INTA moves Dubai Annual Meeting, but pressures remain
INTA has moved its Annual Meeting in 2026 away from Dubai, opting instead to host it there in 2029, the association announced on Tuesday, June 11.
Managing IP had contacted INTA earlier that day to enquire about the meeting’s location after sources said the association was considering a new venue for 2026.
Several sources had told Managing IP that discussions were underway over finding a potential new venue, including Madrid, Berlin, or Vienna, in case Dubai was shelved.
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Nestlé trademark revoked after UKIPO dismisses deadline error claims
Nestlé’s UK trademark for its Crunch chocolate bar has been revoked after the UKIPO decided not to reprieve law firm CMS, the multinational’s external adviser, which missed the deadline for filing a counterstatement to a revocation action.
In the decision by the UKIPO handed down yesterday, June 12, the office said that subject to any appeal, the multinational’s UK trademark will be revoked across all goods.
To read the full article, click here.
The IP Lounge: CIPA on IP diversity and UK at the UPC
In this episode, Managing IP was joined by representatives from the UK-based Chartered Institute of Patent Attorneys.
Editor Max Walters was joined by CIPA’s chief executive Lee Davies and honorary secretary Gwilym Roberts, who is also chair of attorney firm Kilburn & Strode, to unpick the top talking points in the UK intellectual property profession.
To read the article, click here.
Other articles published on Managing IP this week include:
New machine: Milan court to provide ‘more balanced’ UPC picture
Behind the case: ‘Big Mac’ trademark winners on the hunger for victory
Five minutes with… Sharon Urias, Greenspoon Marder
Weekly take: Why Pride is both a protest and celebration
Arnold & Porter lawyer joins former colleague at Perkins Coie
Behind the case: How Kirkland uncovered lies in Samsung patent case
‘Wait and see’: Open Innovation Network steers clear of AI
Behind the deal: How Dolby secured $429m GE Licensing purchase
ArentFox Schiff takes 17 from Burns & Levinson for Boston IP launch
Elsewhere in IP
Trademark tour
The EU General dismissed a challenge on Wednesday, June 12, that had been brought by the organisers of the Tour de France bicycle race against an EU trademark application for ‘Tour de X’.
The application was filed by German gym chain FitX. The Société du Tour de France opposed the application, but the EUIPO ruled there was no likelihood of confusion. The Société challenged the EUIPO’s decision before the General Court which dismissed the action.
FRAND appeal
The England and Wales Court of Appeal this week began hearing the InterDigital v Lenovo case on appeal from the High Court. In March, last year, the High Court found that Lenovo should pay InterDigital $138.7 million for a global licence for its standard-essential patents (SEPs). The amount was around 40% lower than what InterDigital had originally sought.
A three-judge panel consisting of Lord Justices Richard Arnold, Colin Birss, and Christopher Nugee is hearing the case.
Easy way out
A UK band formerly called ‘Easy Life’ has changed its name to 'Hard Life' following a legal tussle with the owners of low-cost British airline easyJet. Managing IP reported on the dispute in October last year.
SEP division
The UK’s Financial Times newspaper picks up on the row in the EU surrounding the bloc’s proposed overhaul of the SEP framework. In an article on Thursday, June 13, the paper said the draft rules have “divided opinion among industry leaders and lawyers”.
‘Flying’ UPC
Patents seem to be making waves across the UK press this week. On Thursday, June 13, The Times newspaper marked the recent first anniversary of the Unified Patent Court by speaking to lawyers who said the court is "off to a flying start with its one-stop shop” for patent litigation.
Streaming challenge
According to an EUIPO study, published on Wednesday, June 12, 12% of EU citizens access or stream sports content from illegal online sources. The number rises to 27% among young people aged 15-24. The data was published ahead of the European Football Championship, which kicks off today, June 14.
Junior development
The Lady Chief Justice of England and Wales, Baroness Sue Carr, has urged senior barristers to give junior counsel more chances to speak in court. She was speaking during the annual Bar Conference held in London on Saturday, June 8.
The London chapter of ChIPs, a global network of legal and tech professionals focused on gender equality, welcomed the speech. In 2023, ChIPs secured amendments to the patents division at the England and Wales High Court that are intended to give junior IP lawyers more opportunities to handle parts of cases in court. ChIPs was featured in Managing IP’s Top 50 Most Influential People in IP last year.
Core changes
Brand protection company Corsearch announced the appointments of two senior figures on Tuesday, June 11. Jonah Ellin will join as senior vice president while Jak Cluness will join as vice president of intelligence and investigations.
Ellin previously worked in product development including at 1010data and data science company Dunnhumby. He will lead a Corsearch team that will leverage AI to create brand protection solutions.
Cluness previously served as head of brand protection at merchandise company New Era Cap where he implemented a global anti-counterfeiting and enforcement strategy.
That's it for today, see you again next week.
