IP Review
IP Review is a monthly round-up of what's going on in the world of IP, reporting on news regarding trademarks, patents, copyright, design rights and other forms of intellectual property from publications the world over.
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News Archive04 October: Premier League fans can buy cheap foreign TV coverage, EU rules
The EU’s highest court ruled that it is not illegal for individuals to buy set-top box decoder cards from foreign broadcasters. The court stated that the FA Premier League cannot stop individuals from looking for better deals for TV sports subscriptions than that offered by BskyB.
The Guardian
03 October: Rhapsody acquires Napster music service
Rhapsody will acquire Napster, merging the two music companies’ subscriber bases. Jon Irwin, president of Rhapsody, is hoping this acquisition will extend their lead over other competitors in the market in what he calls a “’go big or go home’” business.
PC Magazine
03 October: Saatchi wins Kraft’s Trident after global review
Saatchi & Saatchi have won creative advertising duties for Trident, owned by Kraft Food’s and the world’s largest gum brand. The move was sparked by Kraft in July as they hope to bring ‘fresh thinking’ to the brand and improve on performance and sales globally.
Ad Age
30 September: Greggs opens its first coffee shop
High street bakery Greggs opened its first concept coffee shop in Newcastle today. The ‘Greggs Moment’ will stock around 50 new products created especially for it. Customers will be able to enjoy quality coffee or tea in a British-themed café.
KAM City
29 September: World’s most profitable Android company? Microsoft
Microsoft could earn $444 million from Android this year from royalties paid over undisclosed patents. Motorola remains the only big Android device maker that is yet to pay off Microsoft and Google look keen to keep it that way.
ZDNET
29 September: Amazon ignites tablet war with Fire, takes on Apple
Amazon.com Inc released the long-awaited Kindle Fire, the new tablet that may pose a serious threat to the dominance of Apple’s iPad. Whilst the Kindle Fire lacks many of the high-tech components of its competitors, the low market price is a real threat to others in the tablet market.
Reuters
28 September: Aston Martin beats Apple to coolest brand title
Iconic British car maker Aston Martin has beaten out the likes of Apple to take the title of coolest brand for the second year running. Annual league tables are put together by Superbrands who survey business professionals, marketing experts and UK consumers.
Product Reviews
27 September: Fairtrade and Mars announce agreements to start in 2012
Mars Chocolate and Fairtrade International announced an agreement to introduce Mars products with the Fairtrade label. The move will begin with Maltesers carrying the label in the UK and Ireland in 2012, which will contribute $1m a year in Fairtrade Premium Funds.
Kennedy’s Confection
26 September: Price guns at the ready as Tesco declares war
After price cuts by Tesco, rival Asda said it would continue to undercut them in what could trigger one of the biggest price battles in the industry. Tesco said it will slash the cost of more than 3,000 essentials to regain market share lost to discount chains such as Aldi and Lidl.
The Scotsman
22 September: Domestic court to decide if M&S infringed Interflora’s trademark rights
The European Court of Justice has ruled that Marks & Spencer can use Interflora’s trademark as part of its keyword advertising on major search engines, but it will fall to a domestic court to determine whether it breached the florist’s trademark rights.
The Lawyer
21 September: Rival brewer fails to ban Heineken ad
An advert featuring a man at a party impressing guests with his dance moves and martial arts skills has avoided being banned. Molson Coors, a rival to Heineken, claimed the ad was irresponsible as it gave the impression that alcohol could enhance personal qualities and talents.
Campaign Live
20 September: BBC sues Silvio Berlusconi for ‘copying’ Strictly Come Dancing
The BBC is suing Silvio Berlusconi’s television network, accusing the Italian broadcaster of copying the format of Strictly Come Dancing. Lawyers for BBC worldwide claim Mediaset have breached copyright by scheduling a racier version of the dance show.
The Telegraph
19 September: Poor websites costing retailers dear
Retailers have lost out on sales worth £500m over the past three years. According to analysis, would be consumers are choosing to log off rather than attempt to manoeuvre through poorly presented websites. Morrisons was judged to be one of the worst, losing out on £314m in sales in 2007 – 2010.
