It is not a surprise that the UK IPO has seen an increase in the number of trade mark applications which attempt to protect goods and services offered in the Metaverse. In Tribunal Practice Notice 2/2023 (“TPN 2/23”), which was published in April 2023, the UK IPO issued guidance on the correct classification of non-fungible… Read more »
All of the Partners & People of AA Thornton have joined Venner Shipley
IP Portfolio Management
UPC start date confirmed as 1 June 2023
As announced in a statement by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Justice on 17 February 2023, Germany has now ratified the Unified Patent Court Agreement. This confirms the start date of the Unified Patent Court (UPC) and Unitary Patent system as 1 June 2023. Germany’s ratification also provides confirmation that the “sunrise period”, during which proprietors… Read more »
Why is Diligent Due Diligence Important?
Background The main value of many technology merger or acquisition deals may not lie in tangible property like buildings or stock inventory. Often the value lies in intellectual property (IP), and patents in particular. It is common practice for companies to monitor the R&D activities of others, particularly smaller innovators. This is done with a… Read more »
Iceland (country) v Iceland (supermarket) – the trade mark saga continues
Author: Anastasia Osipovich Iceland Foods Ltd is a UK retailer of frozen foods operating its Iceland stores in the UK and across Europe, including Ireland, Germany, Malta, Spain, Portugal as well as in [ahem] Iceland. The country of Iceland is known for its dramatic landscape, northern lights and volcanoes. A legal eruption between the UK… Read more »