Shape marks

A shape mark is a trade mark which protects the shape of a product or another shape.

3D Trademark, Brand Protection, Distinctive Character, Distinctiveness, Registrability, Shape marks, Switzerland

(MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Froriep AG)/ /Leave a comment

The Swiss Federal Tribunal has ruled that the shape of the Nespresso capsules is technically necessary and that Nestlé’s 3D trademark shall therefore be cancelled (decision 4A_61/2021 of 7 September 2021). The decision of the Swiss Federal Tribunal is a milestone in the trademark infringement proceedings initiated by Nestlé against Ethical Coffee Company (“ECC”), which…

Shape marks, Trademark, United Kingdom

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Background In 2016, Jaguar Land Rover  (“JLR”) applied to register four UK trade mark applications for the shape marks of the Land Rover Defender 90 and Land Rover Defender 110 vehicles, in Classes 9, 12, 14, 28 and 37: All four applications were successfully opposed by Ineos Industries Holdings Limited (“Ineos”) in respect of most…

Bundesgerichtshof, cancellation, Case law, Germany, National marks, Registrability, Shape marks

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  The German Federal Supreme Court today once more decided on cancellation claims against German trademark registrations for square-shaped packaging for chocolate products (Decision of 23 July 2020 in Cases I ZB 42/19 und I ZB 43/19). According to the Court’s press release, it confirmed a decision by the Federal Patent Court which rejected the…

3D Trademark, CJEU, Shape marks, Trademark

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Traditionally, ‘gömböc’ has been the name of a kind of Hungarian food specialty, also called ‘disznósajt’ (‘pork-cheese’), similar to the Scottish haggis: pig’s stomach filled with leftovers. In a folk tale, the gömböc devours the members of an entire family one after the other, until the youngest son slits it open from the inside with…

Italy, Shape marks

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With decision n. 482 of 2019 the Italian Court of Torino decided on whether the beauty and the history of a car may be reasons to deserve copyright protection. The case regards the company Tecnomodel S.r.l. producer of miniature cars, including the models in scale 1/18 and 1/43 of the cars Alfa Romeo Giulietta SZ and…

Preliminary ruling, Shape marks, Two dimensional

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The EUTMR No. 2015/2424, as well as the Directive No. 2015/2436, have introduced various changes to EU and national trademark laws but both failed to provide transitory rules determining what is the applicable law for trademarks registered before the entry into force of the new law. In case C-21/18, Textilis Ltd and Ozgur Keskin v…

3D Trademark, Bundesgerichtshof, Case law, CJEU, EUIPO, EUTM, functions, General Court, Shape marks, Use requirement

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This case is about the genuine use of shape marks. M J Quinlan & Associates PTY Ltd. of Australia own a 1999 registration for the shape of a kangaroo. The mark is protected for potato snacks and potato crisps. The plaintiff owns or owned a patent and design rights to the kangaroo-shaped crisps which were…

Color, Distinctiveness, France, Shape marks

(McDermott Will & Emery AARPI )/ /1 Comment

The Paris Court of Appeal ruled that the French figurative trademark owned by Mr. Christian Louboutin and designating “high‑heeled shoes (except orthopedic footwear)” in Class 25, reproduced above, is valid (Paris Court of Appeal, 15 May 2018, No. 17/07124). The trademark is described as follows: “The trademark consists of the color red (Pantone 18.1663TP) applied to the…

Case law, functions, Shape marks, The Netherlands

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The Court of Appeal of Arnhem/Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, in its decision of August 21, 2018 invalidated the Benelux trade mark registration of the so called S-shape for loosefill packing material (see below picture) because it consists exclusively of a shape that is necessary to obtain a technical result.       The Court of Appeal…