The Drum
15 September: J Sainsbury to relaunch its own-brand range
In an attempt to attract cash-strapped shoppers, Sainsbury is relaunching its standard own-label range, which accounts for a third of sales, under the “by Sainsbury’s” label. It will also change its advertising slogan from the current ‘Try something new today’ to ‘Live well for less’.
Financial Times
15 September: .XXX marks the spot in rampant rush for new domain
The new .xxx domain name has been the centre of some controversy since it opened for registration on 7 September. Whilst some are critical that it will allow easy blocking of adult content, there is praise for the fact that the registration process will protect brands from infringement and cyber-squatters.
New Legal Review
14 September: Tesco in hot water over pig welfare claims
An advert for Tesco’s Butcher’s Choice sausages has been given the axe after the advertising watchdog claimed it misleadingly implied that the meat used for the sausages came from free-range pigs. Tesco has said they did not believe it was misleading but the ASA ruled that it breached advertising regulations.
The Grocer
14 September: Topman pulls T-shirts with ‘sexist and offensive’ slogans from UK stores
Topman has withdrawn two t-shirts from sale after a slew of negative publicity from social media users suggesting the shirts are offensive to women. Topman released a statement on Twitter and Facebook claiming that whilst the shirts were meant to be “light-hearted” they would be pulled from stores.
The Metro
13 September: Dolby wins licensing fees on BlackBerry, PlayBook
Dolby has won “standard terms” from Research in Motion in two lawsuits over the use of audio technologies. RIM, maker of BlackBerrys and PlayBooks, will now have to pay Dolby undisclosed licensing fees, with Dolby revealing to analysts that they expected around $15m in back royalties.
The Register
11 September: Jeremy Hunt – Google and co must take on pirate sites
Culture Secretary Jeremy Hunt will tell a television industry gathering that he wants ISPs and search engines to play a far bigger role in combating piracy. He will question the regulation of the online world, emphasising that the law should apply online in the same way it does in the real world.
BBC News
09 September: Ann Summers partners TOWIE to dispel ‘negative’ image
Ann Summers is attempting to change its public image by teaming up with the creators of ‘The Only Way is Essex’ for their first ever TV campaign. The campaign will aim to find “the sexiest face in the UK”, encouraging viewers to reappraise the company following a rebrand.
Brand Republic
09 September: Droplets sue Apple for patent infringement
Droplets Inc. have filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Apple, specifically for violating patents related to interactive links to applications on its website, its movie trailer site and iTunes. The case was filed in Eastern Texas where cases tend to see rapid resolution in favour of rights holders.
Ubergizmo
09 September: Authors’ guild sues universities over book digitization project
Several groups representing book authors have filed suit against universities who partnered with Google to help digitise some works. The groups want to block both digital lending and an orphaned works project. The suit is being brought by the Authors’ Guild and its equivalents in Australia, Canada and the UK.
Ars Technica
08 September: Turner Broadcasting Acquires LazyTown Brand and Announces New Series
Turner Broadcasting System Europe, owners of Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Cartoonito, announced the acquisition of Latibaer, the Icelandic group who own and operate LazyTown. The announcement came with a commitment to produce a new series of LazyTown.
PR Newswire
07 September: Aldi tea advert found not to breach advertising code
An Aldi advertisement which depicts a woman revealing that whilst her husband likes tea, she prefers gin does not breach the CAP code. The advert received 24 complaints but the ASA ruled that the ad did not breach the CAP code.
The Drum
05 September: Are lawmakers smoking out tobacco brands?
Greggs launched its first digital campaign in preparation for the launch of a new range of doughnuts. Each of the four doughnut flavours will be introduced to consumers via individual promotional videos on YouTube.
New Legal Review
05 September: High street braced for more closures after summer of riots and gloom
Britain’s high street retailers are preparing for further closures following one of the worst summer trading periods for year. Sales figures for August slipped 2.2% in light of the riots, volatile stockmarkets and poor weather, the worst drop since the depths of the recession.
