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What are the steps to register a trademark in Spain?
To register a trademark in Spain, an application must be filed at the Spanish Patents and Trademarks Office (SPTO). The following information is required to file an application: Word and/or graphical representation of the mark to be registered. If the mark consists of a device or is accompanied by a device, a clear example […]
What are the steps to register a tradmeark in the EU?
To register a European Union trademark, an application must be filed at the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Once the application has overcome the substantive examination, it is registered with unitary effects, that is, it becomes a single trademark registration which is effective throughout the EU (27 Member States). The following information is required […]
10 key aspects of applying for a declaration of invalidity or the revocation of trademarks and trade names at the Spanish Patents and Trademarks Office
As from January 14, the Spanish Patents and Trademarks Office (SPTO) will, for the first time, assume the task of determining whether a trademark is invalid or must be revoked. As from this coming January 14, claims requesting a declaration of invalidity or the revocation of a Spanish trademark (or Spanish trade name) must be […]
‘Hot news’: can news be protected?
Exclusives, scoops, breaking news… Being the first to inform is undoubtedly important for the media. However, once a news item has been disclosed it can lose all its value: is it possible to prevent a third party from reporting on those same events? Observations on the value of information abound. The most popular is that […]
The challenge of protecting well-known trademarks beyond the principle of specialty
Can a well-known watch brand prevent the protection of another identical or similar trademark for other types of goods such as cosmetics? The possibility of consumers’ associating the goods of a particular trademark is greater when that mark is well-known. However, relying on the reputation of such trademarks for other goods is not always easy […]
Trademark registration: Banksy laughs last and longest
The EUIPO Board of Appeal has declared the validity of a trademark containing the well known work of the graffiti artist Banksy ‘Laugh Now But One Day We’ll Be In Charge’, having deemed that it was not registered in bad faith. In recent years, the EUIPO Cancellation Division has decided to invalidate several trademarks by […]