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The Design of Hipster

IP and Legal Filings

Introduction The Plaintiff asserted that its hipster whiskey bottle design, which was inspired by the shape of a smartphone and intended to fit into a hip pocket, was novel due to its rectangular shape, smooth rounded shoulders, V-shaped neck, rimmed rounded cap, and dimpled bottom.

Designs 76
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Marketing and IPR

IP and Legal Filings

A trade name often is designated by the term “doing business as,” “trading as,” or “operating as” to make this distinction from the legal name. For a marketer, a brand is what represents the values of a company and aims to create awareness and trust. All of this must be economically justified by a demonstrable value.

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Another “brick” in Lego’s modular systems design protection

The IPKat

By decision of 24 January 2024 ( T-537/22 ), the General Court of the European Union (GC) confirmed the validity of the Registered Community Design (RCD) by Lego A/S (Lego) “Building blocks from a toy building set” by stating that an RCD is invalid only if all its features are excluded from protection. On 2 February 2010 Lego obtained RCD No.

Designs 70
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How Grey Is Your Market? Identifying Grey Market Issues and Strategies to Combat Them 

Corsearch

However, whilst international trade fosters economic growth and exchange, it also creates opportunities for grey market goods to emerge. Table of contents : • What is the grey market? • Supply chain inefficiencies: Misallocation of products or product returns can lead to grey market sales.

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CJEU confirms that partial designs may be protected as unregistered designs (but conditions apply)

The IPKat

In it, the CJEU confirmed that an Unregistered Community Design under Regulation 6/2002 may vest in a partial design (which the CJEU defines as “a section of the ‘whole’ that is the product”). In August, Advocate General (AG) Øe advised the Court to answer that partial designs may indeed be protected under UCD rights.

Designs 145
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When is a design dictated by its technical function?

The IPKat

Designs are meant to protect the appearance of a product or a part thereof. 6/2002 (‘Design Regulation’) stipulates:-- A Community design shall not subsist in features of appearance of a product which are solely dictated by its technical function. The existence of other design alternatives was considered irrelevant.

Designs 86
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Obviousness of a Design Patent

Patently-O

Obviousness of a design patent is governed by 35 U.S.C. Importantly, the Federal Circuit suggests that the obviousness inquiry should begin with a primary reference whose whose “design characteristics … are basically the same as the claimed design” and that creates “basically the same visual impression.” Samsung (Fed.