Sandra Lipińska | In Principle

The United Kingdom ceased to be a member of the European Union on 1 February 2020, and the transition period is drawing to an end on 31 December 2020. What will happen with intellectual property from 1 January 2021? How will trademarks, industrial designs, and patents be registered in the EU and the UK? Will the territorial scope of protection of existing rights change? What about .eu domains held by individuals and companies based in the UK? The changes will impact the operation of businesses currently benefitting from rights awarded across the EU. Now they must adapt to the changes and comply with new obligations.

Sometimes a video game’s title is one of the game development company’s most important assets. Properly selected, secured and promoted, it may constitute a valuable source of income for a long time. Therefore, at an early stage of work on the game, it is worth making an appropriate application to the register, bearing in mind that in the case of trademarks, the principle of “first come, first served” applies. A well-thought-out strategy for selecting and registering a video game title can also save a lot of nerves and money after the game is launched on the market.

If a rental car is equipped with a radio, should the rental company pay royalties to a collective rights management organisation? The Court of Justice recently addressed this issue.

The Court of Justice has finally resolved the case of an EU trademark displaying an X on the side of a sports shoe. The German company Deichmann SE sought revocation of the registration, claiming there was no genuine use of the mark.