The Guardian
01 September: Pernod Ricard says consumer spending is recovering
Pernod Ricard, owner of Absolut and Jameson, have exceeded targets thanks to a recovery in consumer spending and a stronger focus on premium brands. The company reported an 8% increase in sales for the year ending June 30.
Marketing Week
01 September: US judge tells Levi’s to take its Euro problems to Europe
A US court has ruled that it could not rule whether an online trader had breached EU trademark laws. Levi Strauss & Co argued that Papikian Enterprises had violated the EU’s Trademark Directive; the judge has ruled that Levi’s must take their case to the relevant EU member states.
The Register
01 September: Greggs takes on Krispy Kreme with digital doughnut campaign
Greggs launched its first digital campaign in preparation for the launch of a new range of doughnuts. Each of the four doughnut flavours will be introduced to consumers via individual promotional videos on YouTube.
EquiMedia
30 August: Sunderland appoints first international marketing director
Sunderland AFC has appointed former Manchester United commercial executive Mike Farnan to the national and international post. The move comes as the club launches a Korean version of their site, hoping to tap into the interest in football in Korea particularly after its signing of Korean striker Ji Dong-Won.
Marketing Magazine
26 August: Star Scientific loses new trial bid in Reynolds tobacco case
Star Scientific Inc. has lost a decade-long battle to extract patent royalties from Reynolds American Inc. on a method to reduce carcinogens in cigarettes. The US Court of Appeals upheld two Star patents but claimed a new trial wouldn’t change the ruling which saw them lose to Reynolds in court.
Bloomberg
25 August: Sugababe Mutya Buena’s sweet court ruling
Original Sugababes band member, Mutya Buena, has won the right to the use of the Sugababes name. However, the ruling only allows her the rights to “certain paper products” including posters, whilst the right to use the name in association with all areas of music production resides with the band’s label.
The Mirror
23 August: EMI win partial victory over MP3Tunes
The EMI Group won a partial victory against MP3Tunes, an online music storage site. A judge ruled that MP3Tunes contributed to infringement by failing to remove unauthorised songs after being asked to. However, the judge rejected EMI’s request for a ruling concerning downloads by MP3Tunes employees.
Music Week
19 August: Abercrombie sees off brand association
Mike Jefferies, chief executive of Abercrombie & Fitch, announced that the cast of MTV reality show Jersey Shore does not fit the brand’s image. Whilst Abercrombie’s precise motivation remains unknown, such a move shows the impact unintended brand endorsement can have.
Financial Times
18 August: Foster’s rejects £6.2bn hostile bid from SABMiller
Foster’s announced to shareholders it intends to defend itself against a hostile bid from London-listed rival SABMiller, believing it “significantly undervalues” the business. SABMiller’s was rebuffed by Foster’s in June, hence their decision to target shareholders rather than the Foster’s board this time round.
The Guardian
18 August: YouTube signs deal with independent music publishers after being threatened with legal action
YouTube has ended a four-year legal tussle by signing a deal with the National Music Publishers Association (NMPA). The deal means that YouTube will pay royalties generated from views of user uploaded videos that contain music by artists whom the NMPA represent.
NME
16 August: Innocent’s ‘David vs Goliath’ trademark battle reaches resolution
Innocent Vitamins, founded by a single mum of two, has backed down in its trademark dispute with Innocent Drinks and have agreed to stop operating under the ‘innocent’ brand name. The “amicable” agreement will see Innocent Vitamins rebranded under new names.
Marketing Week
16 August: Kaneka files lawsuit against Future Garments & Eurox
Kaneka Corporation has filed a trademark infringement case against Future Garments Limited and Eurox (UK) Limited. Kaneka’s lawsuit seeks to protect its European Community registered trademarks for PROTEX, a high quality, flame retardant fibre.
fibre2fashion
11 August: Samsung vows to hit back as Apple blocks tablet
After a ruling in a court in Germany led to Samsung’s new tablet being pulled from sale across Europe, the company claimed it intended to “act immediately” to defend its intellectual property rights. Samsung are countersuing Apple in South Korea, Japan, the US and Germany.
