By Janet L. Hoffman
In 2008, shortly after release of Dreamworks’ Kung Fu Panda film in China, a local individual filed a trademark application for KUNG FU PANDA covering various vehicle-related goods (e.g., steering wheel covers, seat covers, and car seats for infants). More
By Hindy Dym
Sleep Country Canada Inc. v. Sears Canada Inc., 2017 FC 148 (February 9, 2017).
The Canadian Federal Court recently issued a rare interlocutory injunction to a plaintiff in a trademark case. Interlocutory injunctions are often sought in trademark infringement cases as it can take many months or even years before the case goes to trial.More
By Laura Popp-Rosenberg
Star Athletica, L.L.C. v. Varsity Brands, Inc., 137 S.Ct. 1002 (2017)
United States issued a decision in a highly-anticipated case concerning the copyrightability of clothing designs, concluding that designs on cheerleading uniforms could be protected by U.S.More
By Erica Gould McCurdy
During the 50th session of the Madrid Union Assembly, a landmark decision was made to freeze accessions to the Madrid Agreement (the “Agreement”), except in cases where a contracting party is already a party to the Madrid Protocol (the “Protocol”) or is simultaneously acceding to both the Agreement and the Protocol. More
By Ashford Tucker
R v C [2016] EWCA Crim 1617 (November 1, 2016, Ct. App.)
On November 1, 2016, the UK Court of Appeal confirmed that sales of “grey” goods could be deemed a criminal offense. Prior to this decision,More
By Robin N. Baydurcan
On January 10, 2017, the Industrial Property Code (“New Law”) went into effect in Turkey, replacing the previous law known as “Decree Law No. 556 for the Protection of Trademarks” (“Old Law”). The Old Law will continue to apply to all trademark applications filed before January 10th,More
By Karen Lim
Article 12 of the Swiss Trademark Act provides that trademark rights may no longer be asserted if the trademark has not been in use for an uninterrupted period of five years unless the owner can show good cause for the non-use. More
By Amanda B. Agati
Slowfood-Korea, Inc. v. Gil-Soo Kim and Hyung-Yak Lee, Supreme Court, 2016Da229058, Sept. 21, 2016 (S. Kor.)
The Korean Supreme Court recently affirmed a High Court’s decision holding that a shop’s appearance, including the logo, outdoor signage,More
By Karen Lim
India’s new Trademark Rules came into effect on March 6, 2017. The Rules are designed to expedite the registration process and enhance protection for well-known marks. Salient features of the new Rules are:
By Hindy Dym
Simba Toys GmbH & Co. K.G v. European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and Seven Towns Ltd. (Case C-30/15 P, November 10, 2016)
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“ECJ”) recently issued a final decision in a ten-year dispute surrounding the trademark protection of the Rubik’s Cube. More