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Patents
Lawyers at Simmons & Simmons look ahead to a UK Supreme Court hearing in which the court will consider whether English courts can determine FRAND terms when the licence is offered by an intermediary rather than an SEP owner
February 16, 2026
Features list
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The tide of franchising regulation continues to sweep across Europe as Belgium brings its new franchise disclosure law into effect. Mark Abell argues that this latest initiative makes it more likely that other EU states will follow the same path -
Rights owners used to face difficulties in obtaining evidence from non-public sources to prove infringement in Germany. But, as Reinhardt Schuster, Tilman Müller-Stoy and Birgit Strube explain, recent case law, in particular in Düsseldorf, is changing that practice
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Helped along by the attention given to internationally popular events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, naming rights for sports stadiums has become a lucrative business, with increasing challenges for intellectual property lawyers. Robin Lightner Maisashvili and Nina Smith explain why
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Owners of European IP rights are vulnerable to central attacks on validity at the EPO and OHIM, which can threaten enforcement in national courts. Mark Finn, Konstantin Ewald and Marie-Hélène Lemaitre examine what you can do to counter such an attack in the UK, France and Germany
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Brand owners are developing ever-more innovative ways of distinguishing their products. But getting legal protection for new kinds of marks can present challenges. Emma Barraclough introduces a survey of seven Asian jurisdictions that asks the questions that IP owners need the answers to
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In June 2003, the US Supreme Court issued a ruling limiting the claims of ownership over a creative work. Joseph M Beck examines how that decision has shaped IP case law over the past two years
Local Insights
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Bird & Bird
Fame means not all literary figure marks are created equal, says Charlotte Colthurst of Bird & Bird in examining an EUIPO Grand Board of Appeal ruling
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Becerril, Coca & Becerril
Stephania Cardiel of Becerril, Coca & Becerril examines how recent reforms signal a regional move towards faster, more internationally aligned innovation systems
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Inlex
Pravir Palayathan of Inlex explains Mauritius’ customs-led system for protecting trademarks, regulating authorised importers and exporters, and swiftly seizing counterfeit goods
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That.Legal
Gillian Tan of That.Legal explains how accidental font licensing gaps arise in practice, and how Singapore’s compensatory copyright framework affects enforcement outcomes
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Inlex
Igor Charles of Inlex explains how the EUIPO Board of Appeal recognised the Givenchy 4G logo’s reputation in France, linking luxury goods to financial services under Article 8(5) of the EU Trademark Regulation
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Wanhuida Intellectual Property
Yue Guan of Wanhuida Intellectual Property explains how the CNIPA’s rulings on mirogabalin besylate tablets highlight the importance of formulation patent drafting and claim amendments in China’s drug patent landscape
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Tilleke & Gibbins
Thanh Phuong Vu of Tilleke & Gibbins explains how Vietnam’s 2025 Intellectual Property Law amendment introduces protection for partial and intangible designs under Locarno Class 32
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Gün and Partners
A reversal decision by the Turkish Court of Cassation clarifies when patent enforcement may trigger unfair competition liability, report Aysel Korkmaz Yatkın, Selin Sinem Erciyas, and Beste Turan Kurtoğlu of Gün and Partners
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Hanol IP & Law
Min Son of Hanol IP & Law explains how the decision clarifies that multiple-word trademarks can infringe if an element serves as an essential distinctive part
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Saint Island International Patent & Law Offices
Taiwan has stepped up trade secret enforcement through legislative reform and court practice, says Tony Tung-Yang Chang of Saint Island International Patent & Law Offices