The Independent
10 August: Over 200,000 Bittorrent users have been sued
Rights holders have sued over 200,000 Bittorrent users in the US since the beginning of 2010 in attempt to regain lost revenues. Most cases have not gone to trial with defendants largely being offered settlements ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars.
The Inquirer
09 August: Courts find against patent troll, fine troll lawyers for filing phony lawsuits
The Court of Appeal for the Federal Circuit has defended Flagstar Bancorp against Eon-Net LP and have even gone as far as to fine the prosecution’s lawyers. The court ruled that the company’s lawsuit had “indicia of extortion” and fined them for filing lawsuits with the intent to harass.
Geekosystem
06 August: Lady Gaga faces Judas plagiarism accusations
Singer-songwriter Rebecca Francescatti is claiming that single borrow significantly from her 1999 single, ‘Juda’. Ms Francescatti worked with Brian Joseph Gaynor, a member of DJ White Shadow, who worked with Lady Gaga on her most recent album.
The Metro
03 August: Apprentice star Stuart Baggs trademarks name to become real “brand”
Former Apprentice contestant Stuart “the brand" Baggs has trademarked his own name ahead of launching merchandise and his own stage show at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Baggs is in discussion with TV and radio companies to try and launch his own show.
Marketing Week
02 August: Vince Cable: government plans to block illegal filesharing sites unworkable
Coming after the high court ruling forcing BT to cut off access to Newzbin2 last week, Vince Cable announced that government plans to block illegal filesharing sites under the Digital Economy Act are currently unworkable.
The Guardian
01 August: Summit sues over hacked ‘Twilight Saga’ images and video
Summit Entertainment is taking legal action after images and videos from the upcoming ‘Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn’ movie were leaked onto the Internet.
Reuters
01 August: ‘Inventors’ claim FarmVille and other Zynga games infringe on patent
Zynga, creators of Facebook games such as FarmVille and CityVille, is being sued by Segan LLC for infringing on a patent. The company have no web presence and are speculated to hold patents in order to target companies who infringe upon them.
Tech Crunch
28 July: BT Ordered to block film piracy site
A High Court judge ruled that BT, the biggest ISP in Britain, must block clients from visiting Newzbin2, which provides users with access to illegal downloads. The ruling is a landmark case, which could well see other sites banned in attempts to crackdown on online piracy.
The Evening Standard
27 July: Lucasfilm loses U.K. Supreme Court bid over Stormtrooper helmet copyright
Lucasfilm has lost in a court battle, having attempted to sue Andrew Ainsworth for selling Stormtrooper costumes. Ainsworth argued that because the uniforms were functional, not merely artistic works, meaning they are not subject to full copyright laws.
Daily Business Review
26 July: Microsoft hit with lawsuit in Kinect tech spat
Microsoft faces legal action after Impulse Technologies have claimed that the Xbox Kinect violates seven of their patents. The company are also challenging eight other developers, from EA to Konami, for intellectual property theft.
The Register Hardware
25 July: Angry Birds maker sued by US firm Lodsys for 'violating patents'
Rovio, makers of the well-known Angry Birds game, are facing a lawsuit for ‘violating Lodsys patents’. The prevalance of such lawsuits has prompted questions as to whether or not the EU will change its own patent rights to align with those in the US.
The Telegraph
22 July: Motorola could split patents and handsets
Private equity investor Carl Icahn has urged Motorola to split off its patent portfolio in answer to surging interest in wireless technology. Icahn estimates that doing so could value the company’s shares at $44 rather than $25.19.
UK Reuters
21 July: Furious Kim Kardashian sues Old Navy for using lookalike model
Kim Kardashian is suing clothing brand Old Navy for upwards of $15 million for use of a lookalike model in their new campaign. Her attorney claims the ads violate Kardashian’s intellectual property rights as her ‘identity and persona are valuable’ assets.
The Daily Mail
20 July: Javier Bardem takes a stand for actors' rights
Javier Bardem is campaigning for the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to give actors the same rights as musicians and screenwriters in taking action against anyone who illegally downloads their work.
