This January 17th our colleague Jos van der Linden passed the final exam of the 2 year professional training and certification program of the Benelux association of Trademark and Design Attorneys, for which he received the official certificate. Of the 22 candidates with whom the course started in 2018, 13 received the highly coveted certificate on this day.
After a rather ominous period of silence, last January 24th the European Union and the UK placed the necessary signatures in order for England to formally leave the EU on January 31th. It is important to note that a transition period has been agreed upon which, which will last until the end of 2020. Until that date all existing EU rights will continue to apply in the UK. So for the moment nothing will change for holders of EU trademarks and designs. Also English representatives will remain authorized to act before the EUIPO and EU courts, at least until that date.
Copyright does not only apply to Art with a capital “A”. Products of applied art are also often seen as a creation. If this is the case, then a work is protected by copyright and slavishly copying it is not really sensible.
When choosing a title for an online game it is wise to check whether this name can be used freely. 3D Realms, developers of Duke Nukem, learned this when it announced the name of its new game Ion Maiden. British heavy metal band Iron Maiden has registered its name (and logo) in many countries (including the US) to prevent coat-tail riding.
A Dutch chain of petrol stations has been using a fictional character named “Tom de Ridder” in its radio commercials since 2009, in order to promote its payment card and parking services. In 2015, the company decides to change the name to TOM. To prevent problems, the company discusses the plans with TomTom (the well known car navigation brand).
Starting last summer, Sezen Sümer joined Abcor’s team as a trademark assistant, after doing her thesis research within our office. She wrote about the problems that arise as a result of the introduction of the certification mark and its consequences for previously registered trademarks, since these now are vulnerable to (partial) cancelations. This thesis will be published in collaboration with Leiden University of applied sciences, and will also be available on our website.
Call us: 071-5763116 or send an e-mail: info@abcor-ip.com
Een korte introductie tekst over de nieuwsbrief waarin je uitlegt wat het is. Hoe je direct de nieuwste editie kunt lezen en hoe je je kunt abonneren. And click here for all the numbers.
Among others in this issue:
• EUIPO vs Mora TV: weigering geluidsmerk
• Jägermeister vs Alte Heiler: stop Russische copycat
• Stichting Nederlandse Top 40: gericht op Benelux?
• Tijdschrift HART vs Hermitage: soortgelijkheid
• Monique Granneman: nieuwe partner Abcor
