Abion enters Milan with Baker McKenzie hire
Consultancy firm Abion has continued its expansion drive, this time with the hire of ex-Baker McKenzie lawyer Silvia Asioli, who will head up the company’s new office in Milan.
Asioli, who was previously lead senior manager for intellectual property at Baker McKenzie and at Jacobacci & Partners in Milan before that, joins Abion as country manager for Italy.
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Stakeholders debate the need for ITC reform
Stakeholders debated whether the US International Trade Commission is working fine as it is or if it is being misused during a Congressional hearing on Tuesday, July 23.
Four witnesses testified at a hearing called IP Litigation and the US International Trade Commission held by the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, IP, and the Internet.
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Other articles published on Managing IP this week include:
IP heavyweights post strong profit figures
EPO v USPTO: In-house reveal patent quality concerns
‘We're in growth mode’: Paul Hastings hints at expansion plans
Five minutes with…Jonah Mitchell, Reed Smith
Perfect match? Combining IP attorneys and solicitors
How four firms manage their anti-counterfeiting practices
Managing IP Asia-Pacific Awards 2024: shortlists announced
Weekly take: Law firm leaders must call out bias
One year in: PTAB leader inspired by technical expertise at new home
DEI specialist: don’t hire diverse staff without ensuring inclusivity
Elsewhere in IP
SEP hub
The UKIPO launched a new standard-essential patents (SEPs) resource hub for businesses on Monday, July 22. The hub aims to help businesses improve their understanding of the SEPs ecosystem, provides guidance, and highlights other resources to help them navigate SEP-related questions more confidently.
IP minister
Meanwhile, Feryal Clark was appointed as the UK's minister with responsibility for IP on Friday, July 19. Clark is the 15th person in the last 14 years to hold the role. Clark’s appointment comes two weeks after the Labour Party won a landslide in the UK general election on July 4.
AI blow
The England and Wales Court of Appeal reversed a finding by the High Court on Friday, July 19, ruling that artificial intelligence (AI) outfit Emotional Perception’s artificial neural network is ineligible for patent protection.
In Comptroller-General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks v Emotional Perception AI, a three-judge panel found that a patent relating to making recommendations for media files was held to be a computer program and therefore ineligible for patent protection.
INTA fuels debate
INTA said on Wednesday, July 24 that it had filed a Statement in Intervention with the EU General Court in a case involving Austrian oil and gas company OMV. The dispute, OMV v EUIPO, concerns the registration of a colour combination trademark for fuel-related services.
Both the EUIPO and the office’s Fifth Board of Appeal rejected the application, a combination of blue and green and which covers a range of goods and services related to energy, fuel, and gas stations, for a lack of distinctiveness.
However, INTA said the BoA wrongly assessed the distinctiveness of the mark by applying the same high threshold for single-colour marks and by failing to properly consider both the systematic arrangement of the relevant colours and the relevant market.
Olympics row
The US Olympic Committee (USOC) has sued drinks company Prime Hydration for using the terms ‘Olympic’ and ‘Team USA’ in an advertising campaign.
The USOC, in a lawsuit filed at the District Court for the District of Colorado, on Friday, July 19, said it has the exclusive right to use Olympic-related trademarks. Earlier this month, the committee contacted Prime Hydration, owned by YouTube personalities Logan Paul and KSI, to ask it to stop using the phrases.
Suspension renewal
A committee at the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit recommended renewing a ban preventing Judge Pauline Newman from being assigned cases, on Wednesday, July 24. The committee said the one-year ban should remain in place for an additional year, or at least until the judge "ceases her misconduct".
Clarivate buyout
Clarivate announced on Monday, July 22 that it had acquired Rowan TELS Corp – a patent drafting and prosecution solution. Clarivate said the acquisition will enable it to extend its offerings beyond IP management and intelligence capabilities and deliver comprehensive and integrated solutions to support patent preparation, filing, and prosecution.
That's it for today, see you again next week.
