This is not a competition and there are no prizes, but you can send answers to mip@managingip.com and we will publish the names of those who get the questions right.
1. June 12: Host country Brazil plays Croatia in the tournament’s opening match today. In which year was the General Law of the World Cup in Brazil passed? (Chapter II of the Law covers trade marks and ambush marketing.) Answer: 2012
2. June 13: Spain play the Netherlands in a re-match of the 2010 final. In which Spanish city is OHIM, the European office for trade marks and designs, located? Answer: Alicante
messi-200.jpg 3. June 14: Today England play Italy. The UK's IP minister is Lord Younger. But who was the first IP minister and what is his connection with football? Answer: Lord Triesman. He was chairman of the Football Association from 2008 to 2010
4. June 15: Argentina start their campaign against Bosnia and Herzegovina today. Which of their players owns a Community trade mark for goods and services in classes 3, 9, 14, 16, 25 and 28? Answer: Lionel Messi (pictured)
5. June 16: One of today's contests sees Iran play Nigeria in Group F. Which international IP agreement did Iran join on October 4 last year? Answer: The PCT
6. June 17: One of the countries competing today has the unique distinction of being a member of the Madrid Agreement but not the Madrid Protocol. Which is it? Answer: Algeria
7. June 18: In which country playing today did the Scotch Whisky Association register Scotch whisky as a certification mark, after complaining that some 2 million bottles of counterfeit whisky were sold there since 2005? Answer: Australia
8. June 19: Colombia plays today. In which year did it join the Madrid Protocol? Answer: 2012
9. June 20: Honduras is in action today. The country is one of five that have brought WTO actions over Australia's plain packaging law. Name the other four? Answer: Ukraine, Indonesia, Cuba, Dominican Republic
10. June 23: Which country's IP office recently ruled that Apple's iPhone advertisements encroached on a domestic firm's mark for iFone? Answer: Mexico
11. June 26: The US plays Germany today in a key game in group G. The USPTO has granted a patent for a modified soccer game, based on a normal-sized pitch but with additional rules and markings. Who is the inventor? Answer: Louis R Bucalo
12. June 27: There are no football matches today. However, the Wimbledon Tennis Championships are under way, so we have a tennis question: OHIM once registered a Community trade mark for "the scent of fresh cut grass" for tennis balls in class 28. Who was the applicant? Answer: Vennootschap Onder Firma Senta Aromatic Marketing
13. July 1: The USA plays Belgium today in a Round of 16 match. Last month in a different type of “Football” the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board cancelled six registrations for trade marks that include the term “Redskins”. But what year did the USPTO previously cancel the “Redskins” trade marks (only to later be reversed on appeal)? Answer: 1999
14. July 4: In the first quarter-final today, France plays Germany (where the EPO has its headquarters). Which World Cup sponsor has applied for a European patent for a portable electronic processing device (illustrated, right)? Answer: Adidas (EP724755)
15. July 8: We're finally at the semi-final stage and today hosts Brazil play Germany. Who became head of the Brazilian IP office (INPI) in December last year? Answer: Otávio Brandelli
16: After yesterday's shock 7-1 win for Germany over hosts Brazil, Argentina play the Netherlands in today's second semi-final. The Dutch team famously wear orange; which brewery staged an ambush marketing stunt with 30 women wearing orange minidresses at the 2010 World Cup? And who were the Netherlands playing at the time? Answer: Bavaria beer. The match was against Denmark
The answer will be published shortly along with another question.
This quiz is not authorised or endorsed by FIFA. Read FIFA’s guidelines on use of the official marks here.
Correct answers have so far been received from:
Hitesh Sharma
Bruce D Goldberg
Laetitia Lagarde
Risa Amrikasari
@IP_paralegal
Maya Rodal
