provides a framework of rules which you, the creative can use to your benefit. Your copyright…
DetailsPepsiCo successfully fizzed the bubbles out of a ‘look-a-like’ cola brand after winning a cancellation and invalidity application against Singapore-based Ten Yun International’s trade mark at the UK Intellectual Property Office. Registered in October 2016 and shown below at Fig. 1, Ten Yun International’s mark covered ‘soft drinks and non-alcoholic drinks’ in Class 32. The…
DetailsThis month we had the pleasure of co-hosting our own Knowledge Quarter Breakfast Briefing. Our very special guest was none other than Mr Tim Moss CBE Chief Executive Officer of the UK Intellectual Property Office and Comptroller General. The topic for discussion with our invited guest audience was ‘The importance of intellectual property for the creative industries…
DetailsRecent commentary has made much of the impending “trade war” between the US and China, largely the result of what Donald Trump claims is a concerted effort to protect US intellectual property rights. Whether this is in fact the case has proved the subject of much debate but the tit-for-tat dispute has just moved up…
DetailsEarlier this month, a US appeals court upheld an earlier finding by a trial court in the US that Robin Thicke’s song “Blurred Lines” infringed on the copyright in Marvin Gaye’s “Got to Give It Up.” Gaye died in 1984, but his family argued that “Got to Give it Up” was copied by Thicke making…
DetailsUber has recently agreed to pay Waymo a settlement of $245 million in a trade secret dispute involving use of information concerning driverless car technology, unlawfully disclosed by an employee. While this only amounts to 0.34% of Ubers equity, exposure of commercially sensitive information can destroy a company. It can also result in unfair competition…
DetailsAn independent artist, by the name of Lina Iris Viktor, recently claimed that Kendrick Lamar copied her gold patterned paintings in the ‘All The Stars’ video made for the film Black Panther. She decided to file a lawsuit against Lamar, SZA, Universal Music Group and others involved in the video’s production claiming that her work…
DetailsAnyone would be grumpy if their IP was infringed, cat or otherwise, and so it comes as no surprise that Grumpy Cat Limited recently sued the owners of US coffee company Grenade Beverage for breaching an agreement over the use of the cat’s brand and image. Originally posted on Reddit, by the brother of the…
DetailsOne of the ways of potentially trying to protect the 3D shape of a product (assuming it meets the requirements) is to apply for a registered design. There are two main ways of applying for a registered design: You could apply directly to the office of the territory that you would like protection in; or…
DetailsLove them or hate them the recent ruling by the European Court of Justice against the shoe brand Crocs drives home an important principle of design law. That is, you can only secure a valid registered design in the EU if your design is new and has not been made public at the time of…
DetailsAs we wrote about in a previous blog post, the European Commission have been reasonably clear in its position that EU IP rights must be maintained in the UK in a post-Brexit landscape. The details are yet to be agreed between the UK and the EU, leaving IP rights holders relatively in the dark, but…
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