On 15 March 2017, WIPO published a press release, showing their 2016 in numbers. And there was a lot to celebrate, as 2016 marked a record-breaking number of patent, trademark and design applications, and a…

Combining the fact that Italy is the third biggest producer of GI products in the EU and that Italian cuisine is cherished across the globe, it is safe to say that IP infringements are imminent. This time the…

Trademark Use in Germany and the EU - Why brand owners must use their trademarksTrademarks present a link between a brand owner and its consumers. They are the easiest way to differentiate one product from another…

Brand Finance Football 50 is an annual study conducted by one of the leading brand valuation and strategy consultancies. The study published on June 6, 2016 determines which of the word largest football clubs have…

The color red means energy, strength, power and passion. Shoe-wise, for most women it means one thing: Louboutins. However, the road was not easy for the French designer. In-and-out of courts for years now, the…

An Italian decision from March 2016 clarified the scope of protection for shape marks when it comes to jewelry, where a minor design change makes all the difference. The judge confirmed that even the smaller…

Given the notoriety of McDonald´s and their products, it is hard to imagine anyone would challenge their entitlement to the “Mac” and “Mc” prefixes. However, it was only recently that the European General Court…

In line with a recent Louboutin decision, the Swiss Court on 13 May 2016 decided on another purely decorative element filed as a position trademark. This time, German flashlights were in question, and the circular…

There has been another round in the legal arena for Rubik´s cube, and this one might be a sign of a shift of powers. So far, all EUIPO´s and EGC´s decision were in favor of protecting the cube, but after the…

The two Merck pharmaceutical magnates have shared one name for decades. However, their coexistence has become anything but peaceful, with mutual lawsuits filed all over Europe, and not without good reason. The…

With the CJEU´s ruling on 17 February 2016, a lengthy saga concerning Adidas might have come to an end. After contesting everything from two to five stripes, creating and using an abundance of case law, logging a…