IP insights: March 2026

31 March 2026

Welcome to your round up of the most important news and insights in intellectual property.

In this month's edition...

INTA 2026: Guide to London bars.
UK Supreme Court aligns patentability test with EPO in Emotional Perception case.
IPEC draws a line on software copyright in Edozo v Valos.
Supreme Court decision on Oatly using 'milk'.
Sole searching: How Deity Shoes found protection without breaking new ground.

INTA 2026: Guide to London bars

London is our city, and we know it well, including where to find the finest drink at the end of a long conference day. From the elegant and the iconic to the hidden and the adventurous, our team has personally tested and trialled these venues to bring you a curated guide to London's best bars. Whatever your mood, consider yourselves in good hands.

Classic and iconic

Dukes Hotel Bar, St James': Tucked away in St James's since 1908, Dukes Bar is the undisputed home of the perfect martini - frozen glasses, ice-cold spirits, and theatrical precision from start to finish. One sip in and you'll understand exactly why it's legendary.

The Connaught Bar and Coburg Bar, Mayfair: Ranked 6th in The World's 50 Best Bars 2025, the Connaught Bar is the ultimate cocktail lover's destination, where the legendary Martini Trolley rolls to your candlelit table and world-class hospitality comes as standard. Next door, the Coburg is a more relaxed affair with rare whiskies, plush armchairs, and classic cocktails to linger over.

Skyline views

Lucky Cat, 22 Bishopsgate: Perched on Floor 60 of 22 Bishopsgate, Lucky Cat pairs breathtaking panoramic views of the city with Asian-inspired small plates and a bar that keeps the party going well into the night. Make sure to book ahead as this one fills up fast.

Trendy

Three Sheets, Soho: Three Sheets is a neighbourhood bar with world-class standards, seasonal cocktails, and beloved classics like the French 75 - all perfectly balanced and full of character. Proof that less really is more.

Amaro Bar, Kensington: The feel is neighbourhood, but the drinks are five-star. Think Apricot Daiquiris, Pineapple Sidecars, and a back bar of vintage spirits stretching back to the 1960s. Kensington's best-kept cocktail secret.

Waltz, Shoreditch: Hidden behind an unmarked door just south of Old Street, Waltz is an intimate gem from the work of Tokyo-born bartender Gento Torigata. It offers seasonal menus tied to Japanese micro seasons and cocktails of genuine precision and beauty.

A little adventure...

Satan's Whiskers, Bethnal Green: Taxidermy on exposed brick walls, old-school hip-hop on the stereo, and a menu that changes every single day, drawing from a catalogue of around 900 different drinks. Ask for anything, and they'll nail it.

Discount Suit Company, Spitalfields: You'll walk past it twice - the peeling paint and falling letters of this old tailor's shop in Spitalfields give nothing away. Discover one of London's best hidden bars tucked inside a former tailor's stock room. Bare brick, squashy sofas, Motown on vinyl, and inventive cocktails with a classics-first soul.

Recent insights

UK Supreme Court aligns patentability test with EPO in Emotional Perception case

We analyse the judgment in Emotional Perception. The Supreme Court judgment scraps the Aerotel approach and adopts the EPO’s "any hardware" test. Making patentability more attainable for software and computing inventions, but leaving broader implications for patent practitioners.

IPEC draws a line on software copyright in Edozo v Valos

A recent English court ruling confirms that replicating the functionality of a competitor's software - without copying the underlying source code - does not infringe copyright, leaving an unresolved tension in the law that may yet reach the Court of Appeal.

Supreme Court decision on Oatly using 'milk'

Drinks manufacturer Oatly has been banned from using the word 'milk' to market its plant-based products. Advertising lawyer Katharine Mason comments on the ruling.

Sole searching: How Deity Shoes found protection without breaking new ground

We explore what the Deity Shoes v Mundorama Confort and Stay Design judgment means for EU Community design protection and why brands using catalogue-based design processes may have more legal coverage than they think.