Around the IP Blogs!

JIPLP (The weblog of the Journal of Intellectual Property Law and Practice)

The JIPLP “is thrilled to announce that Sir Richard Arnold (High Court of England and Wales - Chancery Division) has accepted the invitation to join its Editorial Board.”

The 1709 Blog 

IPKat stays in motion... for IP blogs.

Artificial Intelligence and copyright: a happy (or even possible) relationship? 

IPKat's own Eleonora Rosati has written a very interesting article discussing the Saudi Arabia citizen Sophia questions that have been asked with increasing frequency, i.e. whether and to what extent AI has the potential to replace humans, including in the creative fields. 

SOLO IP

Trade Mark protection in the UK after Brexit

Barbara Cookson discusses the recent position papers from IP organizations on Brexit, which mostly are “very demanding and expect the UK's final deal to cover detailed issues on intellectual property”, together with the EUIPO’s recent paper, which seems to read as “a very strong message that it is brand owners responsibility to look after themselves.”. 

MARQUES CLASS 46 (Trade Marks)

-- Representation of new types of trade marks

Robert Guthrie, Chair of the MARQUES European Trade Mark Law and Practice Team, brings news of a Common Communication on the representation of new types of trade marks. 

-- Moldovan National IP Office to take over police powers 

News from Moldova: Recently, the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Moldova has proposed for public debate a draft law, which also covers the area of intellectual property. The draft law was designed to improve the business climate. In this respect, adjustments are proposed to the Criminal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Contravention Code and a number of other normative acts.

-- Master: On fizzy drinks, trade marks, behavioural economics and the principle of territoriality 

In Case T-61/16 Coca-Cola v EUIPO and Mitico, the General Court ("GC") had a second opportunity to make its opinion on the "Master" mark heard. The first time around, the GC was not impressed by the EUIPO's reasoning. In this regard, nothing has changed. But the GC's present judgment raises new questions concerning behavioural economics and the principle of territoriality.

MARQUES CLASS 99 (Trade Marks)

-- Design filings worldwide grow by 10 per cent

An estimated 963,100 industrial design applications, containing 1.2 million designs, were filed in 2016, according to figures published in WIPO's annual World Intellectual Property Indicators survey on 6 December last.

-- Russia ratifies Hague Agreement

In a statement dated 30 November, WIPO announced that the Russian Federation has deposited its instrument of ratification of the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs.

The Geneva Act will enter into force, in respect of the Russian Federation, on 28 February 2018.

Afro-IP

A SERIOUS THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM: ESTOPPEL AND TRADE MARK INFRINGEMENT

When a trade mark rights holder (statutory/common law), is estopped, on the way to the forum, or anywhere else, from acting against a perceived infringing party, it is not a nice thing. But that is in fact exactly what the respondent in the recent ruling in Honda Giken Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha t/a Honda Motor Co Ltd v Big Boy Scooter [2017] ZAGPPHC 513 suggested should happen -- Afro-Buff brings a detailed summary of the case. 

Photo courtesy to the anonym from Weibo.