We mark the recent passing of an outstanding scientist and inventor Stephanie Kwolek on June 18th 2014 in her 91st year. Ms. Kwolek was a researcher for several decades at DuPont, where she was engaged in the development of new fibres. Most famously, in 1965 she and her team developed the polymer commonly known as [...]
Abstract ideas and pure methods of doing business have for some time been excluded from patentability in the United States. On 19th June 2014 the United States Supreme Court handed down its Decision in Alice Corp. v CLS Bank International, which involved a method for performing a financial transaction, and has unanimously ruled that abstract ideas and business methods, even [...]
Following up on our post in April 2014 this year, we can now confirm that the CJEU has ruled in the proceedings Of Karen Millen Fashions Ltd v Dunnes Stores, Dunnes Stores (Limerick) Ltd on how so-called “individual character” of a design is to be assessed. The decision has just been posted on the Curia website. The Supreme [...]
The 33rd Annual Conference of ECTA will be taking place this year in Alicante, Spain. Norman MacLachlan, the former Treasurer-General of that organisation, will be attending on behalf of our firm. The object of ECTA (European Communities Trade Mark Association) is to promote the knowledge and professionalism of members and owners alike in the fields of [...]
Dr Yvonne McKeown is attending the UNION-IP Congress in Berlin from 4th-6th June 2014. The many topics to be discussed at the Congress include the Unitary Patent, the European Patent Court and strategic choices as regards IP Litigation in Europe.
Bernadette Walsh will be attending the INTA (International Trademark Association) Meeting in Hong Kong from May 10th to May 14th. It has been reported that there will be around 8,500 attendees from over 140 countries at the meeting, which will be the 4th largest in the history of INTA. If you are also attending the conference [...]
As we recently celebrated World Intellectual Property Day, we thought we might investigate the background to the first granted patents and registered trade marks. Patent Firsts UK patent law applied in Ireland until the formation of the Irish Free State in 1921. It was not until the Industrial and Commercial Property (Protection) Act 1927 that [...]
Registering your company name, trading name or domain name doesn’t give the same protection as a Trade Mark registration! Have you noticed many companies with the same or similar names? There are several Station House Hotels in Ireland (Clifden, Letterkenny and Kilmessan in Meath) yet they are all independently trading. By registering your brand name [...]
In June last year we posted an article on the UK Intellectual Property Bill 2013 (https://maclachlan.ie/uk-intellectual-property-bill-2013). On 2nd April 2014 the House of Lords agreed the amendments made to the Bill in the House of Commons and the Bill now only requires the Royal Assent to become law. This post comments on changes to design [...]
The long-running dispute between British fashion house Karen Millen and the well known Irish retailer, Dunnes Stores, has moved a step closer to resolution. “Not before time”, some might say, since the case relates to women's clothing originally sold by Karen Millen in 2005. Karen Millen claimed that it was the owner of unregistered Community [...]