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Chinese courts divided over whether code scratching constitu...Jan 08 2025Chinese courts divided over whether code scratching constitutes trademark infringementUnder the exhaustion-of-rights principle, once an IP-protected product is sold, the IP owner's exclusive rights over that specific product are exhausted. In other words, once a product legally enters ...Jan 08 2025 -
INAO triumphs in invalidating copycat trademarks before Beij...Dec 30 2024INAO triumphs in invalidating copycat trademarks before Beijing IP CourtThe Beijing IP Court has held up the China National IP Administration (CNIPA)’s decision to invalidate the marks of a Chinese agricultural company due to it piggybacking on the reputation of a French...Dec 30 2024 -
Chinese courts continue to butt heads over trademark use for...Dec 27 2024Chinese courts continue to butt heads over trademark use for establishing infringementIn September 2024, the China Trademark Association published a list of landmark trademark cases – administrative and judicial – from 1994 to present. The latest case on this list is an administrativ...Dec 27 2024 -
The Protection of Geographical Indications in ChinaNov 27 2024The Protection of Geographical Indications in ChinaThe Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of 15 April 1994 defines Geographical Indications as “ … indications which identify a good as originating in the territ...Nov 27 2024 -
PARIS - DAKAR invalidates copycat mark “MARKMA DAKARA/T”Nov 26 2024PARIS - DAKAR invalidates copycat mark “MARKMA DAKARA/T”The Dakar Rally, often referred to simply as “The Dakar,” stands as one of the most gruelling and legendary events in motorsport history. Held annually, the Dakar Rally is known for its extreme chal...Nov 26 2024 -
Design of Hermès’ iconic Birkin and Kelly bags held to con...Nov 25 2024Design of Hermès’ iconic Birkin and Kelly bags held to constitute “trade dress with a certain influence”Hermès is a prestigious French luxury fashion house founded in 1937, with ladies’ handbags being one of the best-selling products of the company. The trade dress of the Kelly and Birkin handbags, as...Nov 25 2024 -
DEL MONTE FOODS successfully blocks the registration of a se...Nov 15 2024DEL MONTE FOODS successfully blocks the registration of a seemingly dissimilar copycat mark (2024)Del Monte Foods is a leading American food production and distribution company based in California. It is known for its popular brands like Del Monte, S&W, and Contadina. The company was founded in 18...Nov 15 2024 -
DEL MONTE FOODS successfully blocks the registration of a se...Nov 06 2024DEL MONTE FOODS successfully blocks the registration of a seemingly dissimilar copycat markDel Monte Foods is a leading American food production and distribution company based in California. It is known for its popular brands like Del Monte, S&W, and Contadina. The company was founded in 18...Nov 06 2024 -
Heidelberg Materials AG successfully obtains registration of...Sept 09 2024Heidelberg Materials AG successfully obtains registration of HEIDELBERG MATERIALSYang Mingming, 09 September 2024, first published by WTR• Registering a mark with a geographical name component may be quite challenging in China• A letter of consent from a municipal government may s...Sept 09 2024 -
Xiaomi’s voice-activation command prompt awarded protection...June 19 2024Xiaomi’s voice-activation command prompt awarded protection in precedent-setting trademark disputeIn July 2017, Xiaomi launched a smart speaker with a voice activation command prompt (VACP) called ‘小爱同学’ (Xiao Ai Tong Xue), which later became the name of its AI-powered voice-interaction prod...June 19 2024 -
Lacoste v Cartelo: a landmark case clarifying the rules on c...May 17 2024Lacoste v Cartelo: a landmark case clarifying the rules on confusion and co-existence (2024)The dispute between Lacoste and Cartelo, which has spanned over two decades and involved multiple court cases, has come to a new stage. Lacoste, a globally recognised brand known for its iconic right-...May 17 2024 -
New foreign GI regulations take effect in China, with some c...Feb 01 2024New foreign GI regulations take effect in China, with some contradictionsOn 1 February 2024, two regulations issued by the China National IP Administration (CNIPA) on 29 December 2023 will enter into effect. The regulations provide details on the registration, administrati...Feb 01 2024