Digital Spy
18 July: HTC suffers after losing Apple patent ruling
HTC share prices dropped by almost 6.5 per cent following a preliminary patent infringement ruling to Apple. Investors worry that the legal battle could have wider implications for the competitive balance between Apple and Google Android based phonemakers.
The Financial Times
14 July: Supreme Court to hear first patent case
The UK Supreme Court will hear its first patent case of Eli Lilly v Human Genome Sciences Inc. to discuss whether the UK legal system should follow European Patent Office case law.
Managing Patents
12 July: EU Court says eBay must comply with trademark rules
The European General Court has ruled that online sellers will be subject to trademark law as part of a case brought against eBay by L'Oréal. The court ruled that any seller aiming to market products to EU citizens will be liable to those countries laws.
PC World
08 July: AT&T Joins Verizon in web-piracy fight to preempt U.S. crackdown
AT&T, Verizon and Comcast have vowed to tackle piracy by sending customers electronic alerts asking them to desist in an attempt to curb online piracy, which is estimated to have cost businesses between $30-75bn in loss of revenue for 2008.
Bloomberg
05 July: 'Massive infringement' case against CNET dropped
A lawsuit lodged against CNET in May accusing them of profiting from the sale of over 220 million copies of Limewire, a peer-to-peer file sharing program, has been dropped.
Wired
03 July: US anti-piracy body targets foreign website owners for extradition
British website owners could face extradition to the US on charges of piracy, whether or not they have any direct connection to America. Any website address that ends in .com or .net may face prosecution if it is implicated in illegal sharing of US-based media.
The Guardian
02 July: ITC complaint could end Apple/Samsung deal
The on-going legal battle between Apple and Samsung could see Samsung rescinding on previously made deals to provide components for the iPhone and iPad as Samsung’s interest to defend Galaxy outweighs a desire to retain Apple as customers.
International Business Times
01 July: Court expands Whirlpool Corporation patent win against LG Electronics
A court today affirmed a March 2010 ruling that LG refrigerators infringed Whirlpool Corporation’s patented technology, expanding the earlier ruling to include another line of LG fridges and acknowledging LG’s infringement of a second Whirlpool patent.
PR Newswire
29 June: Hollywood film studios launch piracy test case against BT
Hollywood’s top film studios, Disney, Fox and Paramount have joined forces to crack down on online movie pirates by launching a landmark legal case against BT.
Metro
24 June: Apple unlikely to win App store trademark dispute
District Judge Phyllis Hamilton at the Oakland federal court has indicated to Apple that it would be difficult to prove that confusion will arise from Amazon.com's use of the term App Store with the Apple Store. The case continues.
Celluar-news
24 June: Rihanna getting sued twice over S&M video for copyright infringement
Photographers Phillip Paulus and David LaChappelle are suing R&B singer Rihanna for copyright infringement in her latest S&M video. The claims include that the Rihanna video contains significant similarities to his creative ideas.
The Fab Life
21 June: Don't mess with the Geek Squad: Best Buy electronics giant claims to own the word 'geek' which it uses on logo
Best Buy continues its strategy of cracking down on companies making use of the word 'geek' which it claims clashes and indirectly makes an association with them.
Mail Online
20 June: ICAAN approves plan to add brand-name domains
After three years of negotiations, ICAAN finally approved a move to revolutionise the internet, making way for firms to leverage their brands and create new top level domain names such as .coke, .google, or .anything, and use other characters such as Chinese.
Government Computer News
20 June: Cadbury's Naomi Campbell ad not racist, rules watch dog
Advertising Standards Agency has ruled that Cadbury's advert on its Cadbury's Bliss range of Diary Milk Chocolate with the strapline 'move over Naomi, there's a new diva in town' is not racist.
Guardian
17 June: Apple: Samsung and Apple battle intensifies
Apple intensified its battle against Samsung, further claiming that the company copied the look and feel of its iPhone and iPad.
CNET
17 June: LOCOG withdraws Great Exhibition 2012 trademark complaint
The London Organising Committee for the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) had to withdraw its complaint against The Great Exhibition Company's trademark application for its Great Exhibition 2012. A LOCOG senior lawyer said there was no specific association with the London 2012 Olympics.
