! Please enable JavaScript to view this site correctly.

! You are viewing this site on an outdated browser. Upgrade now to view this site correctly.

News & Info

Thatchers Cider Company Limited v Aldi Stores Limited – Another Win for Branding "Lookalikes"

On 24th January 2024 a decision was issued by the IPEC court (Thatchers Cider Company Limited v Aldi Stores Limited [2024] EWHC 88 (IPEC), determining that Aldi’s ‘lookalike’ cloudy lemon cider did not infringe Thatchers’ trade mark registration, nor did it pass it off as its own. It would seem that Aldi has, once again, successfully evaded liability for another of its alleged "imitation" products. Whilst some quarters had hoped the decision would depart from those that came before it…

European Patent Office (EPO) Update - New Discount Scheme from 1st April 2024

The European Patent Office (EPO) has recently announced a new fee system aimed at bolstering support for small enterprises and individual inventors. This initiative, effective from the 1st April 2024, offers discounts of 30% on various fees for European patent applications made by so-called "micro-entities", which are defined as being either (a) companies with fewer than 10 employees and a turnover under €2m, or, (b) individual inventors. The move aligns with the EPO's commitment to fostering innovation and easing the…

Don’t Panic! Overcome a Possible Trade Mark Opposition (Form TM7A)

What happens when you receive a Notice of Threatened Opposition (Form TM7A) from the UK Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO)? It's a situation that many applicants face. It's also a situation where SH&P can provide expert guidance to help you deal with it successfully. It does not necessarily the mean the end of your trade mark application and it certainly doesn't mean the end of your business. Let us explain why. Get in touch with us now for a free consultation.

UK Address for Service Requirement for Trade Marks & Designs - New Rule Now In Force

  What is a "Comparable Right"? At "Brexit", the EUIPO took steps to withdraw the representational rights of all non-EU based representatives. On 1st January 2021, all registered EU trade marks and Community designs were "cloned" and re-registered, creating new and independent comparable UK trade mark registrations and comparable UK registered designs. These comparable rights were automatically entered on the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office (UKIPO) register and must now be managed separately and renewed at the appropriate dates by…

SH&P Move to a Brand New Office!

L-R standing: Shaun Sherlock, Adam Cornford, Richard Turner, Josh Treadgold, Leona Walker, Ceili Williams, David Powell, Camille Bates, David Burborough, Robin Webster, Justyna Chojnowska, Paul Carlyle, Ana Roura, Sammy Cobbold, Gail Calder, Claire Bly, Peter Cornford, Bob Barnes, Vicky Jones, Leanne Rogers, Tina Rees-Pedlar, Rose Gilroy, Robert Gaunt L-R seated: Camila M Silva, Jill Cowles, Patrice Dwyer, Sian McHugh, Kalei McHugh, Timothy Jones Friday 14th July 2023 was a great day in the history of SH&P! After spending nearly four…

UK Customs 'Applications for Action' (AFA's)

Customs can help fight counterfeiting by detaining goods suspected of infringing intellectual property rights. To ask customs to take action, IP right owners need to lodge an Application for Action or AFA. Before Brexit, two types of AFAs provided protection in the UK, namely: national AFAs and EU-wide AFAs. But since 1 January 2021, EU AFAs granted before the end of the Transition Period no longer have the same scope. Depending on where the EU AFA was granted, the Application…

Stay in the know with SH&P

We’d love to send you our monthly newsletter which includes company news and our views on recent IP related subjects and headlines