One of the numerous new gTLDs recently approved by ICANN has been “.sucks” With its registry due to open before 2016, the clock is already ticking, with 1 June 2015 seeing the close of the sunrise period.Vicki Hawkins reports.
Since 1972 Revolvo Ltd had sold “Revolvo” bearings components. In 2010 its group applied to register REVOLVO as a UK trade mark. Volvo opposed based on their VOLVO registrations. Varuni Paranavitane reports.
Supreme Petfoods sued Henry Bell for trade mark infringement over its use of the mark “Supreme” for petfood. Supreme’s registration was valid and the marks were identical; surely this must have been an infringement? Apparently not: Rob Guthrie reports
No agreement was ever signed by Deepend, creator of the well-known “dude with a halo” brand, giving its client Fresh Trading the copyright. This led to Fresh losing its trade mark registration. But Fresh fought back and Abby Minns reports the result.
In sponsored search results, CTN Solutions and uk-phone.com both promoted their “Easyjet Customer Services” helplines but had no connection with the airline. Both included disclaimers. Did they work? Ben Dunham reports on the ASA’s decision.
US corporation Blackrock, Inc applied to register two phrases as Community Trade Marks. But were they just banal expressions that were “devoid of distinctive character” and hence not registrable? Ben Goodger reports the EU General Court judgment.
New regulations have come into force which liberalise the rules governing what companies and LLPs can call themselves and the trading disclosures they have to make Tom Harvey and Nick Thody report.
Ideal Home Magazine opened an online shop in 2009 and registered relevant trade marks. They sued when the unconnected operators of the Ideal Home Show went online with the “Ideal Home Show Shop.” Gemma Woodhead reports on the court’s findings.
Alexander House Financial Services applied to register SMART ALEX for financial services. BinckBank N.V. challenged as they had registered ALEX for a wide variety of services in the same class. Could BinckBank knock back Alexander House’s application? Varuni Paranavitane reports.
In the titanic tussle between Interflora and Marks & Spencer over M&S’s use of “Interflora” as an online search term, the Court of Appeal has allowed M&S’s appeal and sent the case back for a retrial. Abby Minns reports.
