The start of 2024 marked a significant change in the UK legal landscape post-Brexit – the entry into force of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023 (‘REULA’). This is the first of two blogs looking at REULA, and at the UK Courts’ approach to EU law following the UK’s departure from the…

We UK lawyers view with interest the developments in the “Brexit cases”, resulting in appeals to the CJEU in 3 cases, as discussed in various previous posts on this blog, the latest being the summary (here) of the AG opinion in the first case, BASMATI. The BASMATI case, and the related “Brexit cases” APE TEES…

The Opposition Division has partially upheld an opposition filed by Jaguar Land Rover (“Jaguar”) against EUTM application no.16778672 for the figurative mark, , applied for by luxury fashion designer, Philipp Plein. Jaguar based its opposition on earlier EUTM registrations covering several variations of its logo, as well as unregistered rights in these marks. These earlier…

The CMA and CAP have taken measures to address concerns with the legal framework around affiliate marketing by issuing new guidance directed at influencers. This article will briefly explain the previous regulations and then compare them to the new guidance of March 2023. This article will then attempt to determine if this new guidance has…

This post is the second of four, considering the decision of Smith J in Lidl v Tesco [2023] EWHC 873 (Ch), focusing on the passing off element of the judgment. Many were surprised that Lidl was successful on this ground, as it was not a traditional case of selling goods as those of another. Background…

This post is the first of four looking at the decision of Smith J in Lidl & another v Tesco & another [2023] EWHC 873 (Ch). It will focus on the s.10(3) trade mark infringement elements of the judgment and the potential impact this may have for rights holders. The Court’s findings: of copyright infringement…

19/10/2022 T-275/21, DEVICE OF A CHEQUERBOARD PATTERN (fig.), EU:T:2022:654 The French designer’s iconic fabric, one that is no stranger to catwalks and maison de couture around the world, has found itself in the courtroom, again, after a 5 year battle with the EUIPO. The fashion conscious and lovers of luxury will surely be familiar with…

The decision in question, made by the General Court of the EU – Standard International Management LLC v EUIPO – has clarified that use of EU trade marks in advertisements and offers for sale constitute acts of use of an EU trade mark. This case revolved around an EU trade mark that Standard Hotels applied…

The Falsified Medicines Directive (2011/62/EU) (FMD) was introduced in 2011 with the aim of safeguarding the public against medicinal products within the EU whose identity, history or source had been falsified. The FMD requires that the packaging of these products now bears certain safety features, such as a “unique identifier” verifying their authenticity and an…