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Trade Mark, Designs and Copyright

Trade mark, designs and copyright protection is critical to the creativity, innovation and investment that go into developing brands. Allen & Overy’s market-leading team helps today’s leading businesses to protect these significant company assets.

More than ever, the world’s top businesses need a strategic and coordinated global approach to Intellectual Property. Our pre-eminent global team has worked on some of the most complex, high-profile and often precedent-setting trade mark, designs and copyright cases of recent times.

Implementing and executing effective global dispute resolution strategies to defend brands is a key part of our expertise. We act for some of the world’s most valuable brands, devising litigation strategies that are effective at all levels of the relevant courts and tribunals.

Our experience

Warner Bros

Warner Bros

in EU-wide trade mark infringement proceedings commenced in the Brussels Commercial Court, and in two sets of parallel invalidity proceedings before the EUIPO.

Nintendo

Nintendo

as their main adviser in France, on a day-to-day basis, on the enforcement of all aspects of its anti-piracy policy in France. Most notably, we advised on its efforts to prohibit the sale of devices designed to circumvent the technical measures protecting the Nintendo consoles, infringing their copyright and trade marks.

SC Johnson

SC Johnson

the maker of well-known brands such as Mr Muscle, Autan, Glade, Raid and Off! on all aspects of its trade marks, product designs and advertising/unfair competition work across a number of European jurisdictions.

A global pharmaceutical company

A global pharmaceutical company

on successful arguments for the registration of its trade mark for the distinctive shape of one of its products in the Czech Republic.

News and insights

Office

Publications: 06 September 2023

Consultations on the One IPO Transformation Programme

What is the background to the IPO’s Transformation Programme and what stage has the consultation process reached?

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Smart phone, tablet and keyboard on a desk

Publications: 24 July 2023

"Sparks flew" in trade mark case about online dating services: Match Group, LLC v Muzmatch Limited

The Court of Appeal has recently confirmed that an online dating service trading as MUZMATCH and targeting Islamic customers has infringed the trade marks of the Match Group. The judgment provides…

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A picture of earth from space

News: 21 July 2023

A&O’s patent practices and lawyers secure top rankings in leading intellectual property platform

Intellectual Asset Management (IAM) Patent, the world’s leading patent business media platform, has released its annual rankings guide, listing 16 practices and 32 Allen & Overy lawyers. The platform…

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Publications: 09 June 2023

Indirect confusion: What is it good for?

While both direct and indirect confusion occur in the real world, the use of this distinction in the legal test of a likelihood of confusion is unnecessary. Further, the requirement to explain a…

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Awards and accolades

  • Winner: Copyright & Design Firm of the Year – France, Managing IP EMEA Awards 2020

Recognition of our work

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