In a judgment of 17 September 2021, the Paris Court of Appeal has ruled in favour of the validity of the semi-figurative trademark a descriptive verbal element . The Judges highlighted in particular that, although the expression “vente privée”
Brands
Beijing IP Court pilots mediation program for Trademark Office appeals
In response to the rapid increase in the number of trademark prosecution administrative review cases (appeals from the Trademark Office – CNIPA), the Supreme People’s Court issued a Judicial Opinion on “Promoting the Reform of Administrative Litigation Proceedings by…
A New Progress: China Issues Judicial Interpretation for Applying Punitive Damages in Intellectual Property Infringement Cases
Since 2013, China has gradually introduced the concept of punitive damages in the amendments to several laws on intellectual property rights, in which the elements of punitive damages were also stipulated, namely the infringement has to be “intentional” or “malicious”…
Proactive Trademark Registration Strategy Can Prevent Costly Customs Issues in China


Although it is not strictly necessary to file for a trade mark registration before using a mark, there are significant advantages to securing trademark protection, particularly in a company’s primary markets. Amongst other benefits, a trademark registration gives the owner…
Amazon’s 2020 Brand Protection Report – What Brand Owners Need to Know

On May 10, 2021, Amazon released its 2020 Brand Protection Report (the Report), the first of its kind published by the e-commerce giant. The Report offers insight into Amazon’s brand protection approach and efforts over the past year, including…
NATIERRA: Presenting Fresh Evidence on Appeal

A recent decision of the Federal Court, Brandstorm, Inc. v Naturally Splendid Enterprises Ltd., 2021 FC 73, has confirmed that where “sufficiently substantial and significant” evidence is presented on review, the appeal of a decision of the Registrar of…
Expedited Examination for COVID-19 Related Marks Avoid Systemic Delays in Canadian Examination

The delays in Canadian trademark examination are becoming excruciating. The Trademarks Act and the Trademark Regulations provisions do not expressly provide for expedited examination of a Canadian trademark application. The long-standing practice of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (“CIPO”) was…
Michael Jordan deserves an apology from Qiaodan Sports for infringing his name rights for over 20 years


According to the Shanghai Xinhua News Agency, the Shanghai Second Intermediate People’s Court handed down a first instance decision on 30 December 2020 in favour of Michael Jordan against Qiaodan Sports Company and Bairen Trading Company (both Chinese local companies)…
Passing off as Parsons: Injunction and Damages Granted to Halt Phishing Website

Last week, in Parsons Inc. v Khan, 2021 FC 57, the Federal Court found the owner of a phishing website liable for passing itself off as the Applicants’, Parsons Corporation and Parsons Inc. (“Parsons”).
Parsons, a multinational engineering…
How the Canadian Trademarks Office Considers Inherent Distinctiveness

Inherent distinctiveness is a measure of a trademark’s originality – those elements that make a brand unique and recognizable to the public. Trademarks indicate the source of goods or services for consumers. As such, distinctiveness is said to be the…