All of the Partners & People of AA Thornton have joined Venner Shipley
We are delighted to be recognised once again in the Financial Times’ annual listing of Europe’s Leading Patent Law Firms. This is the sixth edition of the FT’s special report, which is compiled following recommendations from industry peers and clients, and highlights just 208 firms across the whole of Europe. More than 10,000 patent attorneys… Read more »
McDonald’s sees its ‘BIG MAC’ EU trade mark rights curtailed as the courts continue to crack down on evidence of trade mark use The decision In a decision dated 5 June 2024, the EU’s General Court held that fast food giant McDonald’s had failed to prove genuine use of its BIG MAC trade mark… Read more »
“The clothes we wear say something about who we are. Let’s make sure they’re saying the right thing.” – Colin Firth. The fashion industry, long celebrated for its design innovation, quality and speed to market, is increasingly scrutinised for its environmental impact. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports that the fashion industry is responsible… Read more »
It is said that “necessity is the mother of invention”, and as someone who’s spent over two decades working with inventors and innovation on IP Protection, I have seen it time and again. The need to reduce carbon emissions is pushing us to a world where our transportation, homes and industrial processes must run on… Read more »
What is a Certification Mark? The purpose of a Certification Mark is to tell the consumer that a product or service meets a specific standard set by a regulatory body. This criteria can include a variety of things such as; the goods and services have certain characteristics, or the user has certain qualifications. Some examples… Read more »
When it comes to invention and scientific discovery, women have pioneered innovations that have reshaped our world. Ada Lovelace is one of the most notoble women inventors of recent history. She didn’t just write code; she imagined a future where computers would become an integral part of our lives, crafting the first algorithm intended for… Read more »
The famous line from Christopher Nolan’s ‘The Dark Knight’, “You Either Die a Hero or Live Long Enough to See Yourself Become the Villain,” offers a compelling metaphor for the trajectory of several modern innovations. Initially, these breakthroughs are heralded as solutions to our most pressing challenges, embodying the pinnacle of human ingenuity and revolutionising… Read more »
In a world facing significant challenges, the importance of human creativity and innovation cannot be overstated. As highlighted by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we need to find solutions to problems ranging from climate change and diminishing natural resources to widespread inequality and health crises. We need “to re-think how we live, work and… Read more »
The EU Parliament has now approved reforms to EU design law, we set out below some of the key changes. What’s happening? Proposals to amend the law were suggested in November 2022. In December 2023, the provisional law was published and it was adopted by the European Parliament in March 2024. The new Directive… Read more »
Universities have always been sources of innovative ideas as they, provide the infrastructure and environment to encourage research and development. Increasingly, universities are promoting commercialisation of some of those ideas to encourage entrepreneurship and generate revenue. Many universities have some form of Technology Transfer Office where innovators can seek advice about taking their innovation further… Read more »