Clothing items under the copyright protection regime: the importance of the aesthetic element.

Background of the case. The entites Cofemel and G-Star both are in the design business, the manufacturing and trade of clothes. Both are designing jeans, jumpers and shirts. In august 2013, G-Star filed a lawsuit based on intellectual property right´s infringement and unfair competition acts before the Portuguese Courts. G-Star argued that the items they produce (jeans, shirts, jumpers) should be considered as intellectual creations sufficiently original and thus they are granted protection…


The targeted public as main criteria to determine the competent Court in infringement cases

Background of the case AMS Neve is an entity based in the United Kingdom which core business is audio equipment and Heritage Audio, is an entity settled in Spain dealing with the same kind of goods. In 2015 AMS Neve filed a lawsuit against Heritage Audio before the competent Court in United Kingdom concerning an infringement claim arising from the alleged wrongful use of rights conferred by an EU trade mark and two national trademarks. AMS Neve is exclusive licensee over the concerned marks.…


Café del mar - nullity based on bad faith.

Background of the case In 1978, the appellant and the interveners in the current legal proceedings, obtained a premise in Ibiza as to start a business (bar) in this same place named “Café del Mar”. In 1992, the intervener applied for the trademark registration for the first time Café del Mar. Afterwards, both parties created the legal entity and the intervener was named as Proxy-Holder as to act in the name and in representation of the legal entity. Among others, in 1999 he applied for an EUTM…


The shape of a guitar to designate musical instruments: lack of distinctivness

On June 16 2010, the applicant, Gibson Brands Inc., filed an application for a tridimensional EU trademark which represented the shape of a guitar body as follows: The goods embodied in the application of the EUTM, are those in Class 9, 15 and 25. In particular is sought the protection of musical instruments (Class 15). EUIPO accepted the registration of the subject mark on July 20, 2010 under Registration No. 9179953. On October 7, 2014, a third party filed an action for a declaration of…


Marca anterior registrada con una declaración de renuncia. Efectos de la renuncia sobre el alcance de la protección de la marca anterior.

Antecedentes: En el año 2007, la sociedad sueca Norrtelje Brenneri Aktiebolag registró, para bebidas alcohólicas de la clase 33 del Arreglo de Niza como marca nacional el signo denominativo y figurativo siguiente (en lo sucesivo, «marca anterior»): Dicho registro está acompañado de una declaración de renuncia por la que se establece que el «registro no confiere un derecho exclusivo sobre el vocablo “RoslagsPunsch”». La inscripción de dicha declaración fue exigida por la Oficina de Registro…