Exhibtion News
15 June: Apple sued by New York publisher over use of 'iBooks'
JT Colby, a New York publisher, filed a lawsuit against Apple for infringing its 10 year trademark 'iBooks'. JT Colby claimed that Apple's latest use of iBooks has irreversibly damaged its ibooks brand rendering it virtually worthless.
Bloomberg
10 June: Microsoft must pay $290m for patent infringement
A US supreme court has ruled against Microsoft and ordered them to pay $290m in damages to i4i, a small Canadian company for infringing its technology.
BBC
09 June: Google faces Chromebook trademark dispute
Google is facing a trademark dispute with Isys Technologies, whose president and CEO Jason A. Sullivan stated that the Google's infringes their ChromiumPC IP.
Simplify Digital
09 June: Skype sued in for patent infringement
Via Vadis LLC, a Luxembourg technology company has filed another lawsuit against Skype for infringing its technology on making use of its two patents for accessing and managing data in computer systems.
Yahoo News
09 June: Gloucestershire Old Spots breeders win trademark case
The UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) has invalidated the trademak Bramley Old Spot. Old Spots Pork has to originate from two pedigree Gloucester Old Spots pigs.
BBC
01 June: Reports on IP Conference in Bangalore brings out some interesting IP issues
A major summit in Bangalore India was held recently, highlighting the growing importance of, and focus on, IP there.
ITAG Business Solutions Ltd
27 May: Paypal sues Google over technology
Google is being sued by Paypal over accusations the technology in the search engine’s new Google Wallet was stolen from Paypal.
Marketing Week
27 May: Rights to Lotus name decided
Group Lotus has been awarded the right to compete in F1 under the Lotus Racing name and has been awarded damages, to be paid by Team Lotus owner 1Malaysia Racing Team, which will also be able to compete in F1 using its existing Team Lotus name.
Autocar
26 May: EU declines coat of arms trademark
The European Court of Justice has rejected an application from His Royal Highness Ernst August, Prince of Hanover, Duke of Brunswick and Lüneburg, Prince of Great Britain and Ireland to register his coat of arms as a trademark as it was too similar to the royal emblem of the UK.
European Voice
25 May: Nikon sues Sigma over lens patent
Nikon has filed a patent infringement suit against Sigma, seeking an injunction and damages of £96.4m, for the alleged infringement of its vibration reduction technology used in its interchangeable lenses.
British Journal of Photography
24 May: Louboutin sues YSL for infringement
Shoe designer Christian Louboutin is suing YSL over accusations the fashion house is infringing the designer’s trademarked red-soled shoes. YSL claims the trademark is invalid citing Dorothy from ‘The Wizard of Oz’ and King Louis XIV’s preference for red shoes.
Grazia
24 May: Apple seizes Samsung Galaxy prototypes
A US court has ordered Samsung to release prototype samples of its new Galaxy mobile phone to Apple, as part of Apple’s dispute with Samsung over its alleged copying of the iPhone.
Top10.com
20 May: Apple defends ‘App Store’ trademark
Apple is defending itself against accusations from Microsoft that its ownership of the trademark ‘App Store’ is invalid on grounds of it being generic. Apple disputes this saying: ““Apple denies that, based on their common meaning, the words ‘app store’ together denote a store for apps.”’
RCRWireless
19 May: TUI uses Thomson and First Choice brands to plug pension hole
TUI Travel PLC has announced arrangements which contribute its leading brands, Thomson and First Choice, to its pension funds thereby reducing its deficit and lowering annual contributions. Intangible Business valued the brands and assisted with arrangements.
Intangible Business
18 May: Disney files trademark for Bin Laden killers
Disney has filed a trademark application for the term ‘Seal Team 6’, the unit of Navy SEALS which killed Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan earlier in the month. The applications were filed the day after the raid for products "including entertainment and education services, clothing, toys, games and Christmas stockings."
Computer and Video Games
18 May: The Hargreaves Report on IP is published
The Hargreaves Report commissioned by the Prime Minister last November was published today, with 10 recommendations on how the UK can update its IP law (on pags 8 and 9).
