At present, the “patent world” is dealing with decisions of receiving offices responsible for the formal examination of patent applications, which reject patent applications in which an…
In its judgment in Case T-601/17, the General Court of the European Union held that the Union trademark Rubik's Cube should not have been registered as a…
An opposition proceeding can continue at the opponent’s request even when the patent owner abandons the European patent in all designated contracting countries or when the affected…
The importance of the so-called "printed copy" in the context of the Communication under Rule 71(3) EPC was recently confirmed by a Technical Board of Appeal of…
A European Union trademark application for the packaging of a pastry product as a three-dimensional trademark was filed. It was disputed whether the union trademark application in…
In its decisions known as ÖKOTEST I and ÖKOTEST II (Ref.: I ZR 173/16, I ZR 174/16, I ZR 117/17), the German Federal Supreme Court of Justice…
The Higher Regional Court based in Frankfurt, Germany, decided on the competitive imitation protection of a luxury watch, which is shown in the following: plaintiff’s luxury watch…
The Arbitration Board of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office had to deal with an employer's failure to file an IP right application. According to the…
In another dispute, the Arbitration Board of the German Patent and Trade Mark Office (DPMA) had to deal with claims of an employee based on an alleged…
Compared with the year 2017, foreigners were again very interested in German patent and trademark applications in the year 2018. Compared with 2017, German patent applications made…
In a current case, the Enlarged Board of Appeal is supposed to create new jurisdiction with respect to computer implemented simulation processes. The case The case at…
The Technical Board of Appeal 3.5.03 had to deal with an obviously illegitimate appeal. In this appeal, an appellant filed third party observations in the prosecution procedure…
The Brexit and the question whether there will be a deal between the United Kingdom (UK) and the EU has been postponed until end of October 2019…
Important strategic contemplations for owners of European patentsPreliminary remuneration of employee inventorTo what extent does a patent owner have to accept his own former statementsagainst himself in…
Federal Court of Justice confirms protectability of “Ritter-Sport” packaging trademarkCriteria for right-preserving use of figurative trademarkWhen does the deception of origin by a product which is not…
The soft drink producer Coca Cola filed an opposition against a European Union trademark application with the word element “Master” and reasoned the opposition by stating that…
Principally, in Germany, a third party which has developed, used or at least made serious attempts to use a similar or identical design before filing a national…
For the first time, a court decided that there is the possibility of a conclusion to the content of the first offer in Germany and, therefore, a…