Publications - Intellectual Property
McDonald’s European Union trademark Big Mac cancelled due to non-use
On January 11 2019 the EUIPO’s Cancellation Division revoked European Union trademark 62.638 BIG MAC, filed in 1996 by the famous fast-food chain McDonald’s. Although the mark had been registered since 1998, in April 2017, the…
The Copyright Directive closer to approval following the support by the European Parliament
The European Parliament has given its support to the Directive on Copyright in the Digital Single Market, with 438 votes in favor, 226 against and 39 abstentions. The vote moves one step further in the path to approve a directive that seeks to…
For the CJEU, the red sole can belong to Louboutin
Independent management entities: an alternative to collective management organizations?
Can you obtain exclusive rights in your technology?
One of the most common mistakes made when investing in a technology startup is to ignore potential intellectual property contingencies. This mistake can prove to be particularly serious when the value of the startup lies precisely in its intangible…
The Government reforms the Intellectual Property Law via a Royal Decree-Law in order to come into line with European legislation
The Government approves Royal Decree-Law 2/2018 amending the Intellectual Property Law in order to include the directives on collective management of copyright and permitted uses of works by the blind
The Order approving the methodology for collecting societies’ general rates is null and void
The Order for determining the general rates charged by collecting societies is rendered null and void by the Supreme Court
A new breakthrough in the protection of trade secrets
The General Council of the Spanish Judiciary (CGPJ) publishes its Report on the Preliminary Trade Secrets Bill: the new legislation continues to make progress with the publication of this report, which introduces certain recommendations,…
Countdown to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
On May 25 2016, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) became mandatory, having been published in the Official Journal of the European Union three weeks earlier. The regulation established a term of two years within which members states and…
Will the General Data Protection Regulation make business cards a thing of the past?
It is believed that business cards, such a 20th century phenomenon, were first used in China back in the 15th century and that they had reached Europe by the 17th century. Despite their antiquity, they nevertheless continue to play an important role…
The new preliminary bill means greater protection for business secrets
Business secrets are one of the most important intangible assets of companies, particularly in the context of the digital economy. Until now, however, the legal protection afforded them was fairly limited and was normally relegated to the…
The Advocate General of the CJEU rules that Louboutin’s red sole is not a color mark