Please sign in with your existing account details.
Register to access exclusive content, sign up to receive our updates and personalise your experience on brownejacobson.com.
Privacy statement - Terms and conditions
Forgotten your password?
You have exceeded the maximum number of login attempts for this email address and your account has been locked. An email has been sent to member of Browne Jacobson's web team and some one will be contacting you over the next two working days with details of how to change your password.
Are you sure you want to remove this item from you pinned content?
The European Court of Justice has ruled that the Lego brick cannot be registered as a trade mark because its shape is necessary to obtain a technical function, ie to enable another Lego brick to be attached to it. The court found that the exclusion applies even where, within the shape, there are other non-essential characteristics with no technical function.
So where does that leave products whose shapes are dictated by technical functions? Design protection may be available for some features of shapes, but again there is an exclusion applying to features of a design which are solely dictated by technical function, so community registered and unregistered design rights may be of little assistance. If the product is novel and inventive, it may qualify for patent protection.
The ECJ gives little guidance as to when any non-technical features are sufficiently relevant so as to bring the shape within trade mark protection. Those seeking such protection will have to place a great emphasis on any non-technical features, to get over the hurdle of registrability – something which the Lego brick failed to do.
A recent case illustrates the importance of ensuring that all emails discussing the terms of a proposed acquisition are headed ‘subject to contract’.
View blog
The last two weeks have seen yet another flurry of announcements regarding big high street names including Thomas Cook, Argos, Karen Millen and Coast.
H&M is the latest retailer to confront its landlords about this ‘two tier retail market’ in an attempt to explore and negotiate more favourable terms.
Ann Summers is the latest retailer to have entered into new voluntary deals with the majority of their landlords, rather than using the CVA process.
Partner
Select which mailings you would like to receive from us.
Sign up