The Telegraph
06 May: G-Star sues retailer over design rights
Denim brand G-Star has accused Danish Bestseller Retail Europe of infringing the designs of several of its jeans products, as well as featuring an image of actress Gemma Arterton on one of its T-shirts to further associate itself with G-Star as Arterton is currently the face of G-Star RAW’s new campaign.
Fashion Mag
06 May: Artist beats Louis Vuitton copyright dispute
Artist Nadia Plesner has won her dispute against luxury goods brand Louis Vuitton which claimed the artist’s use of one of its distinctive handbags in a painting infringed its intellectual property causing significant damage to its brand.
The L Magazine
03 May: Tyson’s tattooist sues over infringement
The tattooist S. Victor Whitmill, who designed Mike Tyson’s facial tattoo, is suing Warner Brothers over allegations an actor in the soon-to-be-released The Hangover 2 has the same design, used without authorisation.
The Independent
25 April: Land Rover wins trademark dispute with Geely
Land Rover has won its decade-long trademark dispute with Chinese car maker Geely, with the Chinese court ruling that Geely registered the term ‘luhu’ after it had become a well known reference for Land Rover.
Global Times
22 April: Walgreens settles trademark dispute with Wegmans
US drug store chain Walgreens has settled its dispute against regional supermarket chain Wegmans, over claims Wegmans’ logos infringed its own. Wegmans has agreed to discontinue certain logos.
YNN
22 April: J Crew hit by Duquette trademark dispute
Owners of the IP rights associated with the late designer Tony Duquette are suing J Crew, alleging the fashion brand is infringing their rights by producing and marketing a ‘J Crew Duquette Factory Leopard Print’ sweater.
The Luxury Project
21 April: Ann Summers incite M&S legal action with ‘squeal deal’
Marks & Spencer is considering legal action against Anne Summers claiming its ‘values are being infringed’ after it issued an ‘S&M Squeal Deal’ promotion including lingerie, a sex toy and lubricant using similar branding to the Dine In meal deal at M&S.
The Grocer
21 April: Bratz Beats Barbie with $89m award
MGA Entertainment, owner of the Bratz doll brand, has been awarded $89m by a jury in its dispute with Mattel, owner of the Barbie doll brand, after the jury found that Mattel had misappropriated trade secrets relating to the design of the Bratz doll.
Forbes
21 April: Samsung sues Apple back
Following Apple’s patent infringement suit against Samsung alleging infringement in iPad and iPhone products, Samsung is now suing Apple claiming Apple is infringing at least five of its patents.
Cult of Mac
20 April: Michael Jackson’s estate settles trademark dispute
Michael Jackson’s estate has settled a dispute with US charity Heal the World Foundations over allegations its name infringed rights to singer’s former charity by the same name. Heal the World Foundation has agreed not to use that name or Jackson’s likeness.
NME
19 April: Apple sues Samsung for “copying” iPad and iPhone design
Apple is suing Samsung claiming its rival copied iPad and iPhone’s ‘technology, user interface and innovative style’ in its range of Galaxy smartphones and tablets.
Marketing Week
11 April: Tesco sued over Yoo brand name
German soft-drinks company Eckes-Granani is suing Tesco over allegations the retailer’s own-label brand of yoghurt, ‘Yoo’, launched in March 2011 is confusingly similar to its own brand of squash, Yo.
Marketing
06 April: Tesla sues Top Gear
Electric sports car brand Tesla is suing the makers of Top Gear for defamation and malicious falsehood, claiming the popular TV programme told lies about the Tesla during its filming. Here is Top Gear’s statement on the matter.
Wired
04 April: Lindt wins Easter bunny dispute
Lindt has won its long battle with Australian firm Hauswirth over the use of chocolate rabbits wrapped in gold foil with a bell. The Swiss court ruled that Hauswirths’s bunny could be confused with Lindt’s, marking an end to the seven year dispute.
BBC
01 April: Jay-Z sued for trademark infringement
Jay-Z is being sued by Volcom, which accuses the rapper of infringing its ‘distinctive stone mark, which resembles an inverted diamond’ in his Roc Nation logo.
Radar Online
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