Local Insights

Pravir Palayathan of Inlex explains Mauritius’ customs-led system for protecting trademarks, regulating authorised importers and exporters, and swiftly seizing counterfeit goods

Matthew Costard of Spoor & Fisher Jersey outlines the key developments and says the modernisation of the country’s intellectual property regime presents immediate opportunities for brand owners

Duncan Maguire of Spoor & Fisher Jersey explains a recent ruling by the Court of Appeal of Tanzania confirming that such trademarks are unenforceable unless registered nationally with the trademarks office in Tanzania

Gillian Tan of That.Legal explains how accidental font licensing gaps arise in practice, and how Singapore’s compensatory copyright framework affects enforcement outcomes

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

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

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

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

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

Stephania Cardiel of Becerril, Coca & Becerril examines how recent reforms signal a regional move towards faster, more internationally aligned innovation systems

Emilio Berkenwald of Berken IP examines Argentina’s continued absence from the Patent Cooperation Treaty, the practical consequences for patent filing strategies, and what possible accession could mean for local and foreign applicants

María Aurora García of Berken IP explains how Resolution No. 583 narrows trademark examination to absolute grounds, shifting relative grounds and other objections to third-party enforcement

In Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts Inc. v Goldsmith et al. No. 17-CV-2532, 2019 (S.D.N.Y. July 1 2019), the US District Court for the Southern District of New York addressed the question of whether Andy Warhol's (Warhol) use of a photograph of Prince Rogers Nelson, best known as Prince, constituted violations of the Copyright Act. Granting the Andy Warhol Foundation's (AWF) motion for summary judgment, the court found that although the at-issue photograph was protected by copyright, AWF had a viable fair use defence.

The reform of August 10 2018 to the Mexican Industrial Property Law substantially changed the Mexican trademark landscape. Among the most relevant changes brought by this legislative reform, particularly the acceptance on behalf of the Mexican Institute of Industrial Property (IMPI) of non-conventional trademark applications – such as smell and sound trademarks – positions Mexico today at the forefront of innovation.

In In re TracFone Wireless, Inc., the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) issued yet another decision finding that a particular designation fails to function as a mark – the subject of over 21% of precedential rulings this year. These decisions highlight the importance of brand owners, marketing teams, advertising departments and legal counsel coordinating effectively.

Raluca Vasilescu of Cabinet M Oproiu finds that producing reliable, full patent applications remains a step too far for AI assistants at present

Raluca Vasilescu of Cabinet M Oproiu concludes a series on the use of artificial intelligence in patent practice by analysing how AI assistants affect the skilled reader’s perspective and the drafting of patent applications

Raluca Vasilescu of Cabinet M Oproiu continues a series on AI’s potential use in patent practice by analysing drafting experiments focused on differentiating from